Fact of the Day

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - 1 MILLION INHABITANTS

Did you know.... Today, Tokyo is the world’s largest city by population, with more than 37 million residents, but long before the Japanese metropolis took that honor, there was another record-holder: Rome. The ancient city was the world’s largest back in 133 BCE, when it became the first city to reach 1 million inhabitants. 

 

Everyday life in ancient Rome was largely dictated by wealth: Affluent residents lived in finely decorated townhouses (and often had countryside estates for trips out of the city), while lower-income citizens resided in apartment-like buildings called insulae. But all social classes enjoyed the perks of living in a major city, including fresh water piped in from aqueducts, and the availability of markets, entertainment, and even food stalls that served quick meals. Rome’s population eventually declined as the Roman Empire fell, yet no city surpassed its record population for millennia — that is, until London became the world’s largest city, with 1 million people in 1800 and more than 6 million people by 1810.

 

Two-thirds of the world’s population will likely live in a city by 2050.
Modern human societies haven’t always gravitated toward city life — in the 1800s, only 3% of the world’s population lived in a metropolis. That changed with the Industrial Revolution, which drew large numbers of workers to cities, and today, 80% of Americans live in an urban environment, a trend that’s echoed around the globe and not expected to decrease. In fact, a United Nations report from 2018 predicts that two out of every three people will live in a city by 2050. Many of the globe’s busiest cities will continue to grow, and some will become megacities — areas with more than 10 million people — creating the potential for some cities to become more important than countries, changing maps and impacting economies.

 

 

Source: Rome was the first city to reach 1 million inhabitants.

Edited Thursday at 08:53 PM by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - SCORPION VENOM

Did you know... Most rational people are inclined to leave scorpions well enough alone, given those stinger-tipped tails that administer venom capable of paralyzing their prey (and worse). Yet there are certain intrepid souls willing to brave the dangers and coax these arachnids into unleashing their toxins, for the simple reason that scorpion venom can sell for as much as $39 million per gallon. 

 

Who actually dishes out the dough for this potent liquid? The medical industry, as venom from scorpions, spiders, vipers, and an array of other creatures has been found to provide compounds with surprising health benefits for humans. The venom of the deathstalker scorpion, for example, contains a peptide called chlorotoxin, which can pinpoint the location of aggressive brain tumors. Another species, the Diplocentrus melici, produces venom with 1,4-benzoquinone compounds that kill highly infectious bacteria, including the strains that cause tuberculosis.

 

Unsurprisingly, the monster dollar signs linked to this particular field have inspired a sub-industry of scorpion farmers and breeders, some of which are endangering scorpion populations. Insiders caution against getting involved for the money, though: For one thing, the venom has to be “milked” in absolutely sterile conditions; it’s a laborious process to do so, and the minute amounts that change hands between buyers and sellers aren’t going to pay off anyone’s mortgage. Additionally, many labs have turned to synthesized versions of the isolated compounds needed for their research. 

 

Antimatter is the most expensive substance on Earth.
If you think scorpion venom costs a pretty penny, then imagine the payment plan you’d need to meet the $2.7 quadrillion price tag for one gram of antimatter. As you may recall from high school physics, antimatter is a substance that has the opposite electric charge of the ordinary matter that fills up most of our universe; because naturally occurring antimatter detonates upon contact with regular matter, the only way to obtain it for a significant length of time is by way of high-speed collisions generated by immensely powerful and expensive particle accelerators (currently only available at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research). So what purpose does this elusive material serve? The observation of antimatter production has been used for medical radio imaging, and it’s been speculated that the energy created by matter-antimatter collisions could be harnessed for space travel. Otherwise, the practical applications are pretty minimal, as fascinating as it is for scientists to study.

 

 

Source: Scorpion venom is among the most expensive liquids on the market.

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - WHY? WHY? WHY?

Did you know... Answering the same question over and over and over again can get grating. But there are important developmental reasons behind why young children are so into asking “why.” 

If you’ve ever spent time with a preschooler, you’ve probably been hit with the famous barrage: “Why is the sky blue?” “Why do dogs bark?” “Why can’t I eat cookies for breakfast?”

 

Before you can finish one answer, they’re on to the next. It’s adorable … until you’ve fielded your 107th question of the hour (and that’s no exaggeration—one study found that kids between 14 months and 5 years old ask an average of 107 questions per hour). So what’s behind kids’ obsession with asking “why?” We explain below.

 

New Connections in the Making
Around age 2 or 3, kids’ brains start making new connections at lightning speed. They’re piecing together how the world works—and once they learn that adults can give them the information they want on demand, they lean into it.

 

Asking “why” helps them link cause and effect—something they start learning at a very young age. It’s their way of saying, “Wait, so if this happens, does that mean that will too?” Every answer you give builds another block in their mental Lego tower.

 

Why Asking “Why” Is So Important
Parents sometimes assume kids fire off “why” questions just to stay in the spotlight. But psychologists say it’s more than that. Kids are genuinely trying to understand the world, and your explanations give them comfort.

 

Think about it: for most people, when they know what’s coming next, they’ll often feel less anxious. The same goes for kids. By asking “why,” they’re learning how to predict what happens in their ever-expanding little universe; this helps them feel safer and more confident.

 

Sometimes, “why” isn’t really about the answer at all. It’s about sharing excitement. If your child spots a butterfly and asks, “Why is it orange?”, they might already have a theory. But really, they’re saying, “Hey, I noticed this cool thing, will you notice it with me?”

 

How to Respond When Your Kid Won’t Stop Asking “Why”
The constant questioning can be exhausting. But it’s also a sign of a healthy, curious, imaginative mind at work. That shared back-and-forth builds self-esteem.

 

 

Rather than shutting down the endless barrage of questions, try prompting them to figure out the answer. A simple “you tell me” or “why do you think?” can help a child come up with an explanation on their own. 

 

Be mindful of your tone and body language—as frustrating as answering the same question over and over again can be, you don’t want to discourage your kid from being curious. And, if you really need a break, you can always tell your kid you’ll answer their question at a later time.

 

If your kid does happen to ask a question that leaves you truly stumped, you can use it as an opportunity to learn something new together.

 

 

Source: Why Do Little Kids Love to Ask “Why”?

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - FAKE SPIDER WEBS

Did you know.... Along with jack o’ lanterns, skeletons, and ghosts, spider webs are a classic part of creepy Halloween décor. But the spooky faux webs can be more dangerous than they appear.

 

Now that the warm, sunny days of summer have wound down and been replaced by cooler temperatures, changing leaves, and pumpkin spice lattes, many will get the urge to bust out their Halloween decorations and string those creepy-looking artificial spider webs around their yards. And though fall is certainly the time for spooky décor, those fake spider webs can turn into a truly scary situation for birds, bees, and other wildlife. 

 

The Hazards of Fake Spider Webs as Halloween Décor
Artificial spider webs are made out of dense cotton, PVC, or other artificial fibers. The stretchy structures don’t break readily and can be difficult for animals to see at night or in low light conditions; this makes it easy for small creatures to fly or walk into them and become stuck. There have been many reports of birds trapped in their fibers, leading to broken limbs and even death.

 

 

Some birds have even been spotted using the artificial material to make their nests—and though a nest decked out in Halloween décor sounds cute, it can potentially trap or harm their chicks. Bees, chipmunks, and other small animals can also become stuck and injured in the webbing.

 

If the risk to animals isn’t enough of a reason to not use artificial webbing, the fake spider webs are also highly flammable. There’s always an uptick in fires around Halloween, often due candles and overheating lights (plus, in certain places, some good old fashioned arson). If the artificial webs catch fire, the blaze could ignite and spread quickly throughout your yard and home.

 

Alternatives to Artificial Spider Webs
If you want to ditch the dangerous material but don’t want to say goodbye to an arachnid-themed display, there are some safer, eco-friendly solutions to choose from when adding fake spider webs to your Halloween décor. 

 

You can simply display the fake webs inside your home (making sure you don’t hang them too close to any candles or hot light bulbs, of course). Just drape the webs in window frames, on mirrors, and across doorways.

 

Alternatively, you could make fake spider webs of all sizes out of rope and knots; these won’t present a danger to the non-human creatures in your neighborhood. Another safe-for-wildlife web decoration option is to make them out of paper. For a really eye-catching fake web, try making your own dramatic DIY light-up web using some simple supplies and string lights, or simply purchase a pre-made one.

 

 

Source: Why You Shouldn’t Put Out Fake Spider Webs This Halloween

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - FINGERPRINTS

Did you know... Fingerprints are one of the few parts of the human body that generally never change — in some cases, even after thousands of years. Scientists who study ancient civilizations by way of mummified remains can attest: Mummies have fingerprints. But how? 

 

Mummification works by drying out soft tissue such as skin, halting decomposition and preserving the body, fingerprints included. Recovering the fingertip impressions isn’t easy, but it is possible; the job requires soaking or injecting mummified hands with hydrating solutions that plump the tips. From there, the fingertips are inked and copied in a fashion similar to how modern fingerprints are recorded. 

 

Historians don’t just recover fingerprints from mummies — some can be found on objects, too. In fact, one set has been discovered on a 3,000-year-old coffin. Researchers at the Cambridge Fitzwilliam Museum in England discovered the prints on the internal lid of a coffin for Nespawershefyt, an Egyptian priest, in 2005; they were likely left by a craftsman who touched the lid before its varnish was fully dry. While it’s impossible to ever know the person behind the prints, historians say just seeing them helps modern people connect with people of the past.

 

Some mummies have tattoos.
Humans today are far more like ancient Egyptians than we may realize. Everyday people thousands of years ago went to work and school, baked bread, shared meals… and even got tattoos. While it’s unclear how widespread permanent body art was throughout ancient Egypt, researchers have found tattoos on mummified remains dating back 3,000 years. Seven female mummies unearthed from the archaeological site of Deir el-Medina in Egypt are adorned with symbols such as baboons, lotus blossoms, and human eyes (used as a symbol of protection). While it’s likely the women worked as artisans or crafts workers who helped decorate nearby elaborate tombs for royalty, another theory suggests their tattoos may have been related to work as healers or religious figures. Mummification generally preserves skin, but the oils and materials used in the initial process can hide evidence of tattoos, which is why researchers are now turning to infrared imaging to catch a better glimpse of potential body art — a tool that has also revealed tattoos on two 5,000-year-old male mummies.

 

Source: Mummies can still have fingerprints.