Dirty Politics? Scientists Say Political Affiliation Is In Our Subconscious, Or Even Our Genes

November 5, 2014
Maggot infestations, rotting carcasses, unidentifiable gunk in the kitchen sink – how much your brain responds to disgusting images could predict whether you are liberal or conservative. In a study to be published in an upcoming issue of Current Biology,... continued

Scientists Say Amazon Rainforest Is Drying Out With Catastrophic Results

November 3, 2014
A few weeks ago, Unknown Country reported that NASA were investing millions of dollars into a new laser-based instrument, located on the International Space Station,  which is intended to provide a unique 3-D view of Earth’s forests. The focus of... continued

Unknown Country Halloween Week: The Secret of Superstition

October 31, 2014
Do black cats, bats and witches have you on the run not just at Halloween but year-round? Do you always avoid walking under ladders and stepping on sidewalk cracks? These behaviors can all be linked to a strong belief that... continued

Halloween Special: Morbid Curiosity Explained – What Draws Us To The Macabre?

October 31, 2014
What draws us to the darker side? What compels us to look whenever we pass a grisly accident on the highway and drives us to watch horror movies and television coverage of disasters? Eric G. Wilson, a literature professor and a... continued

Weekender: Halloween – A Time for Frivolous Fun or for Menacing Manifestations?

October 31, 2014
As the economic opportunities of this annual tradition are exploited more with every passing year, Halloween has become a time of feasting, fun-filled frights, and fancy-dressed festivities. According to the Indo-European Etymological Dictionaries, the origins of All Hallows' Eve are commonly... continued

Halloween Week on Unknown Country: Why We Should Still Be Creatures of the Night

October 31, 2014
Halloween, the time when we lure strangely-clad strangers to our homes by lighting lanterns in our windows, and offering them food and welcome at our doors. This tradition is firmly associated with the celebration of ghosties and ghoulies and long-legged... continued

Unknown Country Halloween Week: Myths and Monsters – Is There Any Truth Behind The Legends?

October 30, 2014
We all love a good monster movie, don't we, even if it's viewed with just one eye open from behind the safety of our sofas? Year after year, Hollywood favourites such as Count Dracula and the Wolfman, and other classic... continued

Halloween Week On Unknown Country: Good News For Vampires? Bespoke Blood May Soon Be Possible

October 29, 2014
We are all programmed to have strong reactions to the vivid color of the life-giving fluid that runs through our veins. For some, it is a morbid fascination that causes them to watch horror movies, but for others it evokes... continued

Halloween Week On Unknown Country: Let’s Take A Walk On Our Shadowside…

October 28, 2014
We are counting down the week to Halloween here at Unknown Country! Whatever your personal beliefs about this archaic and arcane tradition, this is a good time to examine the shadow-sides of our personality and the importance of recognising the... continued

Weekender: The Science of Awe

October 24, 2014
Our inner emotions are very powerful, and it is becoming more widely accepted by science that they can have profound and measurable physiological effects. Stress is known to have negative effects on the body, but what about more positive emotions,... continued