11/05/2023
At least, they may share the same distant ancestor. After studying the DNA of blue-eyed individuals from Scandinavia, Turkey, Jordan, and India, Danish researchers found that they all had identical gene sequences for eye color. They believe this trait comes from a single individual, called
11/05/2023
A survey of funeral directors by Co-operative Funeralcare (per the BBC) found that the most frequently requested song to play at funerals in the United Kingdom is "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" by Monty Py
11/05/2023
Since 2002, the Greek translator Ioannis Ikonomou has been the chief translator of the European Parliament. With 32 languages under his belt, he merits the position. He initially moved to Brussels to be an interpreter, a valuable position in the EU capital, but after he learned a
11/05/2023
The name "funny bone" comes from the humerus bone, which connects the shoulder to the elbow. However, that's not the source of the tingling sensation you feel when you bump your elbow just right. It's actually
11/05/2023
George Merryweather was a Victorian doctor and a fan of poetry. In fact, it was in a poem that he found the inspiration to build the Tempest Prognosticator, a kind of barometer powered by leeches. The three-foot-tall contraption was as beautiful as it was intended to be useful. The brass and mahogany structure held 12 glass vials in place, each of which contained a single leech.
15/03/2023
It's no secret that sunshine offers multiple health benefits, and many of them are mental. According to research from the University of Liege in Belgium (via The Independent), "human brains work better in summer." After having volunteers work on attention and memory tests at different times throughout the year, researchers discovered that "brain activity peaked in the summer on the attention task…" S
15/03/2023
he fact that bears are able to hibernate through the winter is a wonder of nature. But what helps them to survive those cold, food-free months is that they pack on the pounds during the summer. Fortunately for us, Explore.com runs live-streams from Alaska's Katmai National Park, which allow viewers from all over the world to watch brown be
15/03/2023
ids and fun-loving adults have been playing with Frisbees for years. But though the Wham-O toy company started producing Frisbees back in 1957, History.com notes that the "story of the Frisbee began in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where William Frisbie opened the Frisbie Pie Company in 1871." University students would play with the empty
15/03/2023
Summer brings to mind sunny days and sizzling temperatures. However, thunderstorms occur very frequently during the summer, especially in the afternoons and evenings. How Stuff Works explains that this is due to the fact that thunderstorms need both moisture and "ra
15/03/2023
Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month? It's the perfect time to indulge in the sweet treat, though you'd need a huge appetite to master the biggest scoop ever, which weighed a belly-busting 3,010 pounds. Created by Kemps Dairy in Cedarburg, Wisconsin as part of their 100th anniversary, the scoop stood 5'6" high, stret
15/03/2023
wimming is a classic summer pastime that can be both invigorating and relaxing. However, there are some who take their underwater efforts to the extreme. Just take Budimir Šobat, for example. In March 2021, the Croatian freediver, who was 56 years old at the tim
15/03/2023
During the spring, there are cherry blossom-viewing picnics in Japan. And in Argentina, it's tradition to picnic for Christmas. However, if you prefer to dine outside in the summer, then you'll be thrilled to find out that there's a picnic-related holiday in August, thanks to Austra