Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Good to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

What Is The World's Deadliest Animal?

A sharknado has nothing on a potential mosquito storm

Gabriel Reilich
By Gabriel ReilichApr 27, 2016
Gabriel Reilich
See Full Bio

Saying that sharks are scary is not controversial, and the same thing goes for hippos and lions and wolves. Remember that trailer for the fake horror movie Hungry Hungry Hippos that cirulated a few years back? Someone made that because hippos—with their massive teeth and even more massive bodies and bad temperaments—are terryfing beasts!

But enough about the hippos. Anything that’s more than 15 feet long and weighs 10,000 pounds is going to catch your eye and set off “Run!” bells in your head. But what about the world’s smallest creatures? The ones you don’t see or hear coming until it’s too late, like mosquitos, tapeworms and flies? This data visualization highlights 15 animal assassins that account for more than one million human fatalities per annum.

The world is a jungle. So watch your back. And check your shoes. And don’t forget your bug spray!

------------------------------------
Written and Produced by Gabriel Reilich
Graphics: Jake Infusino
Music: Full Metal Jacket - Dirty Art Club
https://www.facebook.com/DirtyArtClub




Sources: (All figures have a wide margin of error)

https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/ascariasis/en/

https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs115/en/

https://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_topics&view=article&id=10&Itemid=40743

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)61728-0/abstract

https://www.unodc.org/gsh/

https://www.toxinology.org/gsi-epidemiology2.htm

https://www.crocodile-attack.info/

https://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/Most-Lethal-Animal-Mosquito-Week

animals

The Latest

Will Ferrell, success, comedy, dreams, vocation, work
Humor

Will Ferrell reveals how his dad's 'anti-pep talk' led him to wild comedy success

McDonald's, employee bonus, bad boss, corporate culture, Reddit, viral story, worker appreciation, low wages, fast food, employee gift
Past Events

A McDonald's employee shared their yearly 'bonus' and people couldn't believe it

mental health, mental health state ranking, mental health tips, therapy, psychology
Health

New report ranks the best and worst states for mental health in America

adult friends, making friends, friendship apps, friendship tips, socializing
Health

Social skills educator shares three easy-breezy ways for adults to meet new friends

More For You

frugality, generational divide, money savings, older generations, younger generations

Young people are confused by these frugal habits of older people.

Photo credit: Canva, Helgy (left, cropped) / Dean Drobot (right, cropped)

4 frugal habits of older generations that younger people find weird or obsolete

We may try to fight it, but it’s a natural part of the human life cycle to think everything our parents do is weird. (Apologies, Dad, but I’m still trying not to laugh every time you start off your voicemails with, "Ryan, this is your dad calling.") There’s also a good chance your parents, regardless of generation, have different approaches to saving money—and there might be 100 reasons for that, from their technology preferences to their level of handiness around the house.

It’s an interesting exercise to think about these differences. What are some frugal practices of our parents'—or even grandparents'—generation that seem totally old-fashioned or bizarre to you? Can we learn something from lifestyle choices that feel outdated? Maybe we need some perspective—or, in some cases, just a good laugh.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jeff Bridges, Jimmy Kimmel Live, celebrity, The Dude, The Big Lebowski, Oscar-winning actor, ICE, Trump

Jeff Bridges performs 'The Dude' on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Image via YouTube from Jimmy Kimmel Live

Jeff Bridges revives classic 'The Dude' Lebowski character to tell Americans to 'calm down'

There's a lot of political strife happening in America these days, and many people can't stand how aggressive and partisan things have become in our country.

Bringing a little levity to the situation was Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges. During his guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on October 7, promoting his new movie, Tron: Ares, he embraced his iconic character, "The Dude," from the classic Coen Brothers film The Big Lebowski, Bridges. The Dude's message to the American people: "Calm down."

Keep ReadingShow less
Sydney Frost, viral baby, Carson, NFL, TikTok, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, chunky baby, good news, parenting

Toddler holds a stuffed animale

Canva

This 33-pound 'linebacker' baby took over TikTok and caught the NFL's eye

Earlier this year, Texas mom Sydney Frost posted a playful TikTok of her five-month-old son, Carson, that turned him into an overnight internet sensation and the NFL's most sought-after prospect... for the 2045 draft.

In the video, which has since exploded with over 17 million views, Frost jokingly uses Carson’s impressively round tummy as a rotary phone to "dial" the NFL. Her caption read: “Dialing the NFL now… Breaking news: No contract for these rolls yet. Coaches, what’s the holdup?”

Keep ReadingShow less
oncology nurse, chemotherapy, patient care, innovation, acts of kindness, Whitney Carpenter, Levine Cancer Institute, CBS News, healthcare heroes, patient dignity

Female chemo patient hugs someone

Canva

A nurse saw her chemo patients struggle with their clothes. So she invented her own solution.

For patients undergoing chemotherapy, treatment days are filled with profound challenges, both big and small. Whitney Carpenter, an oncology nurse at Levine Cancer Institute in South Carolina, noticed one of the smaller, more persistent struggles: the simple act of getting dressed. Her heartfelt solution has since grown from a personal project into an inspiring community movement.

As she explained in a CBS News feature, many of her patients receive treatment through a chest port, a small device implanted under the skin. Accessing this port often requires patients to stretch their collars or partially undress, leaving them feeling uncomfortable and exposed. While specialized "port shirts" with built-in access exist, they can be prohibitively expensive.

Keep ReadingShow less
self-care, doomscrolling, mental health, habits, addiction, phone, technology

One woman scrolls, the other reads.

via Canva/Photos

People committed to 'simple living' share the 7 things you can do instead of doomscrolling

Our brain loves repetitive patterns of easy, stimulating imagery and sound. The addictive nature is so strong that there's a term to describe it: doomscrolling. It's so easy to engage, and considerable research and investment have been made to encourage us to stare mindlessly at our phones. For some of us, it's a simple distraction. For others, its an addiction is robbing them of a big part of their lives.

Given that the average person spends over four hours a day staring at their phones, imagine what could happen if we used that time for something more positive and productive. Doomscrolling isn't just bad for our mental health, but it's a time thief that prevents us from engaging in activities that build us up.

Keep ReadingShow less
bob ross, pbs, local television, auction, local tv advocacy

Bob Ross' work is helping local television stations.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons/Canva

After being gutted by federal funding cuts, Bob Ross’ paintings are saving public TV stations

After Congress passed a bill cutting federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Public Broadcasting Service, and National Public Radio, local television stations have been scrambling to find ways to continue operating and provide programming.

Eliminating the $1.1 billion that was initially allocated for public broadcasting has left 330 PBS stations and 246 NPR stations wondering how they can afford licensing fees for popular programs. Luckily, those stations will get some financial help from one of public television’s most popular personalities, Bob Ross.

Keep ReadingShow less
predictions, Millennials, life in the future, 2020s, economy

Millennials predicted life in 2020—and some of them were strangely spot-on.

Photo credit: Canva, Syda Productions (left, cropped) / chonesstock (top right) / Truecreatives from TrueCreatives (middle right, cropped) / san isra from Pexels (bottom right, cropped)

Millennials revisit scarily accurate predictions made 13 years ago about life in 2020

One of Conan O’Brien’s funniest Late Night bits was a long-running and reliably absurd sketch called "In the Year 2000." For decades, crossing over into the "new millennium" had sounded like the stuff of science fiction, with people envisioning all sorts of technological and societal leaps. And despite first appearing in the 1990s, O’Brien’s segment was given the feel of a space-age melodrama, with the host and his trusted sidekick, Andy Richter, making increasingly dumb predictions about our bold new future.

With that temporal milestone now in the rear view, people have been forced to push their daydreaming to some other round number. Thirteen years ago, for the bored denizens of the Internet, that target happened to be 2020. What changes—both positive and negative—would be in store for us then?

Keep ReadingShow less
woman, journaling, mindfulness, mental health, happiness

Woman journaling on balcony with a mountain view.

Image via Canva - Photo by TrueCreatives

Simple neuroscience hack trains your brain to find happiness and positivity everywhere

Finding the right mindset is crucial to having a positive outlook on life. With so many negative things happening in the world, it's easy to get lost in a cycles of sadness.

The good news is there's a way to train your brain to find happiness in more places than you did before. Some exercises and habits can guide our thinking toward a more peaceful and positive worldview. Neuroscience has come to the rescue, developing a simple habit that cultivates happy thinking.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025