We all love the Oscars, don’t we? Let’s have a look at the history of the Oscars and some interesting facts. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) created the awards program in order to recognize outstanding achievement and to encourage excellence in all areas of filmmaking. The first Academy Awards ceremony… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Did You Know?
Happy Valentine’s Day
The day of love is upon us once more. Did you know Valentine’s Day has been celebrated since the 2nd Century, but not always as we know it today? The true history of St Valentine’s Day is not clear and there are many stories as to how it came about. It is believed,… Continue Reading
If I was suspended (floating) above the ground would the Earth rotate beneath me?
Steve asked this question last year and missed hearing the answer. No – the earth wouldn’t rotate beneath you, you would still move along with the Earth. Inertia would carry you along with the atmosphere and the rotating earth so no relative motion would be seen. The earth’s atmosphere is part of this movement and… Continue Reading
Methuselah used to drink his own urine?
Did you know Methuselah is purported to have regularly drunk his own urine. This is credited to his longevity – he lived to 969 years of age! Not sure it is something I’d like to try, but here is an interesting story on the practice of drinking ones own urine: http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/05/07/urine-therapy-discovering-your-bodys-golden-elixir/ Bookmark on Delicious Digg… Continue Reading
Why do smellies (farts) smell worse in the shower?
A great question from Xanthe. There are actually a few reasons for this and they all add together to make those smellies smellier. the shower cubicle is a small enclosed space with not a lot of air circulating through you are naked so none of the smell gets absorbed in clothing water vapour easily… Continue Reading
Gigantic rubbish dump in Mexico & the first ever Vacuum Cleaner
Jason wanted to know if there was a rubbish dump in Mexico that could be seen from space? There is a rubbish dump in mexico (see picture) which is eight miles long and one mile wide and is home to hundreds of foragers called pepenadores (garbage people). These people live work and play there… Continue Reading
Is Prince Leonard of Hutt still around? Does his Country still exist?
The answer is yes! In fact the Principality of Hutt River is still going strong having just given out their 2008 Honours Awards. If you haven’t heard of Prince Leonard and the Principality of Hutt River keep reading because you are in for a treat. His previous name was Leonard George Casley and he was… Continue Reading
Why do they use the word MARU at the end of the name on Japanese ships?
In Japanese, Maru means circle or something that is loved – the word maru is often part of boys names in Japan to indicate how much a boy is loved. There are still disputes in Japan as to the actual origin in regards to ships and 2 of the more popular possibilities are: Ships were… Continue Reading
