[View Article at Source]Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Friday a significant settlement with Texas Childrens Hospital in Houston over that hospitals long practice of harming

Enigmatic crownlike surface formations on Venus hold keys to understanding our twin planets deep interior. Or so says a new paper presented at the recent European Geosciences Union 2026 general assembly in Vienna.

Terje Tveit/Museum of Archaeology/University of StavangerThe sword ornament found by a hiker in Norway is small, but richly detailed.While making his way along a popular hiking path in Norway, a hiker noticed a tree that had fallen in a storm some years back. Curious to see what lay beneath the tree, the hiker poked at the ground with a stick. Then, to his surprise, something glittered in the dirt: The hiker had stumbled across a 1,500-year-old gold ornament that once adorned the scabbard of a sword.The ornament dates to the 6th century C.E., a turbulent time that saw both increased migration to the region and devastating natural disasters. Researchers believe that the ornament may have belonged to a powerful chieftain during this time, and that it might have been buried as an offering to the gods.The Ancient Sword Ornament Found In NorwayAccording to a statement from the University of Stavanger, a hiker was making his way through the Austrtt district of Sandnes when he stumbled across the sword ornament, buried in a mound beneath a fallen tree.I saw a mound in the ground under the tree, and poked at it with a stick, the hiker explained. Suddenly I saw something that glittered. I didnt quite understand what I had found.The hiker had stumbled across a 1,500-year-old gold ornament that was once affixed to a swords scabbard. Though small only about two inches wide the ornament is heavy and richly detailed with filigree ornamentation. This includes three interwoven golden threads, likely made by a skilled goldsmith.Researchers believe that the golden threads may depict two animals facing each other, or perhaps a human head with an animal body.Figures with such ribbon-shaped bodies belong to the late phase of ornamentation, said Siv Kristoffersen of the University of Stavanger Museum of Archaeology, and are often dated to the first half of the 6th century.Ellen Hagen/Museum Of Archaeology/University of StavangerThe possible animal figures are highlighted in violet, with a pink ribbon wrapped around them.But who did this sword ornament belong to and why was it buried?The Owner Of The Scabbard Ornament And Why It May Have Been DiscardedGiven the rich details of the ornament, researchers suspect that it once belonged to a powerful leader or warrior. And given the wear on the ornament, they believe that this chieftain wielded their sword often.Whoever wore the sword it was on was probably the leader in this area in the first half of the 6th century, and had a warrior retinue of loyal men attached to him, said Hkon Reiersen of the Museum of Archaeology. Gold sword scabbard fittings usually do not show signs of much use, but this one is worn and well-used, which indicates that the chieftain has actually used it a lot. It emphasized his position and power.Museum of Archaeology/University of Stavanger.The gold sword ornament likely belonged to a chieftain, and it shows signs of significant wear and tear.Whats more, researchers believe that the chieftain lived during an especially turbulent time known as the Migration Period.During this time, migration was rampant across Europe as the continents power structure shifted in response to the fall of the Roman Empire. Around the same time, the climate in northern Europe changed dramatically following a major volcanic eruption in Central America in 536. Temperatures plummeted, harvests failed, and untold numbers of people died.Researchers suspect that these conditions led to the burial of the sword ornament. Though seemingly a prized object, it was likely buried as a sacrifice to the gods, as many gold objects were during this time. People hoped that these sacrifices could lead to better conditions and harvests, and the act of making a sacrifice could also reinforce a leaders status.But while many questions remain about who exactly may have owned the sword ornament, and why exactly it was buried in the woods, researchers are thrilled with the hikers lucky find.You are completely caught off guard when finds like this come in, Reiersen exclaimed. The chances of finding something like this are minimal.After reading about the gold sword ornament that was found by a hiker in Norway, discover the story of the real sword in the stone, and the saint who once wielded it. Then, look through this fascinating collection of armor through the ages. The post A Hiker In Norway Just Stumbled Upon A 1,500-Year-Old Gold Ornament That Once Adorned A Warriors Sword appeared first on All That's Interesting.

BritanniaA rendering of what the Berlanga Cup would look like reassembled.Archaeologists recently announced the discovery of a 2nd-century C.E. cup found on farmland in La Cerrada de Arroyo, near Berlanga de Duero, Spain. This artifact is the latest in a series from around the same time period known to make references to Hadrians Wall, the Roman border wall in northern England.What makes the Berlanga Cup different, however, is the fact that it features inscriptions mentioning the walls eastern forts and military camps (whereas other similar relics do not mention these forts specifically) and that it was found in Spain, not England.According to researchers, this means that the cup likely did not have a wholly practical purpose. Rather, its materials and craftsmanship show that this cup was likely a prestige object in other words, a possible souvenir or memento allowing a soldier to remember his time serving on Hadrians Wall.Whats So Special About The Berlanga Cup?Hadrians Wall was a massive, Roman border wall built across northern England during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. Along the wall were several forts, at which Roman soldiers were stationed.Wikimedia CommonsA partially reconstructed section of Hadrians Wall.Given the size and prominence of this wall, its no surprise that it was often depicted in artifacts of the period. Prior to the discovery of the Berlanga Cup, archaeologists found a variety of similar vessels decorated with colorful enamel showing what researchers believed to be parts of Hadrians Wall. One of the most prominent examples of this is the Rudge Cup, which lists five of the walls forts.In looking at these artifacts, researchers determined that they were likely not solely designed for practical purposes. Instead, an item like these cups and pans appeared to be crafted as something resembling a souvenir.The discovery of the Berlanga Cup both solidifies this idea and expands upon it. According to the new study published in Britannia, the cup is believed to have belonged to a member of the Cohors I Celtiberorum. This was a Roman auxiliary regiment recruited from modern-day Spain.Even though the object was made in Spain and seemingly carried by a Spanish soldier, scientists believe it was manufactured in England, closer to Hadrians Wall itself. This could be determined in part due to the composition of the cup, as the qualities of its metal indicate it likely came from mines in the north of England or Wales.Why This Ancient Roman Cup Is More Than Just A SouvenirThe Britannia study notes that the idea of soldiers taking home souvenirs is nothing new.BritanniaThe Berlanga Cup is believed to date back approximately 1,900 years.What makes this cup different, however, is that it does not seem to simply be a memento. For one thing, the Berlanga Cup is an especially impressive and unique piece. It appears to have the names of four different forts: Cilurnum, Onno, Vindobala, and Condercom. It also has intricate decorations, bearing red, green, turquoise, and blue enamel arranged in geometric patterns resembling fish scales and tower motifs.Furthermore, its larger than a simple charm or medal. Researchers estimated its mouth diameter at around 11.34 cm, its base diameter at about 4.95 cm, and its height at about 7.89 cm, after digital reconstruction.Researchers speculate that, if this were to simply belong to a tourist or someone with no personal connection to the wall, a souvenir of this kind would simply mention the wall itself not specific forts that were likely not well-known outside of England.According to the researchers, this could mean that the soldier ordered this custom piece to commemorate his time in the area. Alternatively, the piece could have been a commendation or distinction for the soldier in response to something he did during his service. This supports prior research speculating that similar-looking pieces found previously were not widely-produced sets, but instead one-off commissions or pieces with very limited production.The whole story of the soldier who once held this particular cup may never be known, but its already provided fascinating insights into military life in ancient Rome.Next, learn about the true size of the Roman Empire. And for more ancient discoveries at Hadrians Wall, read about the pair of boxing gloves that were found there.The post Archaeologists In Spain Just Uncovered An Ornate Roman Cup Adorned With References To Hadrians Wall appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Close relatives of notorious criminals, pariahs, and villains of all stripes often go underground after their family names achieves infamy and David Dahmer, brother of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, is no exception.Like Adolf Hitlers nephew who changed his name and served in the U.S. Navy, and Charles Mansons sons, who changed their names and lived anonymously, David Dahmer understandably wants no part of the legacy defined by his brothers unspeakable crimes.An undated family photo featuring David Dahmer, left, Lionel, and Jeffrey.And while it may be a distant memory now, there was a time in David Dahmers life when he was part of a tight-knit, loving family. His parents even let his older brother name him. In fact, perhaps thats another reason why David Dahmer ultimately changed his name.This is the story of Jeffrey Dahmers brother.David Dahmers Relatively Normal Early Life As Jeffrey Dahmers BrotherDavid Dahmer was the second child of Lionel and Joyce Dahmer (ne Flint). He was born in 1966 in Doylestown, Ohio and his parents allowed his brother, Jeffrey Dahmer, to name him. It was Jeffrey who chose the name David for his younger sibling.But the brothers appeared to have had a love-hate relationship with one another. While Jeffrey enjoyed spending time with his younger sibling, he also was extremely jealous of David and felt that he stole away some of the love that the Dahmers once had for him.In 1978, Lionel and Joyce divorced. Joyce moved back with her family in Wisconsin and took David Dahmer, who was then only 12 years old, with her. Yet, despite being absent from her elder sons life after her divorce, Joyce Dahmer claimed that there were no warning signs of what he would become.Lionel Dahmer, however, had a very different story.By Lionels own admission in his memoir, A Fathers Story, the family unit was anything but a happy one. Because Lionel was busy with his own doctoral studies, he was often absent from the home. Yet, he pondered the nature of evil in an existential way, especially as it related to his son, Jeffrey.As a scientist, [I] wonder if [the] potential for great evil resides deep in the blood that some of us may pass on to our children at birth, he wrote in the book.Jeffrey Dahmers Unspeakable CrimesWikimedia CommonsJeffrey Dahmers high school yearbook photo.Just one year after Joyce and David Dahmer moved from Ohio to Wisconsin, Jeffrey Dahmer committed his first brutal murder right in the Dahmer family home where he and his brother had grown up.Between 1978 and 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer brutally murdered 17 men and boys, whose ages ranged from 14 to 31. And when he was finished murdering them, Dahmer defiled their bodies in the most unspeakable ways, resorting to cannibalism and masturbating on their corpses to further complete the humiliation. He even dissolved their bodies in acid, kept pieces of their corpses in his freezer, and tortured them while they were still alive. It was an incessant and never-ending desire to be with someone at whatever cost,he would later explain after his conviction. Someone good looking, really nice looking. It just filled my thoughts all day long.Were it not for the brave escape of Tracy Edwards Jeffrey Dahmers final would-be victim the serial killers crimes may have continued for a long time. Fortunately, though, Jeffrey Dahmer was ultimately put on trial in 1992.The Milwaukee Monster ultimately pled guilty to 15 of the charges against him and was given 15 life sentences plus 70 years. He would spend a few years imprisoned at Wisconsins Columbia Correctional Institution, where he became both reviled by his fellow inmates and quasi-celebrated by the media, who took every opportunity they could to interview him. On Nov. 29, 1994, Christopher Scarver bludgeoned Jeffrey Dahmer to death while both were assigned to the same prison detail, ending a life that was rife with misery and strife. But Jeffrey Dahmers acts live on in infamy. Perhaps thats why his younger brother continues to live in obscurity under a new name and a new identity.David Dahmer Sheds His Name And Its Macabre LegacyIts clear that David Dahmer, like the rest of the Dahmer family, suffered greatly thanks to Jeffreys infamous crimes.A 1994 People profile of the Dahmer family revealed how deeply the wounds ran. Jeffreys grandmother, Catherine, endured constant harassment until her death in 1992, and she said she would often find herself sitting like a frightened animal when reporters would camp outside her home.Steve Kagan/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesJeffrey and David Dahmers parents, Lionel and Joyce.And while Lionel Dahmer and his new wife, Shari, regularly paid visits to Jeffrey until he was killed, Joyce Dahmer moved to the Fresno, California area shortly before her son Jeffreys crimes were uncovered. She worked with HIV and AIDS patients at a time when they were considered untouchable, and continued to work with him after her son was killed in prison. When she ultimately died of breast cancer in 2000 at the age of 64, Joyce Dahmers friends and colleagues told The Los Angeles Times that they preferred to remember her for the work shed done with the less fortunate. She was enthusiastic, and she was compassionate, and she turned her own tragedy into being able to have a great deal of empathy for people with HIV, said Julio Mastro, executive director of the Living Room, an HIV community center in Fresno.But David Dahmer took a completely different path. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati shortly before Jeffrey was killed, he changed his name, assumed a new identity, and has never been seen or heard from again.He wants no parts of his family or his brothers infamy, and its not hard to understand why.Now that youve learned about David Dahmer, read up on Jeffrey Dahmers victims. Then learn about David Parker Ray, the Toybox Killer.The post The Little-Known Story Of David Dahmer, The Brother Of Milwaukee Cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer appeared first on All That's Interesting.

David Reimers parents just wanted to do the right thing for him.What was supposed to be a routine circumcision in 1965 turned into a life-altering nightmare for the Reimer family when the doctor performing his surgery accidentally singed the infants penis.Although David Reimers story was initially seen as a success by his family and Dr. John Money, his story would eventually prove to have a tragic end.The damage was irreparable. Concerned that their sons injury might cause him mental anguish as an adult, Reimers parents consulted with famed sexologist Dr. John Money after seeing him on television.Money consequently suggested that Reimer undergo sex reassignment surgery and instead be raised female. Desperate, Reimers parents took his advice and changed their sons name from Bruce to Brenda.David Reimer, born Bruce Reimer and biologically male, began an imposed gender transition as an infant.Reimer appeared to take easily to his imposed gender identity as a female, and his case was initially seen as a success story by those physicians like Money who believed that gender was a matter of learned or taught behavior and not nature.But in reality, Reimer struggled even as a child with his gender identity. Once he discovered the truth about his birth as a teenager, Reimer began a painful journey to return to his biological sex.However, he could never fully recover. Finally, in 2004, David Reimer took his own life at the age of just 38.David Reimers Future Is Decided By Sexologist John MoneyIn Memory of David Reimer/FacebookAt 14, David Reimer (right) chose to live as a male.David Reimer was born Bruce Reimer in Winnipeg, Canada, on August 22, 1965. He had a twin brother named Brian, and the two were the first children of a rural teenage couple, Janet and Ron.The baby boys were healthy but, at about eight months old, showed signs of difficulty with urinating. They were diagnosed with phimosis, a condition in which the foreskin cannot retract.The Reimers took their children to be circumcised at the hospital, but after Bruce Reimers surgery went horribly awry because the surgeon used an electrocautery needle instead of a blade, Brian was not subjected to the same surgery and his phimosis healed naturally.David Reimers parents desperately sought solutions for him until they saw psychologist John Money speak about his work on TV.Money was considered one of the top sex researchers in the United States, and he specialized in the experiences of intersex children who, according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies.Reimers mother wrote to Money explaining the horrible accident her son had endured. Within a few weeks, the young parents were on their way to see the doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.Diana Walker/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty ImagesPsychologist John Money claimed his gender experiment on the Reimer twins was a success despite early warning signs that proved otherwise.Money believed that a persons gender identity was a social construct and the result of their upbringing. As such, he proposed that someone could be taught to identify differently than their biological sex.Money thought that children were gender-neutral until about the age of two and theorized that parents had a period of time that he called the gender gate during which they could influence the sex of their child behaviorally.The doctor thus made the radical proposition to reassign Bruce Reimers gender surgically, which would involve castrating his penis and giving him a prosthetic vagina instead. He would then be raised as a girl and not told of his former identity. Reimers parents agreed to the procedure and the infants imposed transition began shortly before his second birthday in 1967.To Money, this situation also provided him with an opportunity to investigate his theory about gender identity. But his medical advice would prove fatally wrong in the case of David Reimer.Reimers Troubled Childhood And The Eventual Reveal Of The TruthIn Memory of David Reimer/FacebookDespite his tumultuous life, David Reimer found love with his wife Jane.Upon John Moneys recommendation, Bruce Reimer began life as Brenda Reimer.In addition to his sex reassignment surgery, Reimer was given estrogen supplements to help feminize his body. The Reimers returned to Moneys office every year so that the doctor could monitor both Brian and Brendas growth as a boy and a girl. The radical study became known as the John/Joan case.Money noted that the twin sister, a.k.a. Brenda, was much neater than her twin brother Brian. Money also noted that Brenda was the more stubborn and dominant personality, which he dismissed as tomboy traits.In 1975, when the twins turned nine, Money published his study in a book called Sexual Signatures where he described Reimers forced transition to Brenda as a success:The girl already preferred dresses to pants enjoyed wearing her hair ribbons, bracelets, and frilly blouses, and loved being her daddys little sweetheart. Throughout childhood, her stubbornness and the abundant physical energy she shares with her twin brother and expends freely have made her a tomboyish girl, but nonetheless a girl.But nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, Reimer recalled his childhood as far more distressing.I never quite fit in, David Reimer said in a 2000 interview on Oprah. Building forts and getting into the odd fistfight, climbing trees thats the kind of stuff that I liked, but it was unacceptable as a girl.According to author John Colapinto who worked with Reimer on his book As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as A Girl, the frequent visits Reimer made to Moneys office were also traumatic.Reimer was shown pictures of naked adults to reinforce Brendas gender identity and pressed by Money to endure more surgeries that would make him more feminine. Both of the twins would later accuse Money of making them pose in various sexual positions which, according to Money, was just another element of his theory that involved sexual rehearsal play.David Reimer made his experience public in a 2000 appearance on Oprah.Janet Reimer reportedly wasnt blind to her childs discomfort with his female gender identity, either. She recalled the first time that Reimer was put in a dress he angrily tore it off. There were doubts along the way, Janet confessed on Oprah. But I couldnt afford to contemplate them because I couldnt afford to be wrong.Problems at home extended to school. Reimer was teased by classmates for his masculine gait and his standing to pee in the girls bathroom. When Reimer complained about feeling like a boy, his parents and other adults convinced him that it was just a phase.Reimers secret disrupted the family. His father sunk into alcoholism and his mother attempted suicide. Reimers twin sibling, Brian, later descended into substance abuse and petty crime.It wasnt until the twins entered their teens that other doctors convinced the Reimers that it was time to tell their children the truth. After picking up Brenda from a psychologist appointment in 1980, Ron Reimer drove both his children to an ice cream parlor where he told them the whole story.Suddenly it all made sense why I felt the way I did, Reimer said of the revelation. I wasnt some sort of weirdo. I wasnt crazy.The Tragic End Of David Reimers StoryDespite his efforts to reclaim his identity as a man, David Reimer remained deeply depressed.After discovering the truth, Reimer chose to live as a boy and assumed the name David.He endured multiple surgeries to restore his gender to male, including a double mastectomy to remove the breasts that had grown from years of estrogen therapy and attaching an artificial penis in place of his artificial vagina. He also took testosterone supplements.But the physical stress wore on his mental health. By his early 20s, David Reimer had attempted suicide twice and remained deeply depressed for years after.Despite his anguish, however, Reimer found love and married a woman named Jane. They were together for 14 years. He was a stepfather to her three children and developed hobbies including camping, fishing, antiques, and collecting coins.In Memory of David Reimer/FacebookDavid Reimer took his own life in May 2004 when he was 38.Reimer later agreed to work with a second sexologist named Milton Diamond on the expectation that speaking about his experience might prevent physicians from making similar decisions for other infants.Diamond criticized Moneys study for its lack of evidence and worked with Reimer to debunk Moneys theory that gender identity could be totally taught or learned. In 1997, around the time Reimer began speaking publicly about his childhood ordeal, Diamonds study was published in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.The breakthrough paper laid the foundation against performing sex reassignment surgery on intersex infants, which was once considered a fix for their gender non-conforming biology.But the validation of the study wasnt enough for Reimer to overcome his traumatic childhood. In May 2004, two years after his twin brother succumbed to a drug overdose, David Reimer killed himself. He was 38.Reimers case was complex. His first gender transition was based on a medical accident and a scientific theory. As a result, he experienced gender dysphoria, which is the feeling that ones biological sex differs from their gender identity. People who identify as transgender often experience gender dysphoria early in life as well.Reimer may no longer be alive, but his journey to reclaim his gender identity contributed to a better understanding of the relationship between gender and biological sex.After this look at the story of David Reimer, meet Maryam Khatoon Molkara, the transgender Iranian activist who helped legalize gender-confirming surgeries in Iran. Then, learn about Christine Jorgensen, Americas original transgender celebrity.The post David Reimer And The Tragic Story Of The John/Joan Case appeared first on All That's Interesting.

The main story of a Final Fantasy game will always get most of the attention, and that's for good reason. Sprinting towards the credits for your whole playthrough, however, is a bad idea.

Restaurant critics used to be an elite crowd. Now, everyone considers themselves one and will take to the internet to discuss their views. But is this reliable?

The debate is out.READ MORE...

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