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Fact of the Day - HOT BEVERAGE MAKE YOU COOL DOWN? Did you know... It’s counterintuitive, but downing a hot drink on a hot day may actually cool you off. Here’s why. When it’s hot outside, few things are more refreshing than an ice-cold beverage—unless you’re one of those folks who swears the best way to cool down on a sultry day is to drink a steaming cup of tea. Common sense suggests that ice water would be the better option. Getting a near-freezing cold beverage into your body should lower your core temperature and offer temporary respite from the blazing heat around you, right? How Hot Drinks Can Cool You Down That’s not exactly how the human body reacts to heat. A 2012 study from the University of Ottawa had cyclists drink water at different temperatures while they cruised at moderate speed, and then measured their core body temps. Researchers found that drinking the hot beverage triggered a disproportionately high sweat response without significantly raising the athletes’ core temperature. And since sweating is the body’s primary way of cooling itself, the results showed that a hot drink is actually better at cooling you down than a cold one. “If you drink a hot drink, it does result in a lower amount of heat stored inside your body, provided the additional sweat produced when you drink the hot drink can evaporate,” Dr. Ollie Jay, senior author of the study, told The Skeptical Enquirer. Sweating is the Key to Cooling Off Of course, there are some catches. One is that you won’t feel the effects until your sweat has evaporated fully, contrasting with the instant effect of an ice water hit. The other, much bigger one is that it only works under certain conditions. If it’s humid, if you’re sweating a lot already, or if you’re wearing clothes that trap moisture on your skin, then drinking a hot drink is only going to make you hotter. So while it seems counterintuitive, having a hot drink on a hot day actually can cool you down. Turns out the people downing boiling coffee in July knew better than all of us. Source: Does Drinking a Hot Drink Really Cool You Down?

What's the Word: ALLUVIUM pronunciation: [ə-LOO-vee-əm] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, 17th century Meaning: 1. A deposit of clay, silt, sand, and gravel left by flowing streams in a river valley or delta, typically producing fertile soil. Examples: "Thanks to a layer of alluvium covering the ground, the valley was easy to walk through." "Soil full of alluvium makes a fantastic garden." About Alluvium “Alluvium” is based on the Latin “alluvius,” meaning “washed against.” Did you Know? Alluvial deposits are sediments that are moved around and left behind by rivers. Often, “alluvium” refers to existing deposits of silt, sand, clay, and gravel left long ago by water that no longer exists where it once did. But the sediments can also appear with seasonal shifting river currents, and be filled with nutrients. The nutrient-rich soil will be distributed to areas downstream by the river current.

Fact of the Day - MALT vs MILKSHAKE Did you know.... Whether you love dipping fries in shakes or malts, you should know the subtle yet tasty difference between the two. Malts and milkshakes are both quintessential American treats and the perfect end to any diner meal. Although the two ice cream-based drinks look incredibly similar, one crucial ingredient sets them apart. Here’s how to tell the difference between the frosty beverages. How to Define Malts and Shakes There’s only a slight difference in ingredients when it comes to malts and milkshakes. Both creamy drinks have a base made of ice cream and milk. While vanilla and chocolate milkshakes are classics, people also get creative with the drinkable dessert, sometimes adding candies, cookies, and even whole slices of cake to it. A malt, meanwhile, is a milkshake with malted milk powder. The ingredient gives the drink a nuttier depth of flavor compared to your average milkshake. In short, all malts are milkshakes, but not all milkshakes are malts. MALT Primary Ingredients: Milk, ice cream Is it a milkshake?: Yes Does it contain malted milk powder?: Yes Taste: Sweet, creamy, toasty, nutty MILKSHAKE Primary Ingredients: Milk, ice cream Is it a milkshake?: Yes Does it contain malted milk powder?: No Taste: Sweet, creamy So What Is Malt, Exactly? Now that you know what a malted milkshake is, you may be wondering what malt is on its own. The ingredient is made by processing cereal grains—mainly barley, but others are sometimes utilized. The complicated procedure involves soaking the grains until they sprout, heating them to halt growth, and then grinding them into a fine powder. The product has many uses. After the mashing stage, brewers can add yeast to the mixture to ferment the malt and make beer. According to Britannica, the majority of malt produced is used for beer production. Malt is an important ingredient in malted whiskey as well. Bakers may also add malt to flour to make baked goods, such as bagels and Belgian waffles. But people usually don’t use plain malt for milkshakes; that’s where malted milk powder comes in. It’s made by combining malt with evaporated milk solids. The result is a toasty, earthy flavor that adds a layer of complexity to an otherwise straightforward milkshake. Popular Foods and Drinks Containing Malt Beer Malted milkshakes Malted milk balls Ovaltine Bagels Malt whiskey Malt vinegar If you’re someone who likes to dip fries in their milkshake, you’re not alone. Science has proven that the sweet and salty combination is appealing to many people. Source: Malt vs. Milkshake: What’s the Difference?

What's the Word: RIVIERE pronunciation: [riv-ee-AIR] Part of speech: noun Origin: French, 19th century Meaning: 1. A necklace of gems that increase in size toward a large central stone, typically consisting of more than one string. Examples: "While a rivière is a striking piece of jewelry, it can make a subtle fashion statement." "The standard rivière is made with matching gems of the same cut and color, though the stones get larger toward the center of the necklace." About Rivière “Rivière” is taken from the French for “river.” Did you Know? The necklace style known as the “rivière” links gemstones together on a string or chain with a continuity that brings to mind the flow of a river — the root of the style’s name. The style emerged in 18th-century France, during the time of Queen Marie Antoinette, who was associated with a rivière called “le collier de la Reine” (“the Queen’s necklace”). This rivière was the subject of the infamous “Affair of the Diamond Necklace,” in which Marie Antoinette was accused of refusing to pay the crown jeweler for making the ornate rivière in 1845. It later emerged that Marie Antoinette had rejected the piece, but a notorious thief named Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy forged the queen’s signature, hoping to steal the set of jewels.

Fact of the Day - CACAO BEANS Did you know.... You may love chocolate, but probably not as much as the Aztecs did. This Mesoamerican culture, which flourished in the 15th and early 16th centuries, believed cacao beans were a gift from the gods and used them as a currency that was more precious than gold. The biggest chocoholic of them all was the ninth Aztec emperor, Montezuma II (1466–1520 CE), who called cacao “the divine drink, which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permits a man to walk for a whole day without food.” To say he practiced what he preached would be an understatement: Montezuma II was known to drink 50 cups of hot chocolate a day (from a golden goblet, no less). His preferred concoction is said to have been bitter and infused with chilis. Needless to say, that was an expensive habit. Aztec commoners could only afford to enjoy chocolate during special occasions, whereas their upper-class counterparts indulged their sweet tooth more often. That’s in contrast to the similarly chocolate-obsessed Maya, many of whom had it with every meal and often threw chili peppers or honey into the mix for good measure. Candy bars skyrocketed in popularity after World War I. Morale boosts were hard to come by during World War I, but one thing was sure to get the job done: chocolate. In America, the military chocolate tradition dates all the way back to the Revolutionary War, when the cocoa-loving George Washington included the treat in his soldiers’ rations. For our frenemies across the pond, every soldier received a King George Chocolate Tin in 1915; U.S. WWI rations were solicited from chocolate companies in 20-pound blocks, then cut down and hand-wrapped. Doughboys and Tommies (slang for U.S. and U.K. WWI soldiers, respectively) brought their sweet tooth home with them, and confectioners were happy to oblige. Candy bars became massively popular in the decade following World War I — more than 40,000 different kinds were produced in the U.S. alone by the end of the 1920s. These regional specialties began to die out following the one-two punch of the Great Depression and the outbreak of World War II, when Hershey’s was commissioned to create more than 3 billion ration bars for the U.S. Army. They’ve remained an industry titan ever since, and still claim the highest market share of any American confectionery by a sizable margin. Source: Aztecs considered cacao beans more valuable than gold.

What's the Word: DECAPOD pronunciation: [DEK-ə-pod] Part of speech: noun Origin: French, 19th century Meaning: 1. A crustacean of the order Decapoda, such as a shrimp, crab, or lobster. Examples: "Instead of fish, I chose the crab and lobster platter and dined on decapods." "Decapods often prefer warm and shallow water to colder deep water." About Decapod Decapod is a loanword from the French "décapode," formed by combining the ancient Greek terms "δέκας" ("dékas," meaning "10") and "ποδός" ("podós," meaning "foot or limb"). Did you Know? The classification "decapod" includes 8,000 species of crustaceans, ranging from crabs and lobsters to shrimp, prawns, and crawfish. The smallest decapod is a half-inch shrimp, while the largest is the 12-foot spider crab. Though their name suggests decapods have 10 legs, some have as many as 38. Decapods live in both salt water and fresh water, as well as on land. While they tend to prefer warmer, shallower water, decapods are found throughout the ocean, including at the great depths of the abyssal zone, or around 10,000 to 20,000 feet down.

Fact of the Day - BABY VIEWING WINDOW Did you know.... They used to be a staple of hospital maternity wards around the country—so, what happened? For much of the 20th century, hospital maternity wards featured a curious design choice: large glass windows that allowed families to gaze at rows of newborns, all bundled up and sleeping in neat, orderly rows. These so-called “baby viewing windows” gave proud families their first chance to spot their newest member—but nowadays, they’ve seemingly vanished. Upon further investigation, it becomes clear that their disappearance actually reveals a great deal about shifting attitudes toward birth, bonding, and even hospital marketing. The Origins of Baby Viewing Windows After childbirth began shifting from home to hospitals in the early 1900s, many hospitals established separate nurseries where nurses cared for newborns away from their mothers. These large windows weren’t just practical: They were meant to be a spectacle. As Smithsonian Magazine explains, hospitals used them to show off rows of healthy babies as proof of their modern, high-quality care. It’s also worth noting that the concept of putting babies in the public eye for all to see wasn’t entirely new. In the early 20th century, premature babies were often displayed in incubators at fairs and amusement parks to help raise money for their care. For decades, fathers weren’t typically allowed in delivery rooms either, so the nursery window was often their first real introduction to their new child. As Smithsonian notes, these glass-front nurseries helped project an image of hospitals as safe, nurturing places where science kept these tiny patients healthy and strong. The window moment became a rite of passage, not to mention a favorite photo op. The Evolution of Modern-Day Hospital Maternity Wards In the 1970s, hospitals began rethinking this approach. Instead of separating newborns from their mothers, they began promoting “rooming-in,” where babies stayed in the same room with their parents 24 hours a day. This new approach came with a long list of benefits: it encouraged breastfeeding, helped parents bond more quickly, and made mothers feel more confident caring for their newborns. Around this time, as Time reports, those once-beloved nursery windows soon started to feel outdated. Families preferred privacy and hands-on time with their new babies over the idea of putting them on public display. By the 1990s and early 2000s, growing security concerns also contributed significantly to their decline. As a result, hospitals became more cautious about disclosing the exact location of newborns to protect family privacy. Soon, it became clear that nursery windows no longer aligned with the public’s expectations for safety and confidentiality. Despite all this, our desire to show off newborns hasn’t waned; instead, it has simply evolved with the times. Many hospitals now offer online galleries (sometimes called web nurseries) where parents can share professional photos with friends and family. A private login is typically required to access the images, creating a modern, digital, and more secure version of the traditional nursery window. All in all, the move away from glass showcases reflects a broader cultural shift. Instead of treating childbirth like a distant medical event, today’s hospitals focus on intimacy and immediate family connection, keeping babies close from day one—literally. Source: Why Did Baby Viewing Windows Disappear From Hospitals?

What's the Word: OSSIFIED pronunciation: [OS-ih-fied] Part of speech: verb Origin: Latin, early 18th century Meaning: 1. Having turned into bone or bony tissue. 2. Having become rigid or fixed in attitude or position. Examples: "Bone is formed from cartilage that has ossified." "Over time she became ossified and rejected any attempts to change her habits." About Ossified Ossified came into English in the late 17th century from the French "ossifier," from the Latin prefix "oss-" and word "os," which mean "bone." Did you Know? The prefix "oss-" is Latin for "bone," and it makes up the root of many bony terms. "Ossify" is a verb meaning "turn into bone or bony tissue," but it also has a figurative usage meaning "become rigid or fixed in attitude or position; cease developing." "Ossified" can be a conjugation of the verb, but it can also be an adjective, describing things that have either turned into bone or become fixed and rigid. "Ossification" is a noun describing the process of converting into bone, and "osseous" is an adjective for anything made of or resembling bone.

Fact of the Day - TSUNDOKU Did you know.... It’s often said that “there’s probably a German word” for unusual situations that are difficult to express in English, but sometimes there’s actually a Japanese word instead. Tsundoku, for example, describes the act of buying books and never reading them. Many bibliophiles can surely relate. Doku can be used in Japanese as a verb that means “reading,” and tsun comes from tsumu, which means “to pile up.” According to University of London Japanese studies professor Andrew Gerstle, the word appears to have been coined in 1879 in a satirical reference to a teacher who didn’t read the many books he owned. Despite that, the term — which can also refer to the piles of books themselves — doesn’t carry a particularly negative connotation in Japan. For some, tsundoku might be anxiety- or even guilt-inducing — who hasn’t bought an imposing tome such as James Joyce’s Ulysses with every intention of reading it, only to pick up something lighter instead time after time? But it doesn’t have to be that way. There can be a joy to “practicing tsundoku,” since every unread book on your shelf can be thought of as a literary adventure in waiting. There’s no time like the present, but neither is there any harm in leaving Don Quixote for just the right moment. There’s a Japanese phrase for when you think you’re going to fall in love. In addition to hitomebore, a word for love at first sight, the Japanese language also has a more nuanced phrase for “the feeling upon first meeting someone that you will inevitably fall in love with them” — koi no yokan. It’s closer to predicting love than actually feeling it just yet. The term is common in shoujo manga, or comic books aimed at teenage girls, although it also has a particular resonance for older generations, who married at a young age and didn’t fully know their spouse until after tying the knot. Despite — or perhaps because of — the fact that there’s no precise English equivalent, the phrase has inspired both a short film and a rock album of the same name. Source: The Japanese word “tsundoku” describes the act of buying books and never reading them.

Fact of the Day - ORIGINS OF PLAYING CARDS Did you know.... Playing cards aren’t just one of the most ubiquitous objects in human culture (who doesn’t have a deck lurking in a drawer somewhere?) — they’re also one of the most iconic. Whether new and neatly packaged or old and well-thumbed, cards have a certain mystique about them. From the casino table to the magician’s hand, these simple pieces of plastic-coated paper have achieved a status that transcends their simple yet elegant design. Yet despite this familiarity, few people know the fascinating journey that cards have taken throughout history. Here, we take a look back through time to trace the origin of playing cards. Ancient Origins The earliest known written reference to playing cards is found in Chinese literature from the 10th century, though there are no details about card markings or the particular games played. In The Invention of Printing in China and Its Spread Westward, author Thomas Francis Carter notes that playing cards likely originated in China around the same time as paged books, writing, “As the advent of printing made it more convenient to produce and use books in the form of pages, so was it easier to produce cards.” Carter goes on to explain how these cards, known as “sheet-dice,” began to appear before the end of the Tang dynasty, which ruled China from 618 to 907 CE. He also suggests the possibility that “sheet-dice” evolved in two different directions during the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE). Some were eventually made using bone or ivory and developed into games such as mahjong, while others retained their paper form, were embellished with new and more intricate images and designs, and became the true ancestors of modern playing cards. Playing Cards Take Shape As trade routes expanded during the Song dynasty, early playing cards began to spread westward along the Silk Road, carrying with them the fundamental concepts that evolved into the decks we recognize today. The most important stage on this journey happened in the Islamic world. By the 14th century, playing cards had reached the Mamluk Sultanate, which controlled Egypt and parts of the Middle East, at which point the cards underwent a significant transformation. Thanks in part to the discovery of one particular set of cards from the 1400s, we can see how card design progressed toward something simil (440ar to modern decks. The Mamluk pack, as it is sometimes referred to, was discovered in 1931 in Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace Museum. The deck is divided into four suits, with 13 cards per suit. It has just 47 cards, but if it were complete, it would have contained 52 cards, just like today. The design of this centuries-old deck is also surprisingly similar to the packs of cards we use today. The cards feature a symbol for each of the four suits: cups, coins, swords, and polo sticks, which reflect the culture and interests of the Islamic aristocracy. And each suit contains 10 numbered cards as well as three court cards: the king (malik), the viceroy or deputy king (naib), and the second deputy (naib thani). Origins of the Four Modern Suits Playing cards made their way to Europe in the late 14th century. Some theories suggest they were brought back by returning Crusaders, which is possible, although scant supporting evidence exists. It’s more likely they came through trade with the Islamic world, including with the Mamluks. Thanks to written accounts from Spain, France, and Switzerland, we do know that playing cards grew in popularity in Europe from 1370 to 1400, although standardization was still a long way off. During the 15th century, European decks sometimes contained five rather than four suits, and specific regional tastes meant that different suit motifs also emerged. Germans, for example, used hearts, acorns, bells, and leaves, while the Italians favored cups, swords, batons, and coins. It was the French, however, who made perhaps the most significant contribution to modern playing card design. In the late 1400s, they adapted the German suits to create pique, coeur, carreau, and trèfle — known in English as spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs. French card makers also simplified the production process by using stencils and developing more efficient printing techniques, making cards more affordable and widely available. This helped popularize the design in Europe, and the colonial exploits of the French, Spanish, and British introduced the newly standardized playing cards to the rest of the world. Source: Where Did Playing Cards Come From?

(Thursday's) Fact of the Day - FIREFLIES Did you know.... A new study shows that vulnerable fireflies might still have a chance. Over the past few decades, firefly population have been declining due to factors like light pollution, pesticides, and habitat loss. Now there's a ray of hope: A recent study suggests there’s reason to be optimistic for these insects. They’re more prevalent this summer than they have been in years. What’s Up With This Wave of Fireflies? According to Popular Science, residents across the U.S. have been seeing a spike in firefly numbers in recent weeks. There have even been upticks in urban areas, such as New York City and Washington, D.C. While firefly numbers still aren’t what they used to be, the change signals a positive outlook for the insects. The increased numbers of the glowing bugs in many states could be attributed to the factors below: Weather: Climate plays a significant part in firefly reproduction, as they tend to seek out wet soil to lay their eggs. Many states saw decent rainfall this year, which could have led to the insects’ population growth. Lifecycle: Firefly larvae live for about two years before pupating and becoming the bioluminescent creatures we’re familiar with. When the insects emerge from their pupal stage to find mates, they will live for a few weeks, depending on the environment and species. Firefly prevalence can vary by year because of this factor, and some places may be simply experiencing good timing this summer. Why Are Fireflies Important? Fireflies aren’t just aesthetically pleasing; They also help the environment. A 2019 report from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation highlighted the ecological benefits of fireflies. The larvae of the species primarily feed on snails and slugs, both of which damage plants. These insects also contribute to the diets of many creatures in the animal kingdom, especially various spider species. Environment America also shares that some species feed on pollen and nectar, benefiting many flowering plants. We may be lucky enough to enjoy their twinkling light shows for years to come if we make an effort to take care of them. You can help fireflies out by doing simple things, such as turning off lights at night so as not to confuse the insects, and mowing lawns less frequently. It also won’t hurt to avoid using pesticides outside and share your awareness about the lovely creatures. Not everyone gets the pleasure of seeing fireflies light up their environment in person, but you can watch a video of synchronizing fireflies doing their thing in Thailand. Source: Fireflies Are Surging This Summer, in a Rare Win for the Insects

What's the Word: REALIA pronunciation: [ree-AL-ee-ə] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, 19th century Meaning: 1. Objects and material from everyday life, especially when used as teaching aids. 2. Real things or actual facts, especially as distinct from theories about or reactions to them. Examples: "The visiting firefighter dazzled the schoolkids with his realia, which included his helmet, ax, and oxygen tank." "In science class, Daria learned best from lessons involving realia, such as demonstrations of dramatic chemical reactions." About Realia “Realia” is directly from the Latin “reālia,” meaning “real things.” Did you Know? The first realia many babies encounter is a simple set of wooden blocks, which were developed as teaching tools in 18th-century England and popularized by German educational philosopher Friedrich Fröbel (best known for inventing and naming “kindergarten”). “Fröbel gifts,” a set of mostly wooden blocks he developed, became massively popular educational toys for babies, offering them real-world experiences with basic shapes, gravity, and building or stacking. These toys provide pieces of the real world small enough for babies to handle and safely experiment with. Used as realia, building blocks have been the foundation of early learning for hundreds of millions of people.

What's the Word: ERRANT pronunciation: [EHR-ənt] Part of speech: adjective Origin: French, 15th century Meaning: 1. Erring or straying from the proper course or standards. 2. Traveling in search of adventure. Examples: "An errant seagull ended up in my bathroom when I left the window open." "My brother believes any errant french fries that fall off my plate are free for him to eat." About Errant “Errant” came into English through the French “errant,” based originally on the Latin “errāre,” meaning “to stray.” Did you Know? In its earliest meaning, “errant” (as in “a knight errant”) referred to a state of being an itinerant traveler, often in search of adventure. In modern use, the term refers to a stray state, in which a thing or person moves or behaves unpredictably and not according to an accepted course.

Fact of the Day - JELLYFISH Did you know... While we humans can quite happily sit out in the sun for hours (with adequate sun protection, of course), jellyfish can disappear completely if washed ashore on a sunny day. This is because a jellyfish’s delicate body is composed of at least 95% water, unlike the human adult body, which is about 60% water. As you may suppose, jellyfish are jellylike in consistency — at least when well hydrated — but they aren’t actually fish. They are in fact plankton, ranging in size from less than an inch to nearly 8 feet long, with tentacles that can measure an impressive 100 feet or more. (The largest jellyfish is longer than a blue whale.) Jellyfish have no bones, no brain, and no heart, and they use only rudimentary sensory nerves at the base of their tentacles to detect light and odors. Due to their structure and exceptionally high water content, jellyfish can evaporate within hours in a process known as deliquescing if they’re stranded on a beach in the sun. The jellyfish shrinks as its water evaporates away, leaving behind nothing but a faint imprint on the sand. Box jellyfish rank among the ocean’s deadliest creatures. When we think of dangerous sea creatures, our minds tend to jump straight to sharks. In reality, there’s a far greater threat floating in the open water: the box jellyfish. These nearly transparent creatures possess up to 15 tentacles, each growing to roughly 10 feet in length. Each tentacle has about 5,000 stinging cells, whose venom is considered to be among the most potent and deadly in the world. While typically used to instantly stun or kill prey such as fish and shrimp, a box jellyfish’s venom can also be fatal to any humans who come too close. The sting is so unbearably painful that human victims have been known to go into shock and drown — or die from heart failure — before even reaching the shore. While there are an average of six fatalities from shark attacks per year, box jellyfish stings result in between 40 and 100 human fatalities annually, although experts believe the true figure is likely far higher. As such, box jellyfish can claim to be the deadliest creatures in the ocean. Source: Jellyfish can evaporate if left out in the sun.

Fact of the Day - RAW POTATOES Did you know... You can, but you may not like what happens. According to the USDA, potatoes are the most heavily-consumed vegetable in America: The average person downs roughly 50 pounds of them annually. If you weigh 200 pounds, you’re consuming a quarter of your body weight in spuds each year. That statistic includes French fries and potato chips. What it doesn’t measure is whether anyone actually eats potatoes raw and unprepared. While that option is common for other vegetables like tomatoes and broccoli, chomping down on a potato like it’s an apple seems a bit perverse. But is it actually dangerous? The Danger of Eating Raw Potatoes Unlike raw meat, which can harbor dangerous bacteria like E. coli or salmonella, a raw potato is unlikely to be a source of catastrophic illness. But it’s still not a great idea to eat one uncooked. A raw potato contains solanine and chaconine, two glycoalkaloids, as well as a protein known as lectin. When ingested, all of them can cause digestive upset ranging from gas and bloating to stomach cramps. In larger amounts, solanine and lectins can lead to headaches and vomiting. In really large amounts, you might get into some serious neurological symptoms. Surprisingly, exposure to sunlight can actually cause a potato to produce more solanine as it turns green. In theory, a raw potato sitting on a windowsill could ruin your day (and your guts). Outside of that, you would need to eat a lot of potatoes—pounds and pounds—before risking solanine poisoning. Once cooked, some of these compounds are virtually eradicated, as are any lingering bacteria or contaminants from the soil. (Solanine, however, tends to remain on or near the skin.) Cooking a potato also breaks down the resistant starches that are difficult for the body to absorb and wind up acting as prebiotics to aid in digestion. While beneficial in small amounts, these starches are likely to prompt stomach issues unless they’re broken down into simple sugars through heat. There’s another reason to avoid consuming potatoes raw: Uncooked, they tend to be bitter and simply don’t taste very good. Why People Eat Raw Potatoes Advocates of consuming potatoes raw—and there are some—point to a more favorable nutritional profile when a potato is left uncooked. A raw potato contains up to twice as much vitamin C as a baked potato, for example. Others point to the resistant starches being beneficial for gut and overall digestive health. But there are plenty of ways to up your vitamin C intake and consume prebiotics other than eating uncooked potatoes. Worse, the lectins found in raw potatoes are considered an antinutrient, meaning they can interfere with the absorption of other nutrients in the body. So what if you take a bite of a raw potato by accident? Most likely, there’s nothing to worry about. But as a rule, if you’re going to meet the average quota, make sure your 50 pounds of annual potatoes are cooked. Source: Is It Safe to Eat Raw Potatoes?

What's the Word: MACROSCOPIC pronunciation: [mak-rə-SKA-pik] Part of speech: adjective Origin: English, 19th century Meaning: 1. Visible to the naked eye; not microscopic. 2. Relating to large-scale or general analysis. Examples: "A macroscopic view of U.S. food trends considers the practices of all restaurants, caterers, and food-producers." "The mold growth was microscopic at first, but after several days it became macroscopic and clearly visible." About Macroscopic The word “macroscopique” appeared in French in 1865. English speakers may well have brought it into the language as an obvious opposite to “microscopic,” which had been in use since the 17th century. In both French and English, “macroscopic” combines the prefix “macro-,” meaning “large” or “long,” with the suffix “-scopic,” which refers to the act of watching. Did you Know? In its initial form, “macroscopic” referred specifically to the opposite of “microscopic,” things so small they could not be viewed with the naked eye. “Macroscopic” things were simply those that could be seen. Over time, however, the term has taken on a metaphoric implication, invoking “a long view” or “the big picture” — both of which are variations on the word’s two roots of “macro” and “scopic,” which together refer to the act of watching in a broad manner.

Fact of the Day - SUN SHADES Did you know.... Do they really reduce that hot box effect in cars, or are they all just part of some big marketing scheme. Whether you’re going to the beach or the park for a picnic this summer, chances are that you’re going to need to park your car ahead of all that fun in the sun. But the sun that you’re enjoying is the same sun that’s also increasing the temperature inside your vehicle. So when you return, it’s hot, sticky, and humid inside. You can even burn yourself if you’re not too careful. In fact, the interior can rise in temperature up to 200°F, depending on the day’s weather. That’s as hot as an oven. Why does the temperature in your car get so hot on the inside, even if the temperature is cooler outside? If you’ve ever wondered how that happens, and whether or not sun shades actually keep cars cool, keep reading on for more insights below. The “Greenhouse Effect” in Cars: Is It a Myth in the Summer? Sunlight has a broad spectrum of light wavelengths, including ultraviolet, visible, and infrared. When sunlight enters a parked car, specific wavelengths are able to pass through, such as visible light, while others, like ultraviolet and infrared, are trapped inside. These wavelengths become trapped because of the thick glass of the windshield, windows, and rear window. It’s the same reason why a greenhouse is warmer on the inside compared to the temperature of the air outside. The sunlight is trapped inside and absorbed by the seats, dashboard, steering wheel, and other surfaces. This can increase the wear and tear on your car’s interior, though, which can lower its resale value over time. Can Sun Shades Help? Yes, sun shades (also known as sun visors) have been shown to significantly reduce temperatures in vehicles by up to 25 percent, compared to not using them at all. It’s also an inexpensive solution, with sun shades available for around $10 to $30, depending on size, on online retailers like Amazon and Walmart. But overall, sun shades can provide some peace of mind, especially if you’re worried about leaving a window cracked open while you’re away, but there are a few more specific tips and tricks that may be helpful, which we'll break down below. How To Make Cars Cooler in the Summer The easiest and most cost-effective way to prevent your motor vehicle from heating up come summer is to crack a window open about one to two inches after you park. With this simple move alone, you could reduce temperatures by up to 30 degrees, as it offers a means of escape for those ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths from the sun. Before you exit the car, consider turning the steering wheel 180 degrees, so the top half of the wheel won’t be in direct sunlight. When you return, the top half will be cooler to the touch. Additionally, you can use beach blankets to cover your seats, keeping them out of the sun. However, one of the best ways to keep cool when parked is to use a trusty sun shade over the windshield. This can help to block most sunlight from entering. As the shades are made from reflective materials, such as mylar or aluminum foil, and feature layers of nylon or polyester for insulation and durability, they prevent sunlight from being absorbed into your vehicle’s interior. Source: Do Sun Shades Actually Keep Cars Cool During Summer?

What's the Word: CANALIZE pronunciation: [CAN-əl-iyz] Part of speech: verb Origin: French, 19th century Meaning: 1. Convert (a river) into a navigable canal. 2. Convey (something) through a duct or channel. Examples: "The leader of the nonprofit sought to canalize donations where they were most necessary." "The civil engineers agreed to canalize the river in a new direction." About Canalize This word comes from the French “canal,” or “chanel,” meaning “water channel, tube, pipe or gutter.” It originates from the Latin “canalis,” meaning “water pipe, groove, channel.” It is combined with “-ize,” a word-forming element used to make verbs. Did you Know? The process of canalizing can occur in a few ways in the human body, and repetition is key. In neuroscience, it is when the hypothetical process of a neural pathway’s repeated use leads to greater ease of transmission of impulses — essentially what happens in the brain when people form habits. Over time, this process becomes permanent. In psychology, canalization is when a person channels their needs into fixed patterns of gratification, such as food or recreational preferences.

Fact of the Day - THE WHISTLE REGISTER Did you know.... Many vocal coaches divide the human voice into three main registers, or ranges of tones — chest, middle, and head. The most familiar of these is the chest register, also known as the speaking voice (at least for men; women tend to speak a bit higher). The head register comes to life when singers are trying to hit high notes, and the middle register falls somewhere in between. But there are two other registers at the extreme ends of the singing spectrum. First, there’s vocal fry, the sound vocal cords make when they’re struggling to hit low notes, which creates an almost growling, popping sound. And then there’s the whistle register — the highest vocal register a singer can produce. This register is a bit of a mystery, primarily because the epiglottis (a flap of cartilage in the throat) closes over the larynx when it happens, blocking the view of the vocal cords and making it impossible to record the anatomical structures that create the register. The undisputed current master of the whistle register is Mariah Carey, who’s been wowing audiences with it since 1990. (Exhibit A: Her trills at the conclusion of 1991’s “Emotions.”) In 2020, Carey and fellow pop vocal acrobat Ariana Grande harmonized their whistle registers during an awe-inducing performance of “Oh Santa.” But the whistle register comes with a “don’t try this at home” warning. Because people rarely access it, using the whistle register extensively can cause damage. So to sing like Mimi, find a coach. Around 70 cultures speak in whistles. Whistled languages are perhaps as old as civilization. In the fifth century BCE, the ancient Greek historian Herodotus described an Ethiopian language similar to the squeaking of bats. Fast-forward 2,500 years, and there are about 70 cultures around the world that still use whistled languages. The advantages are pretty clear: Whistles can be heard several miles away and are an extremely useful tool in cultures that must be heard across deep ravines and towering mountains. Some form of whistled language has been found on nearly every continent, from the Arctic-dwelling Inuit to the forest hunters of the Amazon. And like spoken languages, they can have major differences. Asian whistled languages tend to replicate the melodies of sentences, while Turkish and Spanish whistled languages replicate vowel sounds as whistles and then create consonants through abrupt note shifts. (Whistled languages are always based on the local spoken language, at least these days.) Source: The whistle register is the highest vocal register a human can reach.

Fact of the Day - COOL CATS Did you know.... Here’s a hint: It’s not by sweating through their paws. When temperatures rise, humans sweat, dogs pant, and cats ... don’t move enough to overheat? Well, partially. Cats, who need to maintain an internal body temperature of 101°F to 102°F, have several methods for keeping cool in sweltering weather—only one of which involves knowing better than to over-exert themselves on hot days. Conduction allows cats to cool themselves off or warm themselves up via contact with objects of a different temperature. This is why you can often find your cat seeking out cool kitchen or bathroom tiles on a hot day. But this works for a dog or a person, too. What about when that’s just not enough? Do Cats Sweat Through Their Paws? It’s a misconception that cats sweat through their paws to cool themselves off. As summer wears on you might see moist paw prints, but as veterinarian Kimberly May told The Washington Post, “any secretions there or from their nose, mouth, or tongue are not for sweating; they’re for protection and moisture and are insufficient to cool the blood.” Instead, cats recreate the sweating process—which works to cool humans via evaporation—by grooming themselves regularly. The saliva from their tongues acts like sweat that cools their body when it evaporates—which is why you can also help cool your cat down by using a damp washcloth to lightly wet their fur. In extreme weather, cats will also pant, but unlike dogs who pant regularly to keep themselves cool, a panting cat is a sign of more dangerous over-heating or other serious disease. Should I Shave My Cat in the Summer? And if you’re tempted to shave your feline friend to help keep him cool—don’t! “Fur acts as a thermal regulator to slow down the process of heat absorption,” James H. Jones, an expert in comparative animal exercise physiology and thermoregulation at the University of California at Davis, told The Washington Post. Fur coats are highly evolved—in the winter they keep animals warm, but in the summer, they work both to protect delicate skin from the sun and slow dehydration (Jones notes that, according to research, shaved camels fared worse in the deserts than those with their fur intact). But even with these methods for keeping cool, cats also rely on the perks of domesticity to stay comfortable. So even though they evolved from wild ancestors and are able to tough it out, leave the A/C (or a fan) on for your cats when you go out, and make sure to leave them plenty of water. Source: How Do Cats Cool Themselves Off?

What's the Word: MANCHET pronunciation: [MAN-chət] Part of speech: noun Origin: Late Middle English, 16th century Meaning: 1. (Historical) A loaf of the finest kind of wheaten bread. Examples: "Marianne used a recipe from an old English cookbook to make the manchet loaf." "This bakery is the only one in town that specializes in manchet." About Manchet This word stems from Middle English, possibly from the obsolete “maine,” meaning “flour of the finest quality,” plus the obsolete “cheat,” a kind of wheaten bread. Did you Know? In the third season of “The Great British Bake Off,” Sussex native Cathryn Dresser made Lady Arundel’s manchets and served them with an inner layer of jam and cream. While the basic manchet recipe calls for flour, salt, yeast, and hot water, the Lady Arundel version specifically calls for wheat grown and ground in Sussex, England. It is considered a higher-quality take on the recipe because it includes eggs, milk, and butter, giving the bread a richer flavor and texture.

Fact of the Day - THE BIRDS AND THE BEES Did you know.... Birds and bees get all the action—and Samuel Taylor Coleridge was jealous. The phrase the birds and the bees is hazy by design. It’s used to tell children about the mechanics of human sex without actually mentioning sex or humans. It's prudish poetry that has somehow endured throughout the years, but its origins, like its definition, aren't entirely clear. Origins in English Literature The term is thought to have two possible origins, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge is credited with referring to the two animals in the context of love in his 1825 poem “Work Without Hope”: “All Nature seems at work. Slugs leave their lair— The bees are stirring—birds are on the wing— And Winter, slumbering in the open air, Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring! And I, the while, the sole unbusy thing, Nor honey make, nor pair, nor build, nor sing. ... ” Unfortunately for Coleridge, this fleeting passage had a lasting legacy, and his jealousy of local birds and bees has been etched into eternity. However, University of Southern California linguistics professor Ed Finegan found an earlier use of the phrase in the Diary of John Evelyn, a chief source of historical information about life in 17th-century London. In describing the interior of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome in the 1640s, Evelyn wrote: “That stupendous canopy of Corinthian brasse; it consists of 4 wreath'd columns—incircl'd with vines, on which hang little putti, birds and bees.” Finegan suggested that birds and bees appearing so close to putti (a.k.a. cherubs) implied that Evelyn was alluding to human sexuality. And because Evelyn’s Diary was published around the time that Romantic poets were active, the writers were likely inspired by this phrasing and made it into a euphemism. The Birds and the Bees Crosses the Pond An early use of the birds and the bees in an American publication occurred just after the start of the Civil War. A New York Times correspondent at the U.S. Capitol remarked on the lusty quality of spring in Washington, D.C.: “It is a warm, sunny day, this 20th day of April. The air is redolent of bursting buds, and the Capital Park is jubilant with the gushing songs of the birds and the humming of the honey-bees. The Northern air that has ‘aggressed’ upon us for a week past has been driven back by the rebellious South wind, that comes, fresh from the fair faces it has caressed, and the waving tresses through which it has wantoned, to enchant the soul with its balmy breath, and entrance the mind with its dreamy sweetness.” The convoluted origins of the birds and the bees may inspire you to skip the phrase altogether the next time a child asks you where babies come from. Source: Where Does the Term ‘The Birds and The Bees’ Come From?

Fact of the Day - OVERCOOKED MUSHROOMS? Did you know.... Overcooking ingredients is one of the most common mishaps in the kitchen and can result in mushy vegetables, tough meats, and other gastronomic woes. Mushrooms, however, are incredibly forgiving, being almost impossible to overcook. Their ability to maintain an agreeable texture over a wide range of cooking times is all due to the unique cellular structure of fungi. The secret lies in chitin, the material that forms the cell walls in mushrooms. Chitin, which is also found in insect exoskeletons and crustacean shells, is very durable and heat stable — unlike the cellulose found in plant cells or the proteins in animal tissue. In most foods, cooking often produces dramatic structural changes. The proteins in meat go through a process of denaturation and coagulation, causing the meat to firm up and, when overcooked, become tough. Vegetables, meanwhile, are held together by pectin, which starts to break down during cooking, releasing the bond between cells and making the vegetables turn soft — potentially too soft if overcooked. But thanks to the magic of chitin, mushrooms maintain their structural integrity, and therefore their firmness, when cooked for even long durations. Any textural change that occurs in mushrooms while cooking is more likely due to water loss than cellular breakdown. Mushrooms have a high water content, and this liquid is released while cooking, which concentrates the flavor and changes the texture slightly without compromising structure. So while it is possible to burn mushrooms through overly high heat and negligence, it’s difficult to overcook them, whether you’re sautéing a chanterelle or roasting a portobello. The Armillaria ostoyae honey mushroom is the heaviest living organism on Earth. Deep within the Malheur National Forest of Oregon lives the heaviest living thing on Earth: a giant mushroom playfully dubbed the “humongous fungus.” This gigantic specimen of Armillaria ostoyae honey mushroom is estimated to weigh somewhere between 7,500 and 35,000 tons and occupies a total area of 2,385 acres — equivalent to 1,350 soccer fields. DNA testing has revealed this to be a single organism, consisting of a massive mycelial network located mostly underground. While the humongous fungus can claim to be the heaviest living organism in the world, it’s not necessarily the largest in terms of area. A specimen of Posidonia australis seagrass, located in Shark Bay in Western Australia, covers an area of approximately 77 square miles — equivalent to around 28,000 soccer fields. Both the Oregonian Armillaria ostoyae and the Shark Bay seagrass rank among the oldest living organisms on Earth. Based on current growth rates, the seagrass is estimated to be around 4,500 years old, while the honey mushroom is estimated to be at least 2,400 years old and possibly even as ancient as 8,650 years. Source: It’s nearly impossible to overcook mushrooms.

What's the Word: GUFFAW pronunciation: [ɡə-FAW] Part of speech: noun Origin: Scottish, early 18th century Meaning: 1. A loud and boisterous laugh. Examples: "Kevin let out a loud, spontaneous guffaw." "The comedian let out a guffaw at his own joke." About Guffaw This word originated in Scotland and was likely imitative of the sound of coarse laughter. Did you Know? “Guffaw” can also be used as an intransitive verb. For instance, “The group guffawed loudly.” Or “When she guffaws, it always makes him smile.”

What's the Word: SINOLOGY pronunciation: [sy-NAL-ə-jee] Part of speech: noun Origin: Unknown place of origin, mid-19th century Meaning: 1. The study of Chinese language, history, customs, and politics. Examples: "After her trip to Beijing, Svetlana cultivated a fascination with sinology." "Jeremy did some research on sinology to better understand his girlfriend’s Chinese heritage." About Sinoligy “Sin-” is a word-forming element meaning “Chinese” from the late Latin “Sinæ” (plural) “the Chinese,” from Ptolemaic Greek “Sinai,” from Arabic “Sin,” meaning “China.” “-Logy” is a word-forming element meaning “a speaking, discourse, treatise, doctrine, theory, science” from the Greek “-logia.” Did you Know? Even though sinology refers to the study of China, it is often linked to scholarship that comes from the West. Surprisingly, the French were some of the first to set up sinological academic disciplines within its prestigious academic institutions.

Fact of the Day - GIRAFFE HEARTS Did you know.... While exact numbers vary depending on factors such as body size and sex, the average giraffe heart weighs approximately 25 pounds — roughly 40 times more than the 10-ounce heart of a human adult. In addition to this stark weight differential, a giraffe heart measures 2 feet long, nearly five times a human’s 5-inch heart. Giraffe hearts can also pump 16 gallons of blood per minute, which is more than 10 times greater than the 1.5 gallons that flow through a human heart in that same time frame. Furthermore, studies indicate that giraffe hearts make up 0.5% to 0.6% of the animal’s total body mass — slightly higher than the average measurement of 0.47% to 0.48% in our species. This notable size gap extends to other organs as well. For instance, a giraffe’s lungs can hold 12 gallons of air, whereas the average set of human lungs has a maximum capacity around 1.6 gallons. And while Gene Simmons of Kiss is famous for his abnormally long tongue, it still pales in comparison to that of a giraffe, which clocks in around 21 inches long. The average human tongue ranges from 3.1 to 3.3 inches long. The first successful human heart transplant was in 1967. The first known attempted heart transplant took place in 1905, when one canine’s heart was implanted — albeit unsuccessfully — into the neck of another dog. A little more than half a century later, in 1964, a human heart transplant was attempted for the first time, when doctors attempted to implant the heart of a large chimpanzee into a dying human. This effort also ultimately proved futile. But on December 3, 1967, a major advancement was made in Cape Town, South Africa, when Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the first successful human-to-human heart transplant. Barnard implanted the heart of 25-year-old car accident victim Denise Darvall into the body of 53-year-old Louis Washkansky. The heart functioned as intended, though Washkansky passed away 18 days later from pneumonia. Barnard’s second transplant proved more enduring, as the recipient lived for nearly 19 months after the operation. Source: Giraffe hearts weigh about 40 times as much as human hearts.

What's the Word: DELINEATE pronunciation: [də-LIN-ee-ayt] Part of speech: verb Origin: Latin, mid 16th-century Meaning: 1. Describe or portray (something) precisely. Examples: "As a new teacher, Marnie felt it was important to delineate acceptable classroom behavior." "The treaty helped the neighboring countries delineate what the new border would be." About Delineate This word comes from the Latin “delineat-,” meaning “outlined,” from the verb “delineare.” Originally comes from “de-” meaning “out, completely” and “lineare,” from “linea,” meaning “line.” Did you Know? “Delineate” can also mean to sketch something or trace the outline of it. An architect might delineate their ideas before drawing detailed blueprints.

Fact of the Day - CURVED METAL BARS Did you know..... Some old-fashioned window guards look like they have a potbelly. Turns out, this isn’t actually a design flaw. London, New York, Paris. Some of the most romanticized cities in the world share a common feature: an abundance of metal bars covering building windows. The bars don’t detract from the beauty of the buildings, but rather, add a certain elegance to them. Strolling along historic avenues, the gently curved ironwork—often featuring ornate details and motifs—can appear more like a piece of art than a security device. However, it also raises the question: what function does it actually serve? Below, we break down the history behind these old-fashioned window guards and why they’re shaped so oddly in the first place. A Brief History of Window Guards Metal bars covering windows are an age-old method for preventing break-ins in urban areas. They’re also useful for keeping people in—to keep them from falling out, of course. In New York, the law states that every apartment building of three or more units that may house children under 10 years of age must have some sort of guard on the windows for safety purposes. Montgomery County, Maryland, has a similar regulation: all apartment units above the ground floor housing children aged at 11 or under must have window bars [PDF] or some sort of stop to prevent windows from opening more than four inches. Though they’re effective safety mechanisms, not everyone is a fan; some people feel like they make their homes look “like a prison.” But in fact, beyond their usefulness, well-made cast iron and wrought iron window bars are often used to enhance aesthetics. They became especially popular in 19th-century construction, with ironworkers pulling from various artistic movements (such as Rococo, Gothic, and Renaissance styles) to make unique patterns. Certain cities stood out more for their distinctive window guards, too. Charleston, South Carolina, for instance, was known for signature palmetto designs. Meanwhile, Chicago was best known for more minimalistic, geometric designs. The Reason Why Some Old Iron Window Guards Have a Bulge Across the world, window guards can add a touch of historic elegance to any structure. But there’s one feature in particular that often makes more ornate sets of window bars stand out: the “potbelly.” This refers to the curve found on the lower half of some of these bars (the shape mimics that of a human stomach). The extra room at the bottom is there for two major reasons: For one, it accommodates planter boxes that people might like to hang in their windows. Having a curved window guard helps residents grow flowers, herbs, and other plants right from their windowsills, but with a certain degree of security. This enforced metal gap creates a wider space between people inside and outside the window, especially on a building’s ground level (which is where you may be most apt to see some of these potbellied window bars). This gap means that those inside have ample room to lean when peering outside the window, and those who may be trying to reach inside are pushed farther away. Do “Belly Bars” Actually Work? Despite their antique charm, however, window bars aren’t always the preferred method for protecting a house’s entry points. The famous Property Brothers, for example, seem to prefer a more open aesthetic for windows, getting rid of bars to create a light and airy look. For homeowners who share the same preferences, there are other methods for home security that are less obvious, such as reinforced glass, proper locks, and even strategically placed shrubbery. Source: Why Are the Metal Bars on Some Windows Curved?

What's the Word: TORTUOUS pronunciation: [TOR-choo-əs] Part of speech: adjective Origin: French, late 14th century Meaning: 1. Full of twists and turns. 2. Excessively lengthy and complex. Examples: "Their will-they or-won’t-they dynamic made for a tortuous romance." "Maddie found taking the SAT to be a tortuous experience." About Tortuous This word comes from Middle English via Old French. Originally comes from the Latin “tortuosus,” from “tortus,” meaning “twisting, a twist,” from the Latin stem “torquere.” Did you Know? At first glance, you might think there’s little difference between “tortuous” and “torturous,” but their core meanings are not the same. While “tortuous” means “full of twists and turns,” “torturous” means “involving torture or excruciating pain.” That extra “R” denotes intense suffering versus being a flowery word for something mildly painful or even excitingly puzzling.

What's the Word: PEAT pronunciation: [peet] Part of speech: noun Origin: Middle English, 14th century Meaning: 1. A brown deposit resembling soil, formed by the partial decomposition of vegetable matter in the wet acidic conditions of bogs and fens, and often cut out and dried for use as fuel and in gardening. Examples: "Marie wanted to learn how to harvest peat for research purposes." "Jonas added a couple of pieces of peat to the campfire to keep it going." About Peat This word stems from the Middle English “pete” by way of medieval Latin “peta.” Possibly of Celtic origin. Did you Know? According to Merriam-Webster, “peat” can also be a bold, lively woman. However, that form of usage is rarely seen, and its origins are unknown.

Fact of the Day - SWITCHING EVERY 6 MONTHS Did you know... Pheasant Island is an uninhabited landmass located on the Bidasoa river separating France and Spain. Those two countries split control of the 1.69-acre island, with stewardship alternating every six months: Pheasant Island falls under Spanish rule from February 1 through July 31 and French control from August 1 through January 31 each year. This makes the island the world’s smallest “condominium” — a term that denotes any territory governed by multiple sovereign entities without being divided into separate national zones. It’s also the only condominium where control alternates rather than being shared simultaneously. This unusual agreement dates back to the mid-17th century. In 1648, the island served as a neutral site for France and Spain to discuss peace in the wake of the Thirty Years’ War. More than a decade later, Louis XIV of France and Philip IV of Spain returned to sign the Treaty of the Pyrenees, which formally ended the Franco-Spanish War. In 1660, Pheasant Island was the site of a ceremony wherein Philip’s daughter, Maria Theresa, crossed the island from Spain into France before marrying Louis XIV to symbolize becoming part of the French royal family. Those events helped establish Pheasant Island as a symbol of peace, and it was decided that the countries would jointly administer it as a gesture of goodwill; this arrangement was formalized as part of the 1856 Treaty of Bayonne. Today, access to the island is largely forbidden, though ceremonies are held biannually to hand over control. Thus far, the island has exchanged hands between France and Spain more than 700 times. The president of France also serves as co-prince of Andorra. In addition to their duties governing France, the incumbent French president serves as co-prince of an entirely different country: Andorra, a microstate nestled between France and Spain. The princely position is shared with the Bishop of Urgell (Urgell is a county located in the Catalonia region of Spain), thus making Andorra the world’s only co-principality. This odd arrangement can be traced back to a treaty signed in 1278, though the role was redefined in 1993, when Andorra unveiled a new national constitution. Today, the co-prince role is largely ceremonial, but either prince can technically enact or veto legislation if they wish. This unique diarchic position has been held by French President Emmanuel Macron since 2017 and Bishop Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat since 2025. Source: A tiny European island changes its nationality every six months.

What's the Word: ARRAS pronunciation: [AR-əs] Part of speech: noun Origin: Late Middle English, unknown Meaning: 1. A rich tapestry, typically hung on the walls of a room or used to conceal an alcove. 2. A town in northeastern France; population 43,663 (2006). In medieval times it was a center for the manufacture of tapestries. Examples: "The castle is rumored to conceal secret passageways behind colorful arras." "While no longer known for tapestries, Arras is still a lovely town to visit in France." About Arras This term came from the French town Arras, which was known for specializing in creating tapestries. Over time, the word came to refer to the tapestries themselves. Did you Know? In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the character Polonius conceals himself behind a tapestry, specifically an arras, to listen in on Hamlet and the Queen’s conversation. In more modern times, the cartoon cast of “Scooby Doo” often conceals themselves behind an arras — usually with humorous results, like leaving legs and feet visible.

Fact of the Day - NICKNAME Did you know.... Because medieval folks loved to rhyme. Margaret has plenty of nicknames that make sense: Marge, Maggie, Margo. And then there’s Peggy, which looks like a better fit for Paige or even Penelope. But upon closer investigation, what seems unconventional actually exemplifies a classic nicknaming convention. Why Is Peggy Short for Margaret? In the Middle Ages and beyond, people created new pet names by rhyming existing ones. Many are still in our regular rotation, like Bill (from Will/William), Bob (from Rob/Robert), and Dick (from Rick/Richard). Others haven’t survived. In The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Elizabeth Gidley Withycombe points out that rhyming nicknames starting with H have especially lacked staying power (she doesn’t hypothesize why). Examples include Hob for Robert, Hick and Hitch for Richard, and even Hibb for Isabel (rhymed from Ib). When the rhyme is based on a nickname that was already substantially altered from the full name, it’s not always obvious how it came to be. The connection can be even cloudier if the original nickname is no longer very common—or it’s now more heavily associated with a different name. That’s the case with Peggy: Margaret begot Meg and Mog, which became Peg(gy) and Pog(gy). These days, since Meg is often short for Megan, we don’t recognize it as the bridge between Margaret and Peggy. But Megan originated as the Welsh version of Margaret. Why Is Polly a Nickname for Mary? A similar thing happened with Polly. Molly began as a nickname for Mary, and people rhymed it to get Polly. Since Molly is now a full name in its own right, we forget that it once bridged Mary and Polly—making Polly seem much more random than it is. (How it became the go-to name for parrots is a whole other story.) Why Is Daisy a Nickname for Margaret? Peggy isn’t the only seemingly random sobriquet for Margaret. There’s also Daisy, which, like Peggy, turns out to have a pretty simple explanation: Marguerite is French for “daisy.” French parents have been naming their daughters Marguerite since the days of Old French; it has roots in a Greek word for “pearl” (which may have a Persian origin). Why Did People Make Up So Many Nicknames? Why this historical obsession with not using your full name? Some scholars have brought up the age-old belief that knowing someone’s true name grants you power over them (think Rumpelstiltskin). That’s all well and good as long as your intentions are pure, but witches, demons, and other evil forces might exploit the knowledge for nefarious purposes; ergo, people may have felt safer going by something else. But it’s hard to believe that a sorcerer couldn’t guess Margaret from Maggie. In all likelihood, these kinds of rhymes and riffs were often just a practicality. During the late medieval period, as surnames gained popularity and European communities became more closely knit, variation in first names shrank dramatically. With only so many monikers in circulation—and with such a big focus on passing names down—your baby Robert wouldn’t be the only Robert around. If one already answered to “Rob” and another to “Bob,” you might start calling yours “Hob” for clarity’s sake. The trend continued long after that era. Take Little Women’s multiple Margarets: Matriarch Margaret March is known as Marmee; eldest daughter Margaret is Meg; and Meg’s daughter is called “Daisy,” as Amy March explains, “so as not to have two Megs.” (Never mind that some characters call Meg March “Daisy” earlier in the story.) Even now, when offbeat names are more common, we still rely on nicknames to differentiate us. Maybe your class had a Katherine, a Katie, a Kate, and a Kat. Maybe you’re a James Jr. who goes by Jimmy. Thankfully, we’ve at least retired the more dreadful medieval offerings: Some Margarets answered to “Maggot.” Source: The Reason Why ‘Peggy’ Is Short for ‘Margaret’

What's the Word: LABELLUM pronunciation: [lə-BEL-əm] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, early 19th century Meaning: 1. (Botany) A central petal at the base of an orchid flower, typically larger than the other petals and of a different shape. 2. (Entomology) Each of a pair of lobes at the tip of the proboscis in some insects. Examples: "Houseflies have a fused proboscis with a _______ at the end." "The labellum on certain species of orchids mimic female wasps, encouraging male wasps to visit." About Labellum Labellum originated in 19th century Latin, and is thought to be a diminutive of the word “labrum” (lip). Did you Know? Butterflies, mosquitoes, and houseflies — what do all these insects have in common? Their mouths, for one thing. Many insects with a proboscis (a long syringe-like tube extended to feed from a source) have a specialized labellum, or pair of lobes, at the base, which they use to drink with.

Fact of the Day - PATENT LEATHER Did you know... It seems fitting that the method of waterproofing leather emerged in rainy England. Before the creation of synthetic plastics, patent leather was made by glazing animal hides with layers of resin-based varnish. The coating protected items like boots and carriage parts from wear and tear—and looked luxurious while doing so. But who invented the process? And does that person actually hold a patent for it? An Old-Timey Recipe for Patent Leather An 1857 issue of Scientific American explained the two-part process of making patent leather in olden times. First, manufacturers concocted an oil with which to prepare the hides for the varnish. It called for boiling five gallons of linseed oil with “four pounds and a few ounces” each of white lead and litharge, a form of lead oxide, until it reached the “consistence of a syrup.” The mixture was then blended with ochre or chalk and rubbed into the animal hide until the leather was sufficiently oiled to prevent the varnish from being absorbed into the material. Next, workers applied five or six coats of the oil mix blended with ivory black, a powdered pigment then made from charred ivory elephant tusks. The result was leather dyed black and ready for the varnish application. Finally, more of the same oil mix was combined with turpentine, copal varnish (made from tree resin), and another pigment for tinted color and applied to the leather, resulting in super-shiny and durable material. Patent leather was commonly used to make aprons and and fittings for carriages and in shoes and boots, though the latter were not without problems. Scientific American blamed the incredible amount of lead used in the manufacturing process for the “prevalence of tender feet, corns, and bunions among those who are in the habit of wearing boots and shoes of this material … persons who so indulge look shiny about the feet at the expense of their health.” Who Holds the Patent for Patent Leather? This concept of coating animal hide with varnish goes back centuries. The earliest published mention of “patent leather” appeared in a collection of British excise statutes in 1797, but other publications of the time describe similar materials or processes. A 1793 issue of The Bee, or Literary Weekly Intelligencer cited a Birmingham man who invented a process for making leather waterproof, and if it became soiled, “require[d] only to be wiped with a spunge [sic] to restore it to its original lustre.” In 1799, an almanac credited the London-based leather-seller Edmund Prior for patenting a “method of painting and colouring all kinds of leather.” The person most often associated with bringing these inventions to America is Seth Boyden. The New Jersey-based engineer developed a way to apply lacquer to leather based on the descriptions of the British processes in 1819, and then set up a factory in Newark to mass-produce patent leather. Boyden didn’t limit himself to such materials, though; he also invented malleable cast iron, built steam locomotives, joined the California Gold Rush but failed to find gold, and even developed hybrid strawberries that won awards at the 1876 Centennial Exposition. Ironically, Boyden never patented any of these inventions, even his successful manufacture of patent leather. The only patent he ever held was one for a hat-forming machine unrelated to his leather-lacquering innovation. Source: What Exactly Is Patent Leather—And Is It Actually Patented?

Fact of the Day - SEAGULL SCREECHING Did you know... Anyone who’s ever had a french fry stolen at the beach can personally relate to humans’ contentious relationship with seagulls. Gulls are scavengers, and yet despite their peskiness, there’s something endearing about them too. It’s in this spirit that Belgium launched a new tradition in honor of the birds: a seagull screeching contest. To impress the panel of five judges, entrants must perform their best impression of the seabirds by not only imitating their distinctive vocalization but also dressing up accordingly. Each judge can award as many as 20 points — 15 for screeching and five for behavior — for a maximum of 100 per contestant. The contest is divided into three categories: one for adults, one for juniors 16 and under, and one for “colonies” (groups). The event was created by educator and comedian Claude Willaert, who wanted not only to ease what he described to The New York Times as the “friction” between gulls and humans in Belgium, but also to “make seagulls sexy again” because they “really deserve to have a positive image.” To get a sense of what it takes to win, look no further than Anna Brynald, who won the adult category in 2025, apparently impressing judges with her white-and-yellow face paint, white feather boa, and winglike cape. Belgium once went 652 days without a government. No one ever said federal constitutional monarchies are easy, especially when they’re divided among three levels: the federal government, three language-based communities (French, Flemish, and German), and three regions (Flanders, Brussels-Capital, and Wallonia). With that in mind, it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that Belgium once went 652 days without a fully functioning government — a record that surpassed the previous mark also set by the northwestern European country. This administrative gap began in December 2018, when the existing federal government collapsed and was replaced by an interim government that was meant to last until May of the following year. (The regional and communal governments were unaffected.) Because the situation took longer to resolve than expected, the interim government remained in place until October 2020. Alexander De Croo became the country’s prime minister, a position he held until February 2025. Source: Belgium has an annual seagull screeching contest.

Fact of the Day - SALTY OCEANS Did you know... Some parts of the ocean are saltier than a bucket of boardwalk fries—but why? Anyone who's been knocked over by a wave at the beach knows that the ocean tastes like salt. This is true whether you swallow a mouthful of seawater off the coast of Queensland or the Jersey Shore. The ocean’s salinity is one of the defining features separating it from freshwater bodies like lakes and rivers. But what is it exactly that makes the ocean saltier than a bucket of boardwalk fries? What Is Salt, Exactly? Let’s start with what salt is and where it comes from. Chemically speaking, a salt is a compound composed of two groups of oppositely charged ions. When an atom contains more protons than electrons, it becomes a positively charged ion. Atoms with more electrons than protons are negative ions, or anions. Atoms with opposite charges attract one another to form chemical compounds. The chemical composition of table salt is sodium chloride, with sodium being the positive ion and chloride being the negative one. Sodium and chloride also make up most salt in the ocean, but they're not the only minerals contributing to the sea’s salinity. “Salt in the ocean isn’t just sodium and chloride—it's a mixture of a bunch of ions like magnesium and calcium as well, most of which start out as rocks on land,” Dr. Morgan Raven, an organic geochemist and geobiologist and associate professor of Earth science at the University of California Santa Barbara, tells Mental Floss. Sources of the Oceans’ Salt Most of the ocean’s salt comes from rocks. The dissolved carbon dioxide in rainwater makes it slightly acidic, and when rain falls, it erodes rocks on land. Minerals from these rocks leach into rivers and streams, which then carry the salts into the ocean. About 85 percent of the ocean’s ions are sodium and chloride, while magnesium and sulfate make up around 10 percent. Not all salt that ends up in the ocean stays there. Salt is a life-sustaining substance, and a lot of the ocean’s salt is consumed by animals. But thanks to a steady supply of runoff from the surface, salinity levels are able to remain fairly constant. The ocean can count on one more source for its salt content: hydrothermal fluids. Deep-sea vents are heated by magma from beneath the Earth’s crust, and they get hot enough to cause chemical reactions between seawater and minerals from the surrounding rocks. Underwater volcanoes are another example of hot rocks and water adding more salt to the sea. Saltwater vs. Freshwater Every part of the ocean is salty, but just how salty varies depending on where in the world you are. “One of the reasons that oceanographers love to use salinity to study the ocean is that there are only a few ways that it can change, and they all happen at either the ocean surface or the sea floor,” Raven says. “For example, surface water in the Mediterranean Sea is saltier than the equatorial Pacific because enhanced evaporation in a dry climate concentrates salt, while rain at the equator dilutes salt.” Salinity isn’t inherent to seawater. It’s the result of a steady give-and-take of ions entering and leaving the ocean. This same process occurs in other bodies of water, but the ion intake isn’t always high enough to make the water truly salty. That’s why the rivers and streams that deliver salt to the ocean are still considered freshwater: Dilution from the rain tends to offset whatever ions they carry. The ocean, meanwhile, acts as the dumping ground for the world’s salt, and no amount of dilution can change that. Source: Why Are Oceans Salty?

What's the Word: HECTARE pronunciation: [HEK-tair] Part of speech: noun Origin: French, 19th century Meaning: 1. A metric unit of square measure, equal to 100 ares (which equals 2.471 acres or 10,000 square meters). Examples: "A hectare is equivalent to two U.S. football fields aligned vertically." "Along with the house, Megan inherited an operating 3-hectare beet farm." About Hectar “Hectare” is a loanword from French, where it was created by merging the ancient Greek “ἑκατόν” (“hekatón,” meaning “hundred”) with “are,” from the Latin for “piece of level ground” (“area”). In English, “are” is a historical unit of measure equivalent to 100 square meters. Did you Know? A hectare is equal to 10,000 square meters or 2.471 acres, but that’s not an easy measurement to visualize. Here's a better way to understand it: An American football field is roughly half a hectare, so a hectare is like two football fields side by side, with no room in the middle for fans, concessions, or sidelines. Bringing the stadium into the equation changes things. While its football field is only half a hectare, Michigan Stadium at the University of Michigan (nicknamed “The Big House”) occupies more than 5 hectares in total.

Fact of the day - SWIMMING IN LAKES Did you know... Swimming in lakes (or any wild water) has its risks. When in doubt, check local advisories and trust your senses. And if the water looks or smells off, you might have better luck sticking to land. For many, a trip to the lake with family or friends is a summer highlight. There’s nothing quite like soaking up the sun and then taking a dip in the lake to cool off. But sometimes the water can look a bit … intimidating. Maybe the water’s a bit murky, you see some fish swimming around, or you feel something tickling at your ankle. Or maybe you’ve read one too many stories about the brain-eating amoeba. It can make you wonder: Is a quick dip in the lake actually all that safe? The answer is, well, sometimes. Here’s what to know before you wade in, and how to swim safely when you do. Why Is It Risky to Swim in Natural Bodies of Water? Any natural body of water—whether that be a lake, river, or even an ocean—comes with its risks. This is primarily because they aren’t disinfected like swimming pools. That means they can harbor bacteria, parasites, viruses, and creepy crawlies of all types. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one of the biggest concerns is fecal contamination. Germs from animal waste and untreated sewage can enter swimming areas through drains or pipes. Unsurprisingly, this can lead to serious illnesses if swallowed or introduced through open cuts. Lakes specifically tend to hold onto pollutants longer than rivers or oceans because they’re relatively still. There’s no tide to flush the bacteria away, which means any contamination lingers. How Rare Is the Brain Eating Amoeba? Lakes specifically tend to hold onto pollutants longer than rivers or oceans because they’re relatively still. There’s no tide to flush the bacteria away, which means any contamination lingers. How Rare Is the Brain Eating Amoeba? Naegleria fowleri—a.k.a. the “brain-eating amoeba”—can be found in freshwater bodies of water and soil all over the Earth. The amoeba can cause a fatal infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) if it enters a person’s brain. It’s a very rare condition—according to the CDC, there were 164 known cases of people in the United States contracting PAM between 1962 to 2023. Warning Signs to Watch For Before diving into the lake with your buddies, do a quick safety check: Is the water cloudy, discolored, or smelly? That could signal bacterial overgrowth or problematic algae. Have there been recent storms? Try to avoid swimming within 24–48 hours of heavy rainfall. Are there visible pipes nearby? Pipes emptying into a waterway could be draining pollutants. Do you have an open wound, a healing piercing, or tattoo? Germs in the water can enter your body through broken skin. Is there an advisory posted? Many swimming areas monitor water quality and will post notices if bacteria levels are unsafe. If any of the above apply, it’s probably best to stay on land and admire the water from a distance. How to Swim Safely in Wild Water If you go through that list and things seem to check out, there are still extra precautions you can take to have the cleanest, safest experience possible. Don’t swallow the water—no matter how clear it may look. Avoid stirring up sand and sediment, and try to keep your head above water. Wear water shoes to protect your feet from getting cut on rocks or other debris. Check yourself for any cuts, scrapes, or other wounds before entering the water. Once you’re done swimming, plan to rinse yourself off with clean water (a quick shower would work, but so would spraying yourself with a hose). You should also follow basic water safety advice: Never swim alone, and make sure any children are closely supervised. Pay attention to any warning or safety signs. Avoid entering the water while drunk or under the influence of drugs. Never swim during a thunderstorm. When in doubt, wear a life vest or simply stick to safely dipping your toes in from the shore. Source: Is It Actually Safe to Swim in Lakes?

Fact of the Day - PEPSI Did you know.... For the most part, the world’s largest navies are held by the nations you’d expect, with the United States, China, and Russia all at the top of the list. For a brief time in 1989, however, the sixth-largest naval fleet was controlled not by a country but by a company: Pepsi. This wasn’t because the soft drink manufacturer was bent on global domination — rather, it had to do with its unique status as the first American product to be manufactured and sold in the Soviet Union, starting in 1972. Because the ruble had no value outside the USSR and couldn’t be exchanged for other currencies, however, a barter system was instituted whereby PepsiCo instead received Stolichnaya vodka, which it then sold in the U.S. and other markets. This mutually beneficial arrangement came to an end in 1989, when Pepsi received a much different form of payment: millions of dollars’ worth of warships (17 submarines, a frigate, a cruiser, and a destroyer). Though the company quickly sold the vessels — all of which were either decommissioned or in disrepair — to a Norwegian shipbreaker for scrap metal without ever actually taking possession of the ships, Pepsi technically owned a larger naval fleet than the likes of Spain and Australia for a very brief moment in time. Pepsi’s special relationship with the Soviet Union dissolved along with the USSR itself in 1991. No one knows what the 7 in 7UP means. 7UP got off to a rough start for two reasons: The first is that it was first introduced just two weeks before the 1929 stock market crash, a hurdle it clearly overcame in time. The other is what’s reported to have been its original name: “Seven-Up Lithiated Lemon Soda.” Part of that ungainly — and possibly mythical — moniker was owed to the fact that it contained the mood-stabilizing substance lithium citrate, which allowed it to be marketed as a means of lifting one’s spirits and even curing hangovers. The name is said to have been shortened to “7 Up Lithiated Soda” before becoming simply “7UP” in 1936, and lithium was removed from the recipe in 1948 due to safety concerns. The name’s meaning and origins are still debated nearly a century later, with several theories having been proposed (and usually shot down) in the interim: that it originally contained seven ingredients, that it was sold in 7-ounce cans, and that “Seven Up” has seven letters. As no official explanation has ever been given, the mystery lives on. Source: Pepsi once technically had the world’s sixth-largest naval fleet.

What's the Word: CATASTASIS pronunciation: [kə-TAS-tə-sis] Part of speech: noun Origin: Greek, mid-17th century Meaning: 1. The third part of an ancient Greek drama, in which the action is heightened for the catastrophe. Examples: "The relationships between the characters in the play grew more complex as it reached its catastasis." "Antoine announced, as though it was the catastasis of a Greek drama, that he planned to abstain from carbs for the entire month." About Catastasis “Catastasis” is taken from the ancient Greek “katástasis,” meaning “settling” or “appointment.” Did you Know? “Catastasis” can mean two things: In modern rhetoric, it refers to the part of a speech that lays out the subject and core argument. But in ancient Greek theater traditions, the term referred to the point in a drama when the action moved toward the catastrophe, the dramatic event through which the plot would resolve. In a play, the catastasis occurs toward the end, while in a speech it occurs first. In both cases, however, the catastasis determines the resolution.

Fact of the Day - ROCKY ROAD ICE CREAM Did you know.... Many brands have laid claim to the origin of Rocky Road, but a Kansan cookbook might disprove them all. Along with mint chocolate chip, butter pecan, and cookies and cream (and perpetual stalwarts chocolate and vanilla), Rocky Road is one of America’s favorite ice cream flavors. The fun, decadent dessert combines chocolate ice cream with marshmallows and nuts (usually almonds) to create a delightful, frozen masterpiece. Although it’s clear that Rocky Road is a popular flavor, exactly who invented it depends on who you ask. A Nutty Idea In 1906, a man named William Dreyer came to the U.S. from Germany. After a time in New York, he moved to California to learn the art of making ice cream, and in 1921, he opened an ice cream shop in Visalia, California. By 1929, he had teamed up with Joseph Edy, a candy maker, to start an ice cream and candy company in Oakland, California. Dreyer reportedly used his wife’s sewing scissors to cut up pieces of marshmallow and walnuts, then added them to chocolate ice cream. Dreyer and Edy supposedly replaced the walnuts with almonds and dubbed the flavor Rocky Road, alluding to the October 1929 stock market crash’s tumultuous effect on the economy. Edy and Dreyer parted ways in 1947; the company was named after Dreyer. But as they started expanding across the country, they ran into difficulties with the east coast brand Breyers. After some legal wrangling, it was agreed that Dreyer's would enter these new markets under the Edy’s name. They have the same flavors, packaging, and brand identity, but Dreyer’s is mostly sold in the western United States while Edy’s is sold in the midwest and east. Who Really Invented Rocky Road Ice Cream? The story doesn’t stop with Edy’s and Dreyer’s, though. Another Oakland ice cream shop claims to be the inventor of Rocky Road. In 1894, Eldridge Seth Fenton founded Fentons Creamery, and according to Fentons, Eldridge Seth’s grandson, Melvin Fenton, is responsible for creating Rocky Road [PDF], as well as Swiss Milk Chocolate and Toasted Almond. Fentons Creamery is still around today; in addition to ice cream, it serves burgers, hot dogs, and salads. To further complicate matters, multiple sources claim that George Farren, a candy maker working at Fentons, is the true inventor of Rocky Road. Farren was friends with Dreyer and Edy, and that story goes that he blended a chocolate candy bar made with walnuts and marshmallows into ice cream, creating a Rocky Road flavor. Dreyer liked Farren’s idea and allegedly stole it, replacing the walnuts with almonds. However, the first known recipe for Rocky Road originated not in California, but in Kansas. Several editions of Rigby’s Reliable Candy Teacher were published by W. O. and Fred Rigby beginning in 1909. For the 13th edition, copyrighted in 1920, they included a recipe for “Rocky Road,” which is a little weirder than today’s version, but very similar in key details: “Place a dish of chocolate ice cream in a sundae cup and over it pour a ladle of honey creme whip. Mix a few broken almond macaroons in with the whip and scatter whole pecans and walnuts lightly over sides. Top with a cherry.” If the 1920 copyright date is correct, that would leave Dreyer’s claim in tatters, as Dreyer had yet to even open his first ice creamery, much less partner with Edy. It would also damage Farren’s claim to ownership, because by 1920 the concoction had to be known enough to appear in a book from the midwest—and as such Dreyer and Edy wouldn’t have needed to steal it directly from him. As for Fentons’ claim, they’re vague as to when their invention occurred, and again, the Kansas connection is an odd one. But no matter who invented Rocky Road, one thing’s for sure: You can’t go wrong with the timeless, utterly delicious flavor. Source: The Conflicting Stories Behind The Invention of Rocky Road Ice Cream

What's the Word: CONCORD pronunciation: [kahNG-kord] Part of speech: noun Origin: French, 14th century Meaning: 1. Agreement or harmony between people or groups. 2. A chord that is pleasing or satisfactory in itself. Examples: "The two sides of the case reached a concord in mediation." "Jerry played a variety of concords on his Gibson guitar." About Concord This is a Middle English word from the Old French “concorde.” That stems from the Latin “concordia,” from “concors,” meaning “of one mind.” “Con-“ means “together,” and “cord-“ comes from the Latin “cor,” meaning “heart.” Did you Know? Another use for “concord” is via the Concord grape, a dessert grape developed in Concord, Massachusetts. It’s a versatile grape used for wine, juice, table grapes, jelly, and more.

Fact of the Day - HAWAIIAN ALPHABET Did you know.... Less is more in the Hawaiian alphabet, which consists of just 13 letters: A, E, I, O, U, H, K, L, M, N, P, W, and the ‘okina, which represents the glottal stop consonant — a sound produced by the abrupt obstruction of airflow in the vocal tract. Known as ka pīʻāpā Hawaiʻi in Hawaiian, the alphabet traditionally lists the five vowels first and also includes the kahakō, a bar above vowels that indicates an elongated vowel sound. When British explorer James Cook made the first known European expedition to the Hawaiian islands in 1778, he spelled the islands’ name as both “Owhyhee” and “Owhyee.” Hawaiian was purely an oral language at the time; its written form wasn’t formalized until American missionary Elisha Loomis printed a primer titled simply “The Alphabet” in 1822. This written alphabet initially consisted of 21 letters before being standardized in 1826, although four of the original letters (F, G, S, and Y) were included only for the purpose of spelling foreign words. Other letters — B, R, T, and V — were excised because they were considered interchangeable with existing letters. By 1834, Hawaii's literacy rate was estimated to be between 90% and 95%, one of the highest in the world at the time. But the Hawaiian language declined in usage after 1896, when Act 57 of the Laws of the Republic of Hawaii made English the “medium and basis of instruction” for all schools, after which schoolchildren were sometimes even punished for speaking Hawaiian. The language has seen a resurgence since the 1970s, with several groups working toward preserving it. Hawaii was an independent kingdom for nearly a century. Six years after George Washington became the first president of the United States, another ruler came into power on the other side of the Pacific: Kamehameha I, who established the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1795 by conquering the islands of Maui, Moloka‘i, O‘ahu, and Lāna‘i. Kauaʻi and Niʻihau joined willingly 15 years later, making every inhabited island part of the kingdom. The House of Kamehameha reigned until 1874, when the House of Kalākaua came into power. The kingdom was overthrown in 1893 by the United States, which the U.S. officially acknowledged a century later with 1993’s Apology Resolution. The joint resolution acknowledged that “the Indigenous Hawaiian people never directly relinquished their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people or over their national lands to the United States.” The Hawaiian sovereignty movement continues to this day. Source: The Hawaiian alphabet has only 13 letters.

What's the Word: PHLEGMATIC pronunciation: [fleg-MAD-ik] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Greek, 14th century Meaning: 1. Having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition. Examples: "Patrick’s phlegmatic temperament means he doesn’t anger easily." "Some people mask their emotions with a phlegmatic exterior." About Phlegmatic This word originates from the Old French “fleumatique,” which derives from the Greek “phlegmatikos,” meaning “inflammation.” Did you Know? The phrase “stiff upper lip” is British, but the phlegmatic philosophy is actually rooted in ancient Greece. The Spartans developed a strict culture of discipline that sparked inspiration for the English public school system.

Fact of the Day - GREAT WHITE SHARK Did you know... The white belly of a great white shark serves a surprisingly useful purpose. Even if you’ve never had the dangerous experience of encountering a great white up close, you likely recognize the shark from movies like Jaws (1975) and Finding Nemo (2003). The predator is known for its menacing dorsal fin, rows of serrated teeth, and glassy black eyes. Their namesake white bellies are also part of their iconic look. Besides being distinctive, what purpose does the shading serve? The evolutionary advantage of the great white shark’s pale underside come down to camouflage. If you were to look up from beneath the fish—a terrifying image that’s necessary for this explanation—you’d notice that it blends in with the sunlight on the water’s surface. Similarly, a great white sports a dark gray upper body because it matches the darkness of the sea when viewed from above. This coloring is called countershading, and it allows the shark to blend in with its surroundings, hiding in plain sight from both prey and predators. Other marine animals with such coloring include penguins, whales, dolphins, and many fish. While great whites occupy the top of the food chain, they’re not totally without predators. There have been reports of orcas hunting the fish. One weakness of great whites is their tendency to enter a state of tonic immobility, characterized by inertness and semi-consciousness, when flipped upside down. Some killer whales are apparently aware of this and use it to their advantage when hunting great whites. One onlooker even caught the hunting tactic on camera in 1997, when an orca dragged a stunned shark around before eating just its liver. Great white shark livers are rich in fat and nutrients, making them a tasty treat and high-value food source for orcas. Smaller great whites also have to worry about becoming food for their larger counterparts. However, the number-one predator of these fish is humans. Shark fishing, accidental ship crashes, and getting caught as bycatch in fishing nets are some of the greatest threats facing the species. Here’s another big question concerning great whites: Why aren’t they usually found in aquariums? It turns out that they just aren’t suited for living within glass walls. You can read more about it here. Source: Why Do Great White Sharks Have White Bellies?

Watched through Erased with @Dave55811 and @Starwind55. I had seen it before, but I think it was Dave's first watch. Holds up better than expected, I actually liked it better than my 1st viewing which is rare. We also wrapped up InuYasha at some point early this year + The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War. That one was average at best, very low budget at times. It's sort of necessary backstory for Cold Steel III, but not as important as I'd hoped.

Fact of the Day - ICEBERG LETTUCE Did you know..... Theories abound as to why we named our most reliably bland greens after icy formations. Film director John Waters once dubbed iceberg lettuce “the polyester of greens.” It’s not difficult to understand why: Crisp but bland and lacking the same nutritional profile as other vegetables, iceberg lettuce is often regarded as a last resort for salads. It’s probably better tolerated in hamburgers or BLTs. Only a wedge salad, where the head is left partially intact, seems to be welcome in fine dining establishments. But let’s table the debate over its merits for a moment. Why is it known as iceberg lettuce? Tip of the Iceberg According to the culinary magazine Saveur, the modern branding of iceberg lettuce was the work of W. Atlee Burpee & Co., a Philadelphia-based seed distributor, in the 1890s. The vegetable belongs to a family of lettuces known as “crisphead,” derived from Batavia lettuce, which was a similarly bulbous and leafy variety. But iceberg was crispier, had more leaves, and sported a durable outer “shell.” A sturdy ball of lettuce was surprisingly valuable. Most lettuce grown in the United States originated in California, and from there it was shipped via railroad to other parts of the country. Taste wasn't necessarily a priority: A lettuce head that could simply survive the trip was paramount. Iceberg had tough leaves that refused to wilt easily, especially when compared to other soggy, frail greens that went bad more quickly. It was also available year-round. The result? A seemingly exotic vegetable. “California iceberg lettuce,” one 1891 newspaper ad that ran in Wisconsin read. It cost 12 cents per head. Traveling well is where the origins of the name iceberg may have come from, though that’s somewhat in dispute. One theory has it that iceberg was so named because it was shipped on mounds of ice, a necessary cooling procedure before refrigerated transport became commonplace. But that may be apocryphal. Helen Rosner, a New Yorker contributor and iceberg apologist, bluntly assessed this as “pure American horsesh*t,” a tall tale spun for publicity purposes by Depression-era farmers. In speaking with Saveur, Burpee CEO George Ball offered another explanation: Iceberg refers to the white(ish) color of the outer leaves and its crunchy texture, not the ice it was packed in. That’s bolstered by some of the early descriptions of the lettuce. In an 1895 ad for iceberg lettuce seeds, Cole’s Seed Store of Pella, Iowa, wrote: “ … [the leaves] have small indents, which are constantly filled with dew-drops. They are thus kept fresh, and show a remarkably crystalline appearance, which well warrants the name of iceberg.” Further refinements to the lettuce were made, and by the 1940s, lettuce science had improved to the point where one type of crisphead was cross-bred with another variety, dubbed brittle-ice, to create the super-crisp iceberg we’re familiar with. Because it was easy to ship and slow to wilt, iceberg became the predominant type of lettuce consumed by Americans for decades. Breaking the Ice Trouble came in the form of the growing influence of celebrity chefs like Julia Child in the 1960s, who shirked iceberg for more flavorful greens like romaine and arugula. Later, the emergence of pre-bagged salad mixes that kept fresher for longer made room for other types of lettuce to get a seat at the table. Coupled with an increasingly health-conscious society, iceberg was unseated as the only lettuce game in town. Does iceberg deserve the bad rap? By some estimates, it does have a lower nutritional profile—perhaps as little as 5 percent of what other greens pack in. But for people who want to add some crunch to a salad or sandwich, that may not matter. Some even choose to grill or pickle the leaves, though that may defeat iceberg’s true purpose: to remain reliably bland, the polyester of greens. Source: Why Is It Called “Iceberg” Lettuce?

What's the Word: COPYBOOK pronunciation: [KA-pee-book] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Old French and Old English, date unknown Meaning: 1. Exactly in accordance with established criteria; perfect. 2. Tritely conventional. Examples: "Tony did a copybook landing in the flight simulator." "Trina spoke in copybook inspirational quotes." About Copybook “Copy” comes from the Old French “copier” and directly from the Medieval Latin “copiare,” meaning “to transcribe.” “Book” stems from the Old English “boc,” meaning “book, writing, written document.” Did you Know? While the adjective means “exactly perfect,” the noun form describes an old-fashioned book of handwriting to learn from. Good penmanship was considered a key business skill in the 18th century, so copybooks of the time were often geared toward those wishing to learn business skills. They included chapters on accounting and business management. Students also learned from geography copybooks, where they were asked to copy names onto unlabeled maps, and then copy entire maps onto a latitude/longitude grid.

The first disc definitely feels more linear and story driven than later discs once the game opens up and the story kind of comes to a standstill for a while because you start roaming around for the various minigames, treasure hunts, and backtracking all over the map. The Chocobo Hot & Cold minigame was annoying at first but it kind of grew on me a bit by the end. Hunting for the Chocographs was rather annoying at times, especially when none were popping up for nearly an hour... But once I found them all it was a cinch to hunt the world map for the treasure and the rewards for doing so greet you with a lot of the best gear in the game. Then you gotta hunt over the world map once again to find all the beaches for the Fat Chocobo sidequest. And then the whole Kupo Nut thing where you can only hold one at a time so you gotta ensure you don't deliver any mail to a moogle until you've ran back to deliver the Kupo Nut you're currently holding, only to once again run back there to deliver the new Kupo Nut as well. The ending to the game does seem somewhat rushed in the end and then the final boss literally comes out of no where... There was never any mention of him or anything that I'm aware of. He just shows up and is the final boss. Then the credits roll and you get a short extra scene that is suppose to close things off but ends up leaving you wanting more and having a lot of questions that obviously never get answered making the ending as a whole feel underwhelming. And unfortunately there's no New Game+ system to replay the game starting off with all the gear you've grinded for... and a lot of the late game gear underperforms to the stuff you already found from the minigames... Or you're hitting the damage cap anyways with weaker gear so it's like what does the higher numbers even do at this point ya know? It doesn't help when the highest HP boss in the game only has like 55,000 HP, yet every character hits for 9,999 by that point. Hard mode whats that? Am I right? lmao. The game is a breeze if you do everything. Even the superboss Ozma, only managed to one shot two characters before I took him out without ever requiring healing or playing defensively. Simply running with the Attack button on physical characters and going with Flare on Vivi and Bahamut on Dagger is a strategy that works on everything by the time you get them until the end of the game. Amarant is still easily the worst of the party members and his growth as a character happens painfully slow and by the end you're questioning if he's actually changed at all or if it was surface level. The card game in FF9 was absolutely pointless. Other than the tournament in Treno you can go the entire game without playing it. The rewards for playing it are solely cards your opponent used that you beat in the game and you never are required to play it again past the tournament. So the only reason to play it more than that is if you either want to collect every card or if you're going for the 100 wins achievement. In the end I got the achievement but I didn't get every card. There is 100 different card types in the game, and by default you can only have 100 cards, so you're only able to keep 1 of each card if you want to collect them all. I think I got somewhere around 68 of the cards but I couldn't be bothered to try to collect them all as it'd entail finding select people to battle that hold whatever card I needed and then playing them over and over until I won a game while having taken over said card in the duel... and I just didn't care. The actual battles in the card game have a degree of randomness involved in the math determining which card comes out on top and it's just very annoying. FF8's card game was infinitely superior. In the end, I loved my time with the game all the way to the end... and I still rank FF9 as my second favorite of the series. FF4 being my absolute favorite for the story and characters, I've played both the 2D and the 3D versions of that one... Some day I'll Play FF4 Interlude and FF4 The After Years. Despite FF4 being my favorite I've never played those.