₦airaland Forum

26. Black holes scare me: Here’s the size of a black hole compared to Earth’s orbit, just to alarm you:

Have you ever asked yourself how big is the universe?
Take a look at the series of photos below as it really puts everything into perspective about how tiny we actually are compared to the bigger picture.
Before we get started, here’s an interesting fact about planet Earth.
Earth’s water was initially trapped within the planet. Over time the Earth’s water was brought to the surface by the planet’s volcanic activity. So how big is the universe ? scroll through these images and find out.
canyouactually.com/big-universe/

#1: Drug Lords
These are the head honchos in control of huge networks of people working in the illegal drug trade.


That means everyone from growers to producers to dealers on the street. But running such a massive underground operation isn't without it's payoffs. The Bolivian drug lord Roberto Suarez Gomez reportedly made $400 million a year. And he definitely had money lying around when in 1983, he offered to pay off Bolivia's foreign debt of $3.8 billion. Just to have his son released from US custody.


And probably the most infamous drug lord in history was Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar who was responsible for up to 80% of the cocaine that was being smuggled into the United States in the 1980s and 90s. And was reportedly worth $30 billion.


Of course, it's not all swimming in pools of cash like Scrooge McDuck, drug lords definitely lead a dangerous life and have a pesky habit of dying in a hail of bullets.
Lalasticlala Seun

#2: Hacker
Cyber crime is big business. And if you're a hacker with loose morals, it could mean big bucks.


Nowadays, hackers work within highly organized gangs that are arguably as powerful as nations. And are responsible for 80% of all cyber crimes. Cyber crime is pretty diverse and can include everything from stealing social security numbers to haking into state security systems.


2008, the Russian mafia, considered to be one of the biggest cybercrime gangs in the world hacked in to ATMS and stole nine million dollars from people's accounts without breaking a sweat. Another tactic is holding data for ransom. In September of 2013, the ransomware Cryptolocker attacked thousands of computers by blocking access to files and threatening to delete them if a $400 ransom wasn't paid.


It's estimated that the hackers behind it extorted a cool three million bucks. The estimated cost to the economy from hacking is anywhere from $445 billion up to $2.1 trillion by 2019.

#3: Weapons Trafficking
The weapons trade, both legal and illegal is a massive industry. A big part of the illegal trade is the smuggling of weapons that had been outlawed in certain countries.


The global weapons market has an estimated annual value of $60 billion. And black market deals can make up to 20% of that. In the 1990s, the Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout also known as The Merchant of Death was estimated to be making $50 million a year illegally selling weapons to terrorist groups like the Taliban, Al Qaeda and militant groups in Africa. It's gotten easier to get into the market too. Thanks to the internet.


Especially in the United States where it's legal to buy guns online. It's ideal for sellers like Michael Andrew Ryan AKA Gun Runner from Kansas who up until he was arrested in 2016 was using the dark web to illegally sell and ship semi-automatic weapons and ammunitions to countries like Ireland, England and Australia.

#4: Embezzlement
Embezzlement is financial fraud and theft that can take many different forms. The most infamous cases are Ponzi schemes. Like the one run by Bernie Madoff. But embezzlement isn't always so flashy and can even happen in small businesses.


Typically, an employee will steal funds little by little over years. The idea is by only taking small amounts that theft won't be noticed. But overtime, it adds up to stacks on stacks. Marquet International, a security consulting firm in the United States, profiled the typical thief as a respectable woman in her early 40s with a good job including health care and paid vacation and likely working with the company's finances. And people with gambling problems were more likely to start stealing. But on average, men stole two and a half times more than women. In 2013, the average loss was $1.1 million. But since it was a white collar crime, the average prison sentence is only four years.

#5: An Assassin
Assassins have been around for centuries. Carrying out surprise murders on unlucky targets. They're usually associated with undercover military operations. But since there are people willing to pay good money to get rid of their enemies, some assassins have gone into the business for themselves.


Becoming hitmen for hire. In Britain, researchers found that contracting a killer costs an average of 15,000 pounds. But can go as low as a couple hundred. Depending on the target and who's paying, the price can go way way up.


Gary Johnson, a Texas undercover hitman once had his services solicited by a wealthy socialite gave him $200,000 worth of jewelry just as a down payment for the murder of her husband.


The internet providing access to the dark web or even ads on Craigslist has made it even easier to hire a hitman. But getting caught is very bad news for both parties and will likely end up with lengthy prison sentences.