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Undoubtedly, the mystery of Jack the Ripper!
http://www.casebook.org/images/jtranim.gif
"Few names in history are as instantly recognizable. Fewer still evoke such vivid images: noisome courts and alleys, hansom cabs and gaslights, swirling fog, prostitutes decked out in the tawdriest of finery, the shrill cry of newsboys - and silent, cruel death personified in the cape-shrouded figure of a faceless prowler of the night, armed with a long knife and carrying a black Gladstone bag." — Philip Sugden, The Complete History of Jack the Ripper
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a1/JacktheRipper1888.jpg
"Jack the Ripper" is the popular name given to a serial killer who killed a number of prostitutes in the East End of London in 1888. The name originates from a letter written by someone who claimed to be the killer published at the time of the murders. The killings took place within a mile area and involved the districts of Whitechapel, Spitalfields, Aldgate, and the City of London proper. He was also called the Whitechapel Murderer and "Leather Apron."
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Whitechapel_Spitalfields_7_murders.JPG
By today's standard of crime, Jack the Ripper would barely make the headlines, murdering a mere five prostitutes. We have become a society numbed by horrible crimes inflicted upon so many victims, especially women and children.
But then, over a hundred and twenty years after his infamous murders, there are more books written on Jack than ever before. Why are there stories, songs, operas, movies and a never-ending stream of books on this one criminal? Why is this symbol of terror as popular a subject today as he was in Victorian London?
Because Jack the Ripper represents the classic whodunit. Not only is the case an enduring unsolved mystery that professional and amateur sleuths have tried to solve for over a hundred years, but the story has a terrifying, almost supernatural quality to it.
http://www.thedungeons.com/images/thedungeons/jack-the-ripper.jpg
The victims were women -all known prostitutes. Two of the victims' throats were cut, after which the bodies were mutilated. Theories suggest that the victims were first strangled, which may explain the reported lack of blood at the crime scenes. The removal of internal organs from three of the victims led some officials at the time of the murders to propose that the killer possessed anatomical or surgical knowledge.
http://www.met.police.uk/history/images/jackr4.jpg
Because the killer's identity has never been confirmed, the legends surrounding the murders have become a combination of genuine historical research, folklore, and pseudo-history. Many authors, historians, and amateur detectives have proposed theories about the identity of the killer and his victims.
Jack the Ripper has remained popular for a lot of reasons. He was not the first serial killer, but he was probably the first to appear in a large metropolis at a time when the general populace had become literate and the press was a force for social change.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/Wanted_poster.jpg/465px-Wanted_poster.jpg
Every day the activities of the Ripper were chronicled in the newspapers as were the results of the inquiries and the actions taken by the police. Even the feelings of the people living in the East End, and the editorials that attacked the various establishments of Society appeared each day for both the people of London and the whole world to read. It was the press coverage that made this series of murders a "new thing", something that the world had never known before. The press was also partly responsible for creating many myths surrounding the Ripper and ended up turning a sad killer of women into a "bogey man", who has now become one of the most romantic figures in history.
http://cheaptravel.today.com/files/2008/09/mystery-in-london-cut-scene-1.jpg
The Ripper may have been a serial killer of a type all too common in the world today, but he was also bent on terrifying a city and making the whole world take notice of him by leaving his horribly mutilated victims in plain sight. Lastly, the Ripper was never caught and it is the mysteries surrounding this killer that both add to the romance of the story and creating an intellectual puzzle that people still want to solve.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper
http://www.casebook.org
http://www.met.police.uk/history/ripper.htm
http://www.accomodata.co.uk/jack/jack.htm
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nadiraziz
Man, I could do that all day. I'm fascinated by the love/hate relationship people have with the guy. Maybe he is the greatest writer in the history of the English language, but then why can't we agree on the simplest details of his life?
Source(s):
www.shakespearegeek.com It's kinda how I spend my spare time, so yeah, I'd love to see some answers in my lifetime.
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Source(s):
Extensive readings in consciousness theory. Authors such as Danial Dennett, David Chalmers, Julian Jaynes, Douglas Hofstadter....
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As for the Bermuda Triangle, some people figure that there is a worm hole type occurrence going right through the center of the Earth, since there is a similar area somewhere around Japan. If not that, then it could be some physics thing with water that we don't understand, since there is a huge crack in the earth underneath all the goings-on.
Based solely on my knowledge of a few different Zodiac movies, everybody pretty much knows who the killer is, the only trouble has been bringing him in. The only real mystery with that is "where is he?"
Personally, I feel that there are several scientific mysteries that may never be solved; there are some of those 'what really happens when' kind of situations. The brain is a huge mystery; it is incomprehensibly complicated, and while our brain drives our body, what drives our brain?
As bland as it may seem, if feel that, all things considered, the Sasquatch/yeti mystery is one of the most interesting. I even feel that it supersedes the whole "are we alone" question as far as importance. As idiotic as I may sound for taking this all as fact, aliens and UFO's, however fast and crafty, always seem to have to speed away. (OOH, AAH! Technology we don't have!) On the other hand, Sasquatch seems to come in and out of existence. I've heard it suggested that it might even exist on an intersecting timeline, or even be able to traverse them freely. In this way, Sasquatch never has to be there when some is trying to find it, which is incredibly significant considering how many people keep a look out for it, and how it seems to tend to reappear in the same general location.
Other than the whole science fiction what-ifs like Sasquatch and Loch Ness, I think I might have to pick, as the best unsolved mystery:
What's really at the bottom of the ocean?
Source(s):
Lots of time talking to people who read too much.
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Personally the mystey I always liked is that of the Money Pit on Oak Island. While it might be just a sinkhole, the fact that nobody knows for sure, and its connection with buried treasure just fires my imagination.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Island
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Answered Question
M$1
March 07, 2009 03:46 AM
What is the greatest unsolved mystery? Loch Ness? Bermuda Triangle? Zodiac Killer?
What do you think is the greatest unsolved mystery?
Which mystery would you like to see solved in your life time?
I think one of the greatest unsolved mystery is the Bermuda Triangle. Columbus first reported on it in the 1400s. Coast Guard reports that 120 boats disappear without a trace each year...most of them in the Bermuda Triangle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou2u06FT1jo
I would like to know if we are really alone in the universe....and what happens at Area 51.
Some possible sources:
http://listverse.com/bizarre/top-10-unsolved-mysteries/
http://www.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment_300/313_top_10_list.html
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/1281811.html
Which mystery would you like to see solved in your life time?
I think one of the greatest unsolved mystery is the Bermuda Triangle. Columbus first reported on it in the 1400s. Coast Guard reports that 120 boats disappear without a trace each year...most of them in the Bermuda Triangle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou2u06FT1jo
I would like to know if we are really alone in the universe....and what happens at Area 51.
Some possible sources:
http://listverse.com/bizarre/top-10-unsolved-mysteries/
http://www.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment_300/313_top_10_list.html
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/1281811.html
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| March 08, 2009 12:12 AM |
"Few names in history are as instantly recognizable. Fewer still evoke such vivid images: noisome courts and alleys, hansom cabs and gaslights, swirling fog, prostitutes decked out in the tawdriest of finery, the shrill cry of newsboys - and silent, cruel death personified in the cape-shrouded figure of a faceless prowler of the night, armed with a long knife and carrying a black Gladstone bag." — Philip Sugden, The Complete History of Jack the Ripper
"Jack the Ripper" is the popular name given to a serial killer who killed a number of prostitutes in the East End of London in 1888. The name originates from a letter written by someone who claimed to be the killer published at the time of the murders. The killings took place within a mile area and involved the districts of Whitechapel, Spitalfields, Aldgate, and the City of London proper. He was also called the Whitechapel Murderer and "Leather Apron."
By today's standard of crime, Jack the Ripper would barely make the headlines, murdering a mere five prostitutes. We have become a society numbed by horrible crimes inflicted upon so many victims, especially women and children.
But then, over a hundred and twenty years after his infamous murders, there are more books written on Jack than ever before. Why are there stories, songs, operas, movies and a never-ending stream of books on this one criminal? Why is this symbol of terror as popular a subject today as he was in Victorian London?
Because Jack the Ripper represents the classic whodunit. Not only is the case an enduring unsolved mystery that professional and amateur sleuths have tried to solve for over a hundred years, but the story has a terrifying, almost supernatural quality to it.
The victims were women -all known prostitutes. Two of the victims' throats were cut, after which the bodies were mutilated. Theories suggest that the victims were first strangled, which may explain the reported lack of blood at the crime scenes. The removal of internal organs from three of the victims led some officials at the time of the murders to propose that the killer possessed anatomical or surgical knowledge.
Because the killer's identity has never been confirmed, the legends surrounding the murders have become a combination of genuine historical research, folklore, and pseudo-history. Many authors, historians, and amateur detectives have proposed theories about the identity of the killer and his victims.
Jack the Ripper has remained popular for a lot of reasons. He was not the first serial killer, but he was probably the first to appear in a large metropolis at a time when the general populace had become literate and the press was a force for social change.
Every day the activities of the Ripper were chronicled in the newspapers as were the results of the inquiries and the actions taken by the police. Even the feelings of the people living in the East End, and the editorials that attacked the various establishments of Society appeared each day for both the people of London and the whole world to read. It was the press coverage that made this series of murders a "new thing", something that the world had never known before. The press was also partly responsible for creating many myths surrounding the Ripper and ended up turning a sad killer of women into a "bogey man", who has now become one of the most romantic figures in history.
The Ripper may have been a serial killer of a type all too common in the world today, but he was also bent on terrifying a city and making the whole world take notice of him by leaving his horribly mutilated victims in plain sight. Lastly, the Ripper was never caught and it is the mysteries surrounding this killer that both add to the romance of the story and creating an intellectual puzzle that people still want to solve.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper
http://www.casebook.org
http://www.met.police.uk/history/ripper.htm
http://www.accomodata.co.uk/jack/jack.htm
| Asker's Rating: |
• Even though a lot of the text was direct quotes (and not all marked as such) there was a lot of effort put into this answer--for just a $1 tip.
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nadiraziz
March 10, 2009 06:38 PM
Thanks for recognising the effort, Darcy!
Tip nadiraziz for this comment
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Other Answers (7)
March 07, 2009 03:59 AM
What's the story with Shakespeare, really? Was their an authorship conspiracy? Was there ever really one guy doing it all, or was it always a group effort? How did the guy we claim wrote the most romantic stuff in the English language look on paper like he had an unhappy marriage to a woman 10 years his senior who he was most likely forced to marry? Why does his will contain no references to any books or theatrical properties? Man, I could do that all day. I'm fascinated by the love/hate relationship people have with the guy. Maybe he is the greatest writer in the history of the English language, but then why can't we agree on the simplest details of his life?
Source(s):
www.shakespearegeek.com It's kinda how I spend my spare time, so yeah, I'd love to see some answers in my lifetime.
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March 07, 2009 04:06 AM
Hey Darcy how come your question didn't get automatically bumped up to $1 like everybody else's?
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March 07, 2009 05:56 AM
She chose to tip $1M out of the kindness of her heart (plus it gets A LOT more exposure on the front page).
Report
March 07, 2009 12:10 PM
If the dollar that's on it now is Darcy's own, that's fine (and nice, thank you), but I don't understand why her originally untipped question wouldn't get autobumped to $1 just like all the other non-tipped ones. Not the end of the world, and I'm not lobbying for the buck, I'm just curious about how the system is working and trying to figure out if there's an exception to the rule in there someplace. Maybe it was never untipped in the first place, maybe I'm losing my mind.
By the way can one of the Mahalo deities please change "their" to "there" in my original answer, I absolutely can't stand when my fingers tell me they've typed all the right words and then the next day I see that, rather than spelling things wrong, they've gone ahead and just occasionally used a different word altogether. I'll have to speak with them about that.
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By the way can one of the Mahalo deities please change "their" to "there" in my original answer, I absolutely can't stand when my fingers tell me they've typed all the right words and then the next day I see that, rather than spelling things wrong, they've gone ahead and just occasionally used a different word altogether. I'll have to speak with them about that.
March 07, 2009 07:59 AM
The greatest unsolved mystery is the "Hard Problem"...the problem of consciousness. What is consciousness? There is only speculation, theories and no definitive answers to this problem scientifically. Everything else pales in comparison to the central problem of whether we are actual, or an illusion, whether we have a soul or are simply a dream.
Source(s):
Extensive readings in consciousness theory. Authors such as Danial Dennett, David Chalmers, Julian Jaynes, Douglas Hofstadter....
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March 07, 2009 09:24 AM
In their different ways, I feel Loch Ness, the Bermuda Triangle, and even the Zodiac killer have been "solved" in one way or another. Loch Ness, despite skepticism, is a plausible case. 14,000 years ago, the lake was open to the Atlantic, at which time such a creature could have taken up residence at the lake. Considering that during the era of dinosaurs animals hadn't even evolved a differentiation between cold- and warm-blooded, who's to say that some creatures hadn't yet developed an DNA determined 'expiration date'. Loch Ness could literally be a remnant of a prehistoric era. "But Dudeman, why hasn't anyone been able to find it?" There are plenty of deep sea animals that can detect possible threats long before the threat detects them, and there is plenty of room to hide. Doesn't matter now though; I saw this thing on Monster Quest that suggested that Loch Ness just died anyway. As for the Bermuda Triangle, some people figure that there is a worm hole type occurrence going right through the center of the Earth, since there is a similar area somewhere around Japan. If not that, then it could be some physics thing with water that we don't understand, since there is a huge crack in the earth underneath all the goings-on.
Based solely on my knowledge of a few different Zodiac movies, everybody pretty much knows who the killer is, the only trouble has been bringing him in. The only real mystery with that is "where is he?"
Personally, I feel that there are several scientific mysteries that may never be solved; there are some of those 'what really happens when' kind of situations. The brain is a huge mystery; it is incomprehensibly complicated, and while our brain drives our body, what drives our brain?
As bland as it may seem, if feel that, all things considered, the Sasquatch/yeti mystery is one of the most interesting. I even feel that it supersedes the whole "are we alone" question as far as importance. As idiotic as I may sound for taking this all as fact, aliens and UFO's, however fast and crafty, always seem to have to speed away. (OOH, AAH! Technology we don't have!) On the other hand, Sasquatch seems to come in and out of existence. I've heard it suggested that it might even exist on an intersecting timeline, or even be able to traverse them freely. In this way, Sasquatch never has to be there when some is trying to find it, which is incredibly significant considering how many people keep a look out for it, and how it seems to tend to reappear in the same general location.
Other than the whole science fiction what-ifs like Sasquatch and Loch Ness, I think I might have to pick, as the best unsolved mystery:
What's really at the bottom of the ocean?
Source(s):
Lots of time talking to people who read too much.
Permalink | Report
Reply
March 09, 2009 10:25 PM
The Bermuda Triangle isnt really a mystery. Firstly no more ships sink there then any other ocean (if you doubt me check shipping records and more importantly insurance prices in the area). Secondly its a bloody huge area... can I claim the whole Atlantic is mysterious because lots of ships have sunk in it? Thirdly its an area known to have freak storms which appear and dissapear quickly, which of course is going to cause missing and sunken ships. Personally the mystey I always liked is that of the Money Pit on Oak Island. While it might be just a sinkhole, the fact that nobody knows for sure, and its connection with buried treasure just fires my imagination.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Island
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