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Imagine a day when you might consider cutting off your own legs, so you could replace them with far superior bionic versions. Or imagine being diagnosed with cancer, then getting cured later that same day. These may seem like scenarios from a science fiction movie, but technology in both these medical fields is advancing at a stunning pace, leading some futurists to predict that both these scenarios will not only one day be plausible, but could be a reality by 2025. However, a cure for cancer and the other possible breakthroughs noted below will create some complex ethical and practical issues. For example, with some predicting the human lifespan will soon reach 150 and possibly well beyond, will extended life be granted to everyone? Or will only the wealthy be able to afford such a luxury?

It’s hard to say exactly when Apple became more than just a company and transformed into the so-called “Cult of Mac.” The first seeds were undoubtedly planted with that famous Orwellian Super Bowl ad in 1984 that launched the first Macintosh computer. Whatever the roots, the company is hailed by marketing experts for its cult-like following. Those who worship at Apple’s monochromatic altar wait in line for days to be the first to purchase new products. They fiercely defend the company’s shortcomings and eagerly seek out vintage Apple clothing in thrift shops. And while such Apple-like devotion can’t be duplicated, the following 10 companies have their own band of passionate followers. These companies share many common traits, such as quirky advertising, good customer service and generous employee benefits. Add it all up and you get a hard-core, loyal customer base that is the envy of other companies.

We don’t mean to put a damper on your future travel plans, but here’s a scary statistic: the U.S. State Department reports that around 2,500 Americans are arrested abroad each year. These figures don’t take into account the individuals who are assaulted, robbed or, worse, killed each year while overseas. All too often, U.S. tourists blunder into situations that seem perfectly harmless in America, but may land them in jail or a deadly situation in the country they’re visiting. But a little planning and learning about the culture and laws of your destination country — which you should want to do anyway —can help ensure that you don’t become statistic, and never have to make a desperate plea for help to a U.S. embassy.

America has been famously called “The Melting Pot,” a metaphor for how immigrants from many different cultures arrive in the United States and become assimilated into society. Yet some subgroups of Americans remain culturally distinct, even two or more centuries after their arrival in the U.S. Whether due to tradition, a different language, geographic isolation or their physical appearance, these Americans are unique in many ways. The five following groups are known and even celebrated for their unique qualities, although some groups’ origins are both mysterious and controversial.

The aging process is fraught with uncertainty. Just think of the awkwardness of puberty, the restlessness of the teen years and young adulthood, the aches and pains of middle age, the infirmities of old age. Now imagine what would happen if that normal aging process took place not over several decades, but in the course of a couple of years. For those with a rare condition known as progeria, this is an unfortunate reality. Progeria is one of several extremely rare conditions that affect the aging process. As those who suffer from these conditions try to cope with their fate, researchers are busy seeking a cure that may hold the key to unlocking how we age, which has implications for everyone.

The International Association for Near-Death Studies reports up to 15 percent of those surveyed in the U.S., Germany and Australia have had a near-death experience. Those who have gone through an NDE usually report similar experiences: they may have seen and felt a brilliant white light, encountered dead loved ones, watched their entire life flash in front of them (the “life review”) and hovered outside their body (the aptly-titled “out-of-body experience”). While some people who have these near-death experiences are afraid to talk about them, others are more than happy to share their story. The 10 celebrities on this list have all publically talked about going through a near-death experience, and they insist that their experiences were very real — not simply the hallucinations of an oxygen-starved brain, a common theory used to explain NDEs. And, as with so many others, the following celebrities assert their near-death experience forever changed their outlook on life, mostly for the better.

So much has been made of so-called “one-hit wonders” that VH1 dedicated an entire series to those bands that rose to fame with one hit single in the U.S. and then flamed out. But what is truly wondrous about the following 1980s “one-hit” artists is that they are still making new music and/or touring. Whether supported by a loyal cult following, or pursuing new music with their original groups or as solo artists, these performers are proving that their 15 minutes of fame didn’t expire three decades ago.

The number of obese Americans has risen dramatically in recent years, prompting the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention to label the trend an “obesity epidemic.” While some have questioned the use of that term to describe the situation, there is no question that the growing number of obese children and adults poses problems on a couple of levels. First, being overweight puts individuals at risk for conditions such as high blood pressure, arthritis, type 2 diabetes and even cancer. On a national scale, the obesity epidemic threatens a health care system already beset by rising costs, and is presenting challenges in many different areas, from travel and fashion to national defense. Here are 10 numbers that illustrate the extent of this epidemic.

Following President Barack Obama’s announcement of 23 executive orders to combat gun violence in the wake of the Newtown shootings, some critics have questioned the president’s rights to issue such orders. Conservative politicians and pundits contend President Obama is overstepping his powers in an attempt to circumvent Congress. Yet every president in history has exercised this authority (with the exception of William Henry Harrison, who died shortly after taking office). And with 147 executive orders (as of Jan. 20, 2013), President Obama has issued the fewest such directives of any president dating to the 1880s. To put this in perspective, President Ronald Reagan issued 381 such orders, President George Bush issued 166, and presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush issued 364 and 291, respectively.

The vast majority of presidential executive orders cover incredibly mundane matters, such as President Andrew Jackson’s order to honor a deceased French military officer as a “friend of liberty.”) But a few, like the following 10 examples listed in chronological order, shaped the very essence of the United States … for better or for worse.

Jimmy Hoffa, the notorious Teamsters Union leader who disappeared without a trace on July 30, 1975, would have celebrated his 100th birthday on Valentine’s Day 2013. Hoffa’s centennial birthday comes just a few weeks after yet another aging reputed mob boss, Tony Zerilli, claimed that he knows what happened to Hoffa, and that his body is located just 20 miles north of the suburban Detroit restaurant where he was last seen. It’s the type of claim that usually brings the FBI out with earthmoving equipment to dig up yet another yard or farm or field in Michigan in search of Hoffa’s body. But some contend that Hoffa is still alive. Speculation that the besieged union leader could still be alive or that he met his demise peacefully — from old age and not “two bullets to the hat” — are among 10 of the following obscure and/or bizarre theories floated by conspiracy buffs and mob insiders to explain the enduring mystery of Jimmy Hoffa’s fate.