10 Random Facts - January 2020 Edition
1. Not all paper is made from wood.
Cai Lun is thought to be the inventor of paper, and his was made out of scraps of cloth and pieces of hemp material. Nowadays some paper is still made from cloth. For instance, banknotes are made out of cotton fibre, and they are more durable than paper made out of wood.
2. Swiss cheese doesn't always have holes.
Swiss cheese without holes is referred to as a "blind" cheese since the holes of swiss cheese are called "eyes". It does taste better if there are holes though, and the bigger the better. You see, the eyes get bigger if the cheese has more time and heat to form.
3. Shakespeare was married to Anne Hathaway.
Okay so not the Anne Hathaway we know (I'm a big fan of the Princess Diaries), but that was her name and she was a farmers daughter. They got married when he was 18 and she was 26. It all happened very fast because she was already 3 months pregnant.
4. Jupiter has the shortest days of any of the eight major planets.
The planet makes a complete rotation on its axis once every 9 hours and 55 minutes. Ironically Jupiter is quite slow when it comes to orbiting the sun, it takes 11.86 Earth years.
5. Yoga can delay aging.
According to a study that followed 96 participants and was published by the US National Library of Medicine, yoga if combined with meditation can not only prevent a variety of diseases, but it can also help delay the aging process.
6. Hummingbirds can't walk.
Hummingbirds have small feet that make their flying more efficient by making them lighter. Unfortunately this means they can't walk, but they can scoot sideways while they're perched and they still use their feet for preening.
7. It isn't just the northern lights.
The aurora borealis (northern lights) has a twin that can be seen best from Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and Antarctica, the aurora australis.
8. There were a lot of myths about diamonds in the old days.
In a lot of ancient cultures it was believed that diamonds gave you courage and strength in battle, and as a result some kings rode into battle with diamonds in their armor. The ancient Romans thought that Cupid's arrows were tipped with diamonds. And in the Middle Ages people thought diamonds had healing properties.
9. Llamas can be quite aggressive if overworked.
Llamas can carry about 50 to 75 pounds and still cover up to 20 miles a day, but if they are overloaded they generally lie down and refuse to move. They have even been known to spit, hiss, and kick until someone lessens the load.
10. There are probably 20 volcanoes erupting right now.
At any given moment there are about 20 erupting volcanoes in the world. That may sound like a lot, but remember there are volcanoes underneath the ocean that we don't even know are erupting. In fact three quarters of all eruptions happen under the sea.
Cai Lun is thought to be the inventor of paper, and his was made out of scraps of cloth and pieces of hemp material. Nowadays some paper is still made from cloth. For instance, banknotes are made out of cotton fibre, and they are more durable than paper made out of wood.
2. Swiss cheese doesn't always have holes.
Swiss cheese without holes is referred to as a "blind" cheese since the holes of swiss cheese are called "eyes". It does taste better if there are holes though, and the bigger the better. You see, the eyes get bigger if the cheese has more time and heat to form.
3. Shakespeare was married to Anne Hathaway.
Okay so not the Anne Hathaway we know (I'm a big fan of the Princess Diaries), but that was her name and she was a farmers daughter. They got married when he was 18 and she was 26. It all happened very fast because she was already 3 months pregnant.
4. Jupiter has the shortest days of any of the eight major planets.
The planet makes a complete rotation on its axis once every 9 hours and 55 minutes. Ironically Jupiter is quite slow when it comes to orbiting the sun, it takes 11.86 Earth years.
5. Yoga can delay aging.
According to a study that followed 96 participants and was published by the US National Library of Medicine, yoga if combined with meditation can not only prevent a variety of diseases, but it can also help delay the aging process.
6. Hummingbirds can't walk.
Hummingbirds have small feet that make their flying more efficient by making them lighter. Unfortunately this means they can't walk, but they can scoot sideways while they're perched and they still use their feet for preening.
7. It isn't just the northern lights.
The aurora borealis (northern lights) has a twin that can be seen best from Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and Antarctica, the aurora australis.
8. There were a lot of myths about diamonds in the old days.
In a lot of ancient cultures it was believed that diamonds gave you courage and strength in battle, and as a result some kings rode into battle with diamonds in their armor. The ancient Romans thought that Cupid's arrows were tipped with diamonds. And in the Middle Ages people thought diamonds had healing properties.
9. Llamas can be quite aggressive if overworked.
Llamas can carry about 50 to 75 pounds and still cover up to 20 miles a day, but if they are overloaded they generally lie down and refuse to move. They have even been known to spit, hiss, and kick until someone lessens the load.
10. There are probably 20 volcanoes erupting right now.
At any given moment there are about 20 erupting volcanoes in the world. That may sound like a lot, but remember there are volcanoes underneath the ocean that we don't even know are erupting. In fact three quarters of all eruptions happen under the sea.
Comments
Post a Comment