11 disturbing things that will keep you awake at night this Halloween

1. Coffee mugs are really, really dirty

A study by the University of Arizona found that 20 per cent of coffee mugs contain faecal bacteria.

2. Tapeworms

Tapeworms can live up to 25 years inside the human body, grow to an average of 10 metres in length and can produce up to one million eggs... per day.

3. This island in Mexico

Isla de la Muñecas is an island on the outskirts of Mexico City that is home to hundreds of dolls hanging from trees. Disputed legend has it that a young girl drowned in the nearby canal and the island's resident Don Julian Santana dedicated his life to honouring her legacy.

4. How they make hot dogs

Ever tucked in to a tasty hot dog, slathered in ketchup and mustard? This video, showing how they're made (with a combination of pork, beef and chicken trimmings), might just make you consider eating one again...

5. Ostrich robots will one day roam the streets

Scientists are beginning to develop robots that can run around like ostriches. Researchers from the University of Oregon believe the movements of the birds and their dinosaur ancestors could be employed in robot design.

6. Fishes are a lot cleverer than we thought

Fish do not deserve the stupid reputation we have given them. Researchers at the University of Bath and Queen Mary University of London have found the first evidence of fish being able to process more than one object at a time. How much do these fish know that we don't?!

7. Global economic inequality is out of control

The number of billionaires across the globe has doubled to 1,645 since the beginning of the financial crisis, according to Oxfam. The world's richest 85 people have as much wealth as the poorest half of the global population. Meanwhile, 5.2 million Britons are working in low-paid jobs, a figure that has risen in the last year.

8. Privately educated graduates earn more

Even with the same job and qualifications from the same university, a study has found that people who were educated in the state sector earn on average six per cent less than their privately-educated counterparts.

9. Plague suits used to look like this

According to the Centre for Disease Control, doctors in the past wore suits like this in a bid to protect themselves from the plague. The beak was said to contain perfume to guard against the stench, the gown was waxed, and yes, that poking stick was used to keep patients at a distance.

10. Giant centipedes are the stuff of nightmares

Giant centipedes exist, they are about 10 inches long, they are carnivorous, they are terrifying. They eat scorpions and tarantulas among other things. Here's one eating a live lizard.

Warning: Graphic video

11. The amount spiders eat

Spiders around the world consume the equivalent weight of the human population of Britain every year. Record numbers of spiders were also found to be invading homes in Britain this summer.

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