Why did executioners live on the edge of town? Executioners were forced to live on the edge of town for the rather odd reason that, even though they were killing legally for the state, they were considered to be unclean. The practice of executing people has probably existed for as long as people have lived
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What is a salt tax? A salt tax is a tax that has been levied on salt. It is one of the oldest taxes in the world. The governments or nobles that control people have always needed money to do it. They need money to build monuments, wage wars, and manage the country. That money
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When was the automatic door invented? The first known automatic door was described nearly 2,000 years ago by Hero of Alexandria. It was designed to make the doors of a small temple magically open when a fire was lit on an altar. Electronic automatic doors were invented so waiters could more easily carry food through.
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Why is Dick Turpin so famous? He started to become famous during his life, but his real fame came through books written long after his death. He was not the person he is thought to be today. If you are not from the UK, you have probably never heard of Dick Turpin. If you are
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Can gravity be used as a source of energy? No, gravity cannot be used as a source of energy. Gravity can be used to convert stored potential energy into useful energy, but gravity in itself is only a way of storing energy. Gravity isn’t the stored energy. Gravity can provide a force that can be
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What caused “The Troubles” in Ireland? “The Troubles” in Ireland had many causes that spanned centuries. I am going to look at four of the main causes today. These are the centuries of religious and political division, the partition of Ireland in 1921, the civil rights protests of the 1960s, and the escalating violence. The
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Where does the Scottish accent come from? Scottish accents developed over centuries as different languages spread across Scotland and influenced the way people spoke. They vary from town to town, just like any other country. The Scottish accent has a few features that are instantly recognizable. It is a rhotic accent for one. That means
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What is quantum tunneling? Quantum tunneling is a phenomenon where an electron or an atom can pass through an energy barrier without having enough energy to get through it. To get through barriers, energy is usually required. A brick wall is a barrier. If I want to get through that wall I need to have
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How can we measure the depth of the ocean? There are several ways to measure the depth of the ocean. You can use a weight on a piece of rope, sonar, or radar and satellites. Oceans cover roughly 70.8% of the Earth’s surface. They range from a depth of millimeters at the shores, down to
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What is HOLMES? HOLMES is the Home Office Large Major Enquiry System. It was so named because it is the same name as the great detective Sherlock Holmes. It is a computer system that the UK police use to collate all of their data about crimes in the country. At its simplest, HOLMES is a
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