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The Court Jester Whose Wit Saved His Life

How a court jester slapped the king's butt, then brilliantly convinced him not to kill him Triboulet served as court jester under King Francis I, who ruled France from 1515 to 1547 . Triboulet's quick humor rescued him from Francis I's deadly wrath, not once, but twice. Court jesters hold a unique place in history. Playing the fool for kings and queens meant they were always in close proximity to royalty, but so very far from their rank and station. Comedians often like to push boundaries, but that can be a dangerous business when your job is to entertain the peope who have executioners at their beck and call. Especially when you forget your place—or purposely ignore it, as the case may be—and playfully smack the reigning monarch square on the behind. That little whoopsie was the claim to fame of Triboulet, a court jester who served King Francis I in 16th-century France. But it was how he got away with slapping the king on the butt and living to tell about it that earne...
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The Mysterious Zone of Silence

The Mysterious Zone of Silence

Zone of Silence
Zone of Silence


In the Chihuahuan desert of Northern Mexico, there is an area where compasses spin out of control and radio signals don’t work. This place is called the Zone of Silence. It has been an area that has caught the eye of many scientists over the years due to its tendency to attract meteorites and space debris. 

The area measures approximately 30 miles across and is entirely undeveloped. The closest village is Escalón, Chihuahua, which is on the edge of the zone. This town even has a UFO-themed ranch that you can visit on the periphery of the Zone of Silence.

The mysterious effects of the Zone of Silence are thought to be caused by subterranean deposits of magnetite along with debris from meteorites. During the 20th century, several large meteorites landed near the zone, but the area itself was not named or researched until 1966 when an oil company called Pemex sent explorers to investigate the area. They first noted the disturbances there and christened the location the Zone of Silence.

The area did not gain public notoriety until July 11, 1970, when the Athena rocket was supposed to return to Earth. It had been launched as part of a scientific mission to study the upper atmosphere, but when it returned, it crashed into the heart of the Zone of Silence instead of its planned location of White Sands, New Mexico. In response to this phenomenon, Wernher Von Braun, a famous Nazi scientist who helped America build its space program, brought a team to the crash site to excavate the crashed rocket. They only stayed for about a month and removed all the debris from the crash. However brief their stay, the American rocket had a lasting impact on the popularity of the area.

Looking east across the Chihuahua desert, near the Zona del Silencio
Looking east across the Chihuahua desert, near the Zona del Silencio


Interestingly, this land has even more to offer than its stories of unusual celestial activity. It happens to also be home to North America’s largest land reptile, the Gopherus tortoise. The area used to be under the Sea of Thetys and has consequentially left numerous fossilized sea shells and salt deposits as well. Biologists visit the area from all over, along with miners looking to profit from the salt deposits.

By far the most interesting aspect of the Zone of Silence is the stories of alien and paranormal encounters there. Geraldo Rivera, Chihuahua’s most famous UFO investigator states, “People often get lost in the Zone. When this happens, sometimes tall blond beings appear out of nowhere.”  These blonde beings are said to speak perfect Spanish, ask only for water, and disappear without a trace. People claim to have seen bright lights or fireballs in the sky and have returned from the Zone to discover that many hours have passed without their noticing. Some believe that the Zone of Silence is actually the site of a UFO crash dating back over a hundred years. It also happens to be parallel with the Egyptian pyramids and the Bermuda Triangle.

Whether you believe in the stories of paranormal activity, or would prefer to keep it strictly scientific, the Zone of Silence is an incredibly interesting place that not many people know about. If you ever happen to visit Mexico, consider visiting this mysterious and unnerving part of the desert. Who knows what you may discover? 


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