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We’ve all seen famous examples of “failed” engineering, from collapsed bridges and buildings to $300 million satellite launches that crash into the ocean. What seemed like a good idea during the design phase didn’t work as expected under stress or even normal conditions. In most cases, someone cleans up the mess and another project is started to replace the failed one. But some failed projects are left to stand, and have become renowned as “successful failures.” Here are 5 examples of failed engineering projects still standing today, in some cases a thousand years after they were first built.

Why are we here? What’s the point of existence? As human beings, we are constantly searching for meaning, and throughout history scientists, theologians, philosophers, writers and poets, have explored such themes. Most people long for peaceful, happy, healthy and fulfilling lives. Some turn to religion to satisfy their spiritual yearnings; others choose alternative paths on their quest for self-knowledge and enlightenment. And now there is an abundance of literature available for spiritual seekers, on such diverse concepts as consciousness, inner peace, the mind/body connection, the power of thought, the law of attraction, and the nature of reality.

For this list we’ve chosen 10 modern spiritual writers who have been particularly influential and successful in spreading their message and vision.

The famous Guinness World Records officially recognizes thousands of incredible records. Many of these are interesting in their own right, but are hardly worthy of adulation. Would you want to hold the record as the World’s Most Tattooed Person? How about the record for the Most Marshmallows Eaten in 1 Minute? Then there are the dangerous feats that push the bounds of the human body and technology, giving us a greater appreciation for the human spirit. Here are 5 such awe-inspiring, record-setting — and dangerous — feats caught on video.

New college graduates are leaving their alma maters behind this spring, and if they thought classes in Advanced Calculus or English Literature were tough, they’re nothing compared to the challenge they face in a depressed U.S. labor market. Countless thousands will fail to find work in their field and will enter the labor force underemployed, finding the $75,000 in student debt they racked up for a Psychology degree has landed them a job in the fast food industry. But for high school students and college students still trying to choose a major, here are five of the fastest growing jobs in the United States with a median pay of $75,000 or more, based on statistics and projections from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Civil War featured many historic battles whose names need no introduction. Gettysburg. Chickamauga. Antietam. Manassas. Shiloh. Those battles have been commemorated in books and movies, and the sites now draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Beyond that, there were a number of other battles and events that played a crucial role in the war, but they don’t have the name recognition or popularity of the aforementioned sites. Here’s a look at some historic sites or exhibits that are often overlooked by casual Civil War travelers.

Mankind has been searching the universe for signs of alien life for more than half a century. So far, the search has yielded no sign of ET. Yet there has been much debate in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) community about the protocols to follow if — or perhaps when — contact is made. How should the discovery be announced? Would the public react with panic, wonder, or an apathetic shrug of the shoulders? Of course, many feel that this has already happened, and that the government has covered it up. Given the international collaborative nature of modern science, this is highly unlikely. Still, it’s revealing to look at some past moments in history when we thought that alien life had been discovered, if only to see how we reacted at the time.

When you think, “medical treatments through history,” you probably think of some nightmarish stuff — bloodletting, shock therapy, and more. But as gross or absurd as some of the following medical practices of “bygone” days may seem, like fashion, what goes around comes around. Some of these seemingly archaic treatments have made a comeback in recent years, as science has caught up with what the ancients knew all along.

The city of Austin, Texas, unveiled a statue of country music legend Willie Nelson on April 20, and the 78-year-old musician was on hand to enjoy the ceremony. Too often, music stars are only honored in such fashion after their death. And what fun is that? Here are 10 interesting statues or sculptures around the world honoring music legends who met their demise much too early.

Welcome to the deadliest time of year for weather in the United States. As temperatures rise across the U.S., so does the incidence of weather-related deaths. Warm weather brings an increase in tornadoes and lightning, and the Atlantic hurricane season officially begins June 1. It’s worth noting that the weather events that draw the most media coverage and evoke our deepest fears, hurricanes and tornadoes, on average cause far fewer deaths than much more mundane weather occurrences. Here’s a list of the top 5 weather-related causes of death in the United States, based on statistics from several federal agencies.

We live in a golden age of astronomy. Modern instruments such as the Hubble Space Telescope and its kin have redefined modern astronomical knowledge, confirming old suspicions about the universe while revealing startling new discoveries. Here are 5 modern revelations that have reshaped our understanding of the cosmos and our place in it.