Viking Sunstones and Mummy Health Secrets

TL;DR

Vikings used a crystal called Sunstone to navigate, while mummies from different regions and time periods show signs of clogged arteries.

Transcript

dead people they've been around the block and today on SI show news dead person wisdom is helping enrich our understanding of the natural world for starters how in Odin's name did Vikings managed to be such awesome Navigators medieval Chinese explorers used the first magnetic compasses and Mediterranean Sailors used the Sun but historians have long... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤙 Vikings used a crystal called Sunstone for navigation in foggy and sunless Northern Seas.
• 🧭 Tudor English Sailors also likely used Sunstone as a solar compass.
• 😒 Discovery of Icelandic Spar in a 16th-century English shipwreck supports its use as a navigational tool.
• 🛀 CT scans of mummies from different regions and time periods showed clogged arteries, indicating atherosclerosis may be inherent to human aging.
• 🎚️ Diet and lifestyle variations among the mummies did not significantly affect the level of atherosclerosis.
• 🤕 Connection between atherosclerosis and age suggests calcium buildup in arteries is inherent to aging.
• 🧑‍⚕️ Sunstone and atherosclerosis reveal ancient knowledge and health issues.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Vikings navigate through foggy and sunless Northern Seas?

According to Viking legend and recent discoveries, Vikings used a crystal called Sunstone or Icelandic Spar, which had the property of double refraction, to reveal the position of the sun even in dull light or when below the horizon.

Q: What evidence supports the use of Sunstone by Tudor English Sailors?

A crystal similar to Icelandic Spar was found among navigation tools on a 16th-century English shipwreck, suggesting that Tudor English Sailors also used it as a solar compass.

Q: What did CT scans reveal about mummies from different regions?

CT scans of 137 mummies from various regions and time periods showed that they all had clogged arteries, indicating the presence of atherosclerosis. This suggests that the disease may be inherent to human aging.

Q: Did the mummies' diets and lifestyles affect the level of atherosclerosis?

Despite differences in lifestyle and diet, the mummies showed about the same level of atherosclerosis. This suggests that factors other than diet and lifestyle, such as age and inherent calcium buildup in arteries, play a role in the development of the condition.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Vikings used a crystal called Sunstone, specifically Icelandic Spar, to navigate in foggy and sunless Northern Seas.

• Divers found a similar crystal among navigation tools on a 16th-century English shipwreck, suggesting that Tudor English Sailors also used it as a solar compass.

• CT scans of 137 mummies from different regions and spanning 4,000 years revealed that they all had clogged arteries, indicating that atherosclerosis may be inherent to human aging.