Talk about a hookup! Fish can range from just a few inches to a literal ton, no this does not include dinosaurs but some of these fish are definitely prehistoric. Have you ever wondered what the largest fish ever caught looked like? Well look no further! We have collected the biggest sea monsters ever caught on a rod and reel. You may underestimate what this might look like but these fish are literal beasts! 

1,560 lb. Black Marlin

On August 4, 1953, Alfred C. Glassell, Jr. caught a 1,560 lb. black marlin off the coast of Cabo Blanco, Peru, on a handheld rod! You can view this photo at the Smithsonian Museum! This 14-foot-7-inch, 1,560 lb female Black Marlin (Istiompax indica) held the world’s largest marlin record for more than 60 years. What is more shocking is that in 1952, Glassell at that point caught a 1,090-pound ‘grander’ marlin only one year prior to this! Footage of this fight was later included in the film version of The Old Man and the Sea. Fun fact: You can view this photo at the Smithsonian Museum!

1,496 lb. Bluefin Tuna

This is not fake news! Ken Fraser truly caught this tuna of a lifetime. He hooked and landed it in under an hour, it took him 45 minutes to reel in this fish. Caught off of the Nova Scotia coast using a mackerel as bait, it still holds the record for largest bluefin ever caught. Ken caught this monster in October of 1979, and it is still one of the largest fish to ever be seen. 

1,182 lb. Swordfish 

Caught off the coast of Chile, this World Record Broadbill Swordfish weighed in at 1,182 pounds. Landed by Louis Marron, this fishing world record may truly never be broken. On May 7, 1953, Marron fought this fish for two-hours before landing and boy is he glad he didn’t give up! 

680 lb. Goliath Grouper

Known as a goliath grouper, or giant sea bass or jewfish, Lynn Joyner, of Fernandina Beach, FL is the king of grouper. The fish weighed 680 lbs. and was 7 ft., 1.5 in. in length. Its girth was 77 inches. I guess in 1961 they didn’t have a hoist to get the fish out of the water so they lassoed the fish and hoisted it from the water using a wrecker. The Container Corporation of America (or Rayonier) scale was used to weight the fish. This catch broke records on both all tackle and 80 lb. test. After an hour and 15 minutes of battle, Joyner’s catch went into the history books. 

]]> https://brainbend.com/2019/12/the-insane-ideas-of-elon-musk/ Fri, 27 Dec 2019 18:00:47 +0000 https://brainbend.com/?p=1184 More]]>

“There is a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.” It was originally said by the brilliant Oscar Levant, but it also applies to Elon Musk. The tech giant is the founder and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and Boring Company, has sent a mannequin in a spacesuit around the sun hundreds of times, and still finds time to date Hollywood hotties like Amber Heard and Cameron Diaz. 

There are plenty of words to describe Elon Musk. Billionaire, philanthropist, genius, enthusiastic. However, our favorite would have to be “insane.” Over the decades he’s come up with hundreds of beautifully insane ideas that have changed technology in an incredible way, and still has plenty of projects under his (likely expensive) belt. Read on for just a few insane ideas from the amazing Elon Musk.

]]> https://brainbend.com/2019/12/the-healthiest-unhealthiest-fast-food-meals/ Mon, 16 Dec 2019 18:35:16 +0000 https://brainbend.com/?p=1156 More]]>

You have been driving for five hours and you still have three more hours to go, you have not eaten since before you left for your road trip and the growling in your stomach is unbearable…. Do you eat at the next fast-food restaurant you see or do you wait it out? 

We have all been there either on a road trip, drunk after bar hopping or maybe you are just too darn busy and you have to turn to a fast-food establishment for that delicious and nutritious meal to stop your tummy from rumbling. 

Well, you are in luck! We have collected the healthiest and unhealthiest fast-food options to dine on. The next time you are in a pinch and pull into that drive thru choose one of these 15 healthy or unhealthy fast-food meals!

]]> https://brainbend.com/2019/12/looming-climate-apocalypse-what-you-can-do-to-help-global-warming-today/ Fri, 13 Dec 2019 23:10:01 +0000 https://brainbend.com/?p=1146 More]]>

If you have been watching the news in the past decade, you probably already know that global warming is a hot topic. The oceans are rising at a breakneck pace, the average temperature for each season has risen by several degrees in the past two decades, and people are starting to flee their homes as a result of the extreme weather occurring throughout the world. 

Believe it or not, all is not lost. Though we can’t entirely reverse what we’ve done to the Earth, we can still do something to minimize the damage done. Each little bit helps! Here’s what you can do in order to avoid being a larger part of the problem!

]]> https://brainbend.com/2019/12/5-inventions-benjamin-franklin-is-credited-for-that-he-did-not-invent/ Wed, 11 Dec 2019 18:56:49 +0000 https://brainbend.com/?p=1079 More]]>

There’s no denying that Benjamin Franklin is an American icon. He created a lot of really awesome things – like the lightning rod, glass harmonica and Franklin stove – and most of us get super excited if we’re lucky enough to see his face as we pull out a $100 bill. 

Did you know that he never patented any of his inventions? He claimed that “as we benefit from the inventions of others, we should be glad to share our own…freely and gladly.” That’s nice and all, but historians may have taken that first bit a little too far. While Franklin was a genius of his time, he may get a little more credit as an inventor than he deserves. Before history buffs bring out their pitchforks, read on for the top 5 things that people wrongfully think were invented by the Founding Father.

]]> https://brainbend.com/2019/12/10-signs-the-mandela-effect-is-real/ Wed, 11 Dec 2019 18:38:31 +0000 https://brainbend.com/?p=1065 More]]>

How to ruin somebody’s childhood in 10 seconds? Tell them that Curious George never had a tail, Mister Rogers’ theme song goes differently than most people think, and a genie movie starring Sinbad NEVER existed. After they stop arguing with you and ask why you’re doing this to them, just blame the Mandela Effect.

The “Mandela Effect” is a phenomenon that occurs when large groups of people believe something happened a certain way, even when all evidence points to them being wrong. It was discovered by paranormal researcher Fiona Broome in 2010, after she discovered that “perhaps thousands” of others shared her false memory that Nelson Mandela had died in the 1980s – though he lived until 2013. 

The concept is widely discussed by researchers – with many believing it to be proof of alternate realities, or perhaps even time travelers who have gone back and slightly altered the past (Stewie Griffin, is that you?). Of course, others think it’s just a bad memory, and there’s nothing else to it – but we totally disagree. Read on for 10 reasons why the Mandela Effect is totally real!

]]> https://brainbend.com/2019/12/how-being-on-your-cell-phone-is-affecting-your-mental-health/ Wed, 11 Dec 2019 18:08:54 +0000 https://brainbend.com/?p=1058 More]]>

It’s a fact that at this point in our society, cell phones as nearly as integral a part of life as food, water, and sleep. Your 80 year old grandparents have one. Your 10 year old niece has one. Even that odd guy from down the street who likes to think he lives “off the grid” has one. They have become very much an extension of our beings, with a large percentage of the population claiming “they couldn’t live without them.” (For a certain age groups, cell phones were described as “not just a novelty, but a way of life.)

However, as the number of cell phones, and the time we spend on them, continues to rise, more and more information is being gathered that shows the negative impact of their use on our mental well being. New studies, from a variety of sources, are frequently released regarding the correlation between cell phone use and mental health, with many of the end results being similar, and concerning. These are just a few of the effects you could be feeling if your screen time is too high.

]]> https://brainbend.com/2019/12/is-vaping-worth-it/ Tue, 03 Dec 2019 19:32:23 +0000 https://brainbend.com/?p=1038 More]]>

At this point, we all know someone who vapes. Electronic cigarettes (also called vapes because of the vapor the user inhales) were invented as we know them in 2003, but gained prominence worldwide around 2013, being widely touted as a “safe” alternative to smoking and seen as a way to get around the rigid smoke-free laws that are now prevalent in large cities. Today, the vaping industry is huge, with hundreds of different brands of e-cigarettes and flavors of “vape juice” available to purchase, providing global sales that are in the billions.. However, as time has passed, multiple issues with the habit have come to light. The FDA is now regulating e-cigarettes, which, along with lung related illness linked to vaping, has increased recent awareness about the negative side effects that may be incurred. There are several considerable problems that have been reported. 

]]> https://brainbend.com/2019/12/10-ways-teenagers-are-like-baboons/ Tue, 03 Dec 2019 19:12:16 +0000 https://brainbend.com/?p=1022 More]]> Baboons are very social

Ask any group of parents their opinions on how best to raise children and you’ll likely get an extremely wide variety of answers. After all, all children develop and thrive differently, parenting styles are as numerous as the stars. However, one thing many parents do seem to agree on is that once their child hits the teenage years, all bets are off and you can throw away any methods that may have worked in the past. Teenagers are often viewed by their elders as moody, unpredictable, uncommunicative, and it’s considered wise to approach them with caution. Not unlike an animal in the wild. Or even more specifically, like a baboon. Does that seem like a harsh comparison? Well then, consider these facts.

Baboons are well known to be very social creatures, doing many daily activities in groups. Likewise, social activity begins to become more prominent and more important during the teenage years. As they begin driving and dating, teens gain more freedom to see friends and choose where to spend their time. Some teenagers consider their social life to be tantamount to anything else.

]]> https://brainbend.com/2019/11/your-cat-really-does-love-you-study-indicates/ Tue, 26 Nov 2019 19:50:59 +0000 https://brainbend.com/?p=959 More]]>

Guess what …your cat really does love you! According to a study published in September, findings indicate that domestic cats have been thoroughly misunderstood. If you own a cat, you know they can be a bit aloof and independent but when it comes right down to it, they crave human interaction. 

This is a PSA to all dogs…. your social cognition has received considerably more scientific attention over the last several decades but the time has come and science proves that pet cats form secure and insecure bonds with their human caretakers.

“She just hugged me!” is a common saying in my house and if you own any kind of fur baby, you know the realization that yes, they really can differentiate who feeds them! This study indicates that cats (similar to dogs) are securely attached to their owner and use them as a source of security in novel environments. 

Cats have a strong reputation for being independent but their love has been underestimated! To test a cat’s love for their owner, the research group had to decipher how much attachment an animal has for its caregiver, using a series of tests where you watch how a subject response when reunited with their caregiver. Basically when an animal or infant is left alone, anxiety peaks and once their caregiver returns the subject quickly relaxes. 

During this study, an adult cat or kitten spent two minutes in a room with their owner followed by two minutes alone. Then, they had a two-minute reunion. The cats’ responses to seeing their owners were classified by their attachment styles.

If you own a cat, what they found by doing this series of test will not surprise you. The results highlight that cats bond in a way that’s surprisingly similar to infants. Cats human attachments are stable and very apparent in both kittens and adult cats. 

So there you have it! Your cat is just like a dog, it is your best friend and companion and absolutely adores you! The importance of this research is not to just prove that cats crave human interaction but to explore several aspects of cat attachment behavior, including if socialization and fostering opportunities in shelters impact attachment security in adoption cats.