What is the difference between socialism and communism? They are sometimes confused as being the same thing, but socialism and communism have some key differences. In socialism, all citizens own and share equally in all resources and wealth. In communism, all property and economic resources are owned by the state, which is entrusted to share […]
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Why do some trees make rubber? It protects the trees against pests and helps them heal when they are injured. Rubber is not what comes out of the tree or plant. The liquid that is tapped out of the tree is called latex and it has to be refined before it can be used as
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Do the gulags still exist? Technically no, but actually yes. The gulag is not actually a place. We use the expression gulag to refer to a Russian prison, but it is really the name of the government agency that was in charge of the forced labor camps during the Soviet era. The word gulag is
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What is botulism? Botulism is an illness caused by a toxin that the Clostridium botulinum bacteria produces. Clostridium botulinum is a very strong bacteria. They are usually found in the soil in spore form, but they grow very rapidly on the surface of fruit, vegetables, seafood, meat, and any kind of food. They like a
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What is the difference between a castle, a fort, and a palace? A castle is a fortified building constructed for the nobility. A fort is just a fortified building. A palace is a large house built for royalty, or very wealthy people. Forts appeared long before castles. A fort is a fortified building and the
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When did people start using soap? In 2800 BC in Babylonia. Archaeologists have found soap-like materials in clay cylinders that have been dated to 2800 BC. The tablets are inscribed with “fats boiled with ashes”. Soap is first mentioned on a Sumerian clay tablet, which has a formula for how to make it. It says
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Where did the Democratic and Republican parties come from? The come from one party called the Democratic-Republican Party, founded by Thomas Jefferson. Everyone that watches the news knows that America has two political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. They take turns being in charge. The Democratic Party is generally considered to be
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What is the immortal hydra? It is a tiny, freshwater creature that doesn’t appear to age. Hydra are very small invertebrates that live in freshwater ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers. They are about 10 mm long and have a tubular body. At one end of their body they have a mouth surrounded by twelve thin
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When did people start using nails? Bronze nails were used in Ancient Egypt in about 3,400 BC. Before people had nails, there were different ways of joining wood together. Some of these techniques are still used today. The most basic way of joining wood to wood was with wood glue. Animal glues have been used
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How can giraffes have such long necks? Giraffes have jointed vertebrae in their neck, a large amount of ligament, and an enormous heart to get the blood to their head. Interestingly, giraffes used to be called camelopards, because they were kind of shaped like a camel and spotted like a leopard. That word came from
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