Top 10 Mysteries That Could Be Solved in 2022
#10: The Voynich Manuscript
The Voynich Manuscript is what is commonly known as a codex–basically the ancestor of a book–and has been carbon dated to sometime around the early 15th century. And that’s where definitive knowledge of this 240 page historical document ends. Written in a language never seen elsewhere, with obscure drawings littering its pages, the Voynich Manuscript is a complete mystery. But perhaps not for long. There have been many attempts to translate the codex, from amateur and professional cryptologists (with the most recent academic attempt in 2019 by Gerard Cheshire). Though all are disputed, the public nature of each person’s findings helps the next get closer to answers.
#9: The Isdal Woman
In 1970, the body of an unidentified woman was found within the Isdalen (Ice Valley) of Bergen, Norway. Initially, it was thought she’d taken her own life. However, her remains were charred without any evidence of a fire and her effects seemed to have been placed, unscathed, nearby. She had no identifying marks on her clothing and the cause of death – carbon monoxide poisoning and an overdose of barbiturates –was difficult to explain. No one knows who she is, or where she came from. However, recent developments have ensured that focus has returned to the mystery. The 2018 release of BBC's podcast "Death in Ice Valley", and a facial depiction by a forensic artist in 2021, have attracted new investigators and leads.
#8: Rise of Aten
It’s rare that archeologists discover entirely new cities in Egypt these days, but that’s what happened in 2021 when Aten was found. From the time of Pharaoh Amenhotep III some 3,400 years ago, the ruins are remarkably well-preserved, left as though the city’s residents just up and abandoned it one day. They also left behind many of their belongings. This discovery is still very fresh, with excavation work ongoing. But it’s believed that further research will help answer many lingering questions about this period of ancient Egyptian history.
#7: The Disappearance of Don Lewis
When Don Lewis, husband of big cat conservationist Carole Baskin, went missing in August 1997, he left behind over $5 million in assets. According to wife Carole Baskin, he had frequent affairs in Costa Rica during their marriage, and had asked her for a divorce. Before his disappearance, he requested a restraining order against her, claiming she’d threatened to kill him. He’d booked another flight to Costa Rica before he vanished. In the 2020 docu-series “Tiger King”, Baskin’s rival Joe Exotic accused her of murdering Lewis. It’s also been speculated that Lewis ran away to Costa Rica. Subsequently, his disappearance has become much debated, and police have hopes that eventually, someone will come forward.
#6: The Tamam Shud Case
In 1948, a seemingly healthy man was found dead on Somerton Park beach in South Australia. A scrap of paper in his pocket read "tamám shud": Persian for "is over." The scrap had been torn from the final page of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. The pathologist who did the autopsy suggested that poison might have been the cause of death. When the book that the scrap had been torn from was found, it contained a mysterious, hand-written note that seemed like code, along with the telephone number of a woman who claimed not to know him. The Somerton Man's body has been exhumed in 2021 to solve this mystery, but we’re still waiting on the results of DNA tests.
#5: Havana Syndrome
First reported in 2016 by U.S. and Canadian embassy staff in Havana, Cuba, this mysterious ailment continues to baffle. It’s since been experienced by U.S. intelligence personnel around the world. Symptoms include dizziness, tinnitus, nausea, and cognitive impairments. Theories about the cause have ranged from cricket noises to pesticides and even a microwave weapon, with many US officials suspecting Russia. In 2022, the CIA issued an interim assessment concluding that the syndrome isn’t the result of a “hostile power”, as most cases have alternative explanations. However, not everyone is convinced, and about two dozen cases remain unexplained. Hopefully, the year will hold more conclusive answers.
#4: Zodiac Killer
As modern investigative methods have progressed, high profile cold cases are now being looked at with a fresh perspective. One of the most notorious is that of the Zodiac Killer, who was active in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1960s and 70s. Despite the infamous cryptograms he mailed in to local newspapers, his identity has been a mystery for decades. However, there was an attempt in 2018 to extract his DNA from postage stamps. And in 2021 a team of cold case investigators claimed they’d deduced the Zodiac Killer’s identity. While the authorities are skeptical of their claims, it’s not impossible we’ll see more progress in the near future.
#3: Life on Mars
Since touching down on the Red Planet in 2012, NASA’s rover Curiosity has uncovered several organic compounds and possible biosignatures on Mars’s surface. In 2022, it was announced that light isotopes of carbon had been detected in one of Curiosity’s samples - a possible sign of microbial life. There are other explanations, so it’s far from definitive proof. But with Curiosity on the case, alongside Perseverance and China's first rover Zhurong, there’s more hope than ever before that we could finally find signs of Martian life - past or present.
#2: Disappearance of Madeleine McCann
2022 will mark fifteen long years since three year old Madeleine McCann went missing from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal. Over the years, there have been many leads, but a botched investigation and media firestorm blaming the family hampered efforts to find the abductor. In 2020, German police announced that they’d identified a new suspect, who’s currently incarcerated for another crime. While they’ve claimed their case is strong, they’ve yet to announce formal charges. Any further developments in the case will hopefully shed light on poor Madeleine’s fate.
#1: Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
Since it's disappearance in 2014, the case of Malaysian Airlines MH370 has baffled aviation investigators. It's believed to have crashed, but was many miles off course when its transponder stopped sending its location. With a potential search area of thousands of square miles over the Indian Ocean, its resting place has been difficult to find. So far, only debris has been recovered. The search hasn’t ended however. In 2021, Andre Milne of Unicorn Aerospace claimed that satellite imagery revealed an “impact event” in Cambodia. On the other hand, retired British engineer argues that the plane went down 1,200 miles west of Perth in Australia. These claims might amount to nothing, but people are still looking, and the answer might come sooner rather than later.