sâmbătă, 31 martie 2012

DO NOT OPEN: an encyclopedia of the world's best-kept secrets (read online)

Welcome to Do Not Open, a fact-packed compendium of  all the weird and wonderful stuff  they don’t want you to know about!



From secret services to conspiracy theories, this book will
take you on a magical mystery tour of the truth behind
the known and the unknown.
Whichever way you choose to read this book, you’re
sure of an instant hit of cool info. Of course, if you want
to, you can just start reading Do Not Open in the old-
fashioned way, by starting at the beginning. Or you can
just dive in to the book at any point and then follow our
special links to related subjects on other pages. So, for
example, if you started with UFO, and then wanted to
know more about weird extra-terrestrial happenings, just
look for the links on the bottom of the right-hand page—
they’ll take you straight to other interesting alien stuff.
Your journey through the pages will depend on which links
you choose to follow. In time, you can probably work your
way through the whole book!

8        How to use 
          How do you get from “Hoaxes” to “Everyday surveillance” 
in six easy steps? The fun way to get around the book.
10      Air Force One
          Go behind the scenes and find out what really goes 
on in the US president’s personal plane.
12      Mind the gaffe!
          Be careful where you blow your nose. What’s polite 
in one country may be bad manners in another.
14      Leaks and moles
          Those people who specialize in poking and prying, 
then spill the beans to the media.
16      The almighty dollar
          Take a close look at the money in your hand. 
There may be more to it than you think.
18      Flag it up
          The fascinating facts behind some of the world’s 
national flag designs.
20      Cheyenne Mountain
          Deep beneath an American mountain lies a huge 
military complex—a self-contained secret world.
22      Global eavesdropping
          Do you think your emails and phone calls are private?
          Think again—someone is always listening!
24      Watchers in space
          The satellites that orbit Earth do a lot more than just
transmit TV signals...
26      Lost treasures
          There’s a lot of lost loot out there just waiting for some 
lucky dude to come and find it.
28      Christopher Columbus
          Find out if the great explorer who discovered America
          was really that great after all.
30      Who crossed the Atlantic first?
          Which valiant voyager was the first across the Pond?
The answer might surprise you...
32      Nazca Lines
          Stretching across a Peruvian desert are ancient pictures
that can only be seen from the sky. What’s that about?
34      Hidden gold
          Find out where much of the world’s solid-gold bling 
is stashed away—and how it’s kept safe and sound.
36      Lost tribes
          Deep in rain forests around the world live tribes of people,
still untouched by the modern world. Can you find them?
40      Bermuda Triangle
          What really happened to all those ships and aircraft
that “disappeared” in this small area of the Caribbean?
44      The mystery of the Mary Celeste
          The eerie fate of this abandoned ship remained 
unsolved for years... is the truth still submerged?
48      Who are the Men in Black?
          Seen an alien recently? If so, you might just receive 
a visit from the mysterious Men in Black.
50      Time travel
          Imagine how amazing it would be to travel to the past 
or future. Could it really be possible one day?
52      Piri Reis map
          Just how did the creator of this mysterious ancient 
map know what he knew?
54      Create your own state
          Ever imagined running your own country? Now you can!
          Just follow our simple instructions.
56      Everyday surveillance
          Somebody is watching you! Via CCTV, the internet,
and even your cell phone, “they” can follow your every move.
58      Bar codes
          Just how do those strange black-and-white stripes 
on the back of everything you buy work?
60      Hackers
          Learn the tricks of the trade that those cheeky 
people use to break into computer systems.
62      Iris recognition
          Did you know that your eyes are unique? Your future 
security is the blink of an eye.
64      Secret services
          From CIA to MI6, find out what the world’s secret 
service agencies are up to.
66      Kremlin
          The stories and secrets behind the official residence 
of the Russian president.
68      Great escapes
          The stories of ingenious and death-defying escapes
pulled off by plucky prisoners from around the world.
72      Escapology 
          The life and times (and secrets) of Houdini—the world’s
most famous escapologist.
78      Magic tricks
          Hey presto! Three amazing tricks and how magicians
pull them off.
82      Holbein’s The Ambassadors
          Can you find the hidden messages? There’s more
to this old painting than meets the eye.
84      Arnolfini Marriage
          Discover the symbolic meanings behind the objects 
that the artist has included in this famous painting.
86      Fibonacci
          The intriguing system of numbers discovered by 
this Italian mathematical genius.
88      Vatican
          Myths, mysteries, and legends surround 
the Pope’s city within a city.
90      Turin Shroud
          The legendary burial cloth of Jesus Christ—a hoax or reality?
Look at the evidence and decide for yourself.
92      Mary Queen of Scots
          How she was imprisoned, betrayed, and ultimately
murdered in a cold-blooded plan involving a secret code.
94      Haunted places
          Some of the most haunted places around the world, 
and the stories of the ghosts that inhabit them.
96      Spooky!
          Spine-chilling supernatural goings-on—from pesky
poltergeists to icky ectoplasm.
98      At the theater
          Go behind the scenes and discover a hive of activity,
          from hair and hats to light and sound.
106    Private eye
          Enter the murky world of the private investigators
and find out how they find out what we’re up to.
108    Strange vibrations
          Ever felt like you’re being watched, or you know who’s
calling you before you pick up the phone? Read on...
110    Secret writing
          Cryptic coding and inventive ways to hide messages,
including how to make your own invisible ink!
112    Numbers
          Have you got a lucky number? Numbers can be lucky
in one country and unlucky in another. Find out why.
114    Nostradamus
          Check out the predictions made by this 16th-century
French seer. Did he really see the future?
116    Rosetta Stone
          The amazing carved stone that enabled archeologists
to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.
118    Ancient pyramids
          These enigmatic structures can be found all around
the world. Why were they built?
120    Giza secrets
          The intriguing mysteries behind the famous pyramid 
built as the tomb of the pharaoh Khufu 4,000 years ago.
122    The curse of Tutankhamun
          When the Egyptian boy-king’s tomb was discovered 
in1922, terrible things befell those who opened it...
128    Ancient technology
          Was the jet engine really a modern invention? Or did 
the ancient Greeks get there way before us?
130    Stealth technology
          Find out why this cool craft can dodge detection 
as it scoots around the skies.
132    Enigma code
          The ingenious codemaker the Germans used in World War II
had the best brains in England scratching their heads.
134    Hitler’s secret
          Hidden away deep in the mountains of Norway, Hitler 
had a secret factory. What was it making?
136    Hoaxes
          Don’t believe everything you hear... Would you have
fallen for any of these super spoofs?
138    Anastasia: the lost princess
          When the Russian royal family was assassinated in 1917,
many believed that young Princess Anastasia survived...
140    Roswell Alien Tribune
          Read all about it! Alien spacecraft crashes near quiet
American town! (Or did it...?)
142    Lord Lucan
          The mysterious case of the missing lord, who
denied murder, then disappeared into thin air.
144    Two presidents
          Creepy coincidences in the lives and deaths of 
US presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.
150    Who was Jack?
          The horrible murders committed by infamous Jack the Ripper
in 19th-century London are still in the news.
152    Human genome
          The incredible chemical “recipe” hidden in your
cells that makes you the you that you are.
154    DNA time capsule
          Did you know we can all trace our ancestry back 
to one lively lady who lived in Africa?
156    Dark matter
          The weird invisible space stuff that makes up 96% 
of everything there is.
158    Brainwashing
          Keep changing your mind? You will if you fall victim 
to these crafty techniques.
160    Advertising tricks
          What makes those trainers “must have,” or that ice cream
irresistible? Learn to resist the tricks!
162    What’s in your food?
          You might think it’s just a chicken burger, but read
on to see what you’re really eating!
164    Want a strawberry milkshake?
          It might shake you up to discover how many additives 
and chemicals go into this favorite drink.
166    The body uncovered
          Some weird and wacky facts about that incredible machine
known as the human body.
168    Dirt
          How clean is your home? Check out the bugs and bacteria
that lurk in every nook and cranny.
170    Nuclear waste
          What is it? What do they do with it? And what are the
long-term consequences of producing it?
172    Alchemy
          Think it’s all hocus-pocus? Think again. This ancient
science is explosive stuff!
174    Alchemists and wizards
          Magical folk through the ages who have dabbled in the
mysteries of alchemy.
176    Memory tricks
          You need never forget anything again. These clever tricks
will turn you into a memory maestro.
180    Unconscious mind
          Nightmares, sleep paralysis, déjà vu... what your mind 
gets up to when you’re not in control.
182    Reincarnation
          Lots of people think they have lived a previous life. 
Have you been here before?
184    Spontaneous combustion
          Weird tales of those unfortunate folks who suddenly 
burst into flames.
186    Body language
          Can you tell when someone’s telling lies? Learn
to read what people are saying with their bodies.
188    Hide and seek
          Look closely. Can you see what’s cunningly camouflaged 
in the landscape?
192    Fake diamonds
          Can you spot a real sparkler from a fake? Find out 
how the cheap copies are made.
194    Safecracking
          The ingenious methods that burglars use to get at the
valuables locked in a safe.
196    Conspiracy theories
          Did astronauts really land on the Moon? Was Marilyn Monroe
murdered? Or is it all a cover-up?
200    UFO
          Are they the real deal or flawed photos? UFOs from around
the world caught on camera.
202    Secret societies
          Psst... Want to be in my gang? Welcome to the dark domain
of clandestine clubs.
204    Forbidden City
          Enter the secretive world of China’s Imperial Palace in Beijing
and discover what went on behind closed doors.
206    Law tour
          Don’t go breaking any of these loopy laws, or they might just
lock you up and throw away the key!
208    Paris underground
          Beneath the streets of France’s capital lies a hidden world
of tunnels that conceal a multitude of secrets.
210    Knights Templar
          Was this mysterious order of knights from Jerusalem guardian
of the legendary Holy Grail?
212    Atlantis
          Are the stories of an advanced civilization that disappeared
beneath the sea truth or legend?
214    Movie studios
          Take an illuminating guided tour around a movie studio
and discover what goes on behind the scenes.
220    Magic Eye
          Can you see the picture hidden in the pattern? Keep
looking—it may suddenly jump out at you!
222    Optical illusions
          Is what you see what you get, or are your eyes playing tricks
on you?
224    Magic Eye
          Look, another hidden picture! Can you work out how to see
it yet? Here we show you how.
226    Fractals
          Check out the mysterious mathematical repeating patterns
that can be seen in nature.
228    Weird weather 
          Don’t leave home without your umbrella—it’s raining frogs
again! Check out how wacky the weather can be.
230    Standing stones
          They can be found all around the world. Who built these
mysterious structures and what were they for?
232    Missing links
          Are whales and hippos related? Check out how some
prehistoric creatures link to animals today.
236    Crazy zoo
          Visit our zoo of mythological creatures—and find out
which of them escaped to reality!
240    Werewolves versus vampires
          Two legendary freaky folks battle it out. Who do you think 
will come out on top?
242    Elvis
          Discover why some people believe that the king of rock 
and roll lives on (the man, that is, not the legend).
244    Revealed
          Check out the answers to some of our brainteasers.
246    Glossary
248    Index
255    Acknowledgments