I learned this today. Earl Grey tea is supposed to have been named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, prime minister of Britain from 1830 to 1834, but it is more likely that this story was invented for advertising purposes and the tea is actually named after William Grey & Co. tea merchant. Earl Grey […]
#48 Why is Earl Grey tea called Earl Grey? Read More »
I learned this today. Yogurt is neither a simple liquid nor a solid, it is a non-Newtonian fluid-gel. A gel is a colloid, and a colloid is a substance that has microscopically dispersed insoluble particles suspended throughout another substance. A non-Newtonian fluid is a fluid that doesn’t follow Newton’s law of viscosity. This means viscosity
#47 What exactly is yogurt? Read More »
I learned this today. The teabag was a staggering invention in the world of tea drinking, but it was originally called the “tea leaf holder” and was invented to cut down on waste. Tea drinking began in China in about 2737 BC (according to legend). Teapots have been found in Chinese sites dating back to
#46 Why was the teabag invented? Read More »
I learned this today. Slime mold is a collection of single-celled organisms that can move, function, and “think” as a single organism. Slime molds are eukaryotes: cells that have a nucleus enclosed within a nuclear envelope. They usually live as single cells, but they can join together with other cells to create a multicellular organism.
#45 Why is slime mold so awesome? Read More »
I learned this today. Mars is red because it is basically rusty. The surface of Mars is covered in a deep layer of fine iron oxide dust. Iron oxide is caused when iron oxidizes. Iron oxide is the chemical name for rust. Iron molecules combine very easily with oxygen molecules. For iron to rust, you
#44 Why is Mars red? Read More »
I learned this today. An MRI works by causing the protons in the hydrogen nuclei in our bodies to align with a magnetic field and then disrupts them with a radio wave. Our bodies contain about 60% water, but this figure changes depending on the organ. All of the organs in our body, our tissue,
#43 How does an MRI work? Read More »
I learned this today. The most famous building in Rome is probably the Colosseum, but it wasn’t called the Colosseum until about 600 years after it was built. The Colosseum was built between 69 and 80 AD. It was ordered by Emperor Vespasian. It was built on land that Emperor Nero had confiscated from the
#42 Why is the Colosseum called the “Colosseum”? Read More »
I learned this today. Cigarettes are addictive because the nicotine they contain is a highly addictive chemical. Nicotine is a naturally occurring chemical that is produced by plants. It is produced by many different types of plants: nightshade, tobacco, the coca plant, tomato, potato, eggplant, and green pepper. The concentrations differ depending on the plant.
#41 Why do we become addicted to nicotine? Read More »
I learned this today. You need to have four satellites in view to be able to use GPS. (Global Positioning System). Currently, there are 32 satellites orbiting in the Global Positioning System. One thing I learned today is that GPS is actually an American government-owned system. It was started by the American Department of Defense
#40 How does GPS know where I am? Read More »
I learned this today. Unlike when skin heals, bones usually heal without a scar. When you cut yourself, your body’s primary goal is to replace the skin as quickly as possible to keep infection out and your blood in. When it does this, it leaves a scar because it builds the new skin so quickly.
#39 How do broken bones heal? Read More »
