Weapons of War: The Aztec Macuahuitl – 900 AD

The Aztec Macuahuitl was a weapon used by the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican cultures in pre-Columbian times. It was a type of sword that was made from obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass. The Macuahuitl was a fearsome weapon that was able to slice through flesh and bone with ease, and it played an important role in Aztec warfare and culture.

MIT and Quaker Oats Fed Radioactive Cereals to Children in the 1940s

In the 1940s, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Quaker Oats tests conducted a series of experiments involving the consumption of radioactive cereals by children. In particular, the study sought to learn more about the effects of internal radiation exposure, and to develop methods for treating radiation sickness as opposed to external radiation exposure, which had been studied for many years.

The Scarificator: A Bloodletting 18th-Century Device

Bloodletting was a common medical practice in the 18th and 19th centuries for a wide variety of ailments, including fever, headaches, and even mental illness. Physicians believed that many illnesses were caused by an imbalance of bodily fluids, and bloodletting was thought to restore this balance. The scarificator was an essential tool for bloodletting, as it allowed physicians to create small incisions quickly and efficiently.