What is a codex? A codex is a collection of ancient manuscripts in book form. The term originally just meant a book, but today we use it only to refer to books of ancient manuscripts. The word codex comes from the Latin “caudex”, which means “block of wood” or “book”. The codex marks the point […]
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Where did Freemasons come from? They are people who belong to an organization that has its origins in the local guilds of stonemasons that started in the 14th century. The Freemasons are a mysterious fraternity that includes some of the most powerful people in industry and governments. They have secret rituals, passwords, and rules that
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Why does ice have so little friction? Because there is a very thin layer of water on top of the ice. Although, the reason for that is not completely understood. If a force is applied to an object it picks up kinetic energy. The kinetic energy is transferred from the energy used to make the
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Could telekinesis be possible? It depends on how you define telekinesis. Moving things with just brain power could not be possible, but using technology to accomplish it certainly could be possible. “Telekinesis” comes from the Greek “tele” meaning “far off” and “kinesis” meaning “movement”. It is the idea that distant objects can be moved merely
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What is an algorithm? An algorithm is a set of instructions to solve a particular problem. The word algorithm came into English from French. It came into French from the Latin word “algorismus”, which was a slightly mistaken translation of the Arabic word “al-Khwarizmi”, which means “native of Khwarazm”. In about AD 825, the Arabic
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Why are emulsifiers used in processed food? They help different compounds to combine, and they make foods less sticky and easier to eat. What are emulsifiers? Their basic job is to combine two compounds that wouldn’t normally be able to hold together. An obvious example is oil and water. If you tip olive oil into
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Why do some plants bloom at night? To avoid predators and because they are pollinated by insects that are nocturnal. All plants that have flowers use them to attract pollinators so that they can spread their DNA as far as possible. There are some plants that self-pollinate, but the risk there is that they have
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Why was Mesopotamia the cradle of civilization? Because its climate slowly changed and the people had to learn to cope with it. Mesopotamia was located where Iran, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey are today. People started living in the region in about 10,000 BC. They were called the Sumerians and the Akkadians. They began to group
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Would President Lincoln have survived if he had been shot today? It is possible, although not guaranteed. There have been several advances in medical care, and the way injured presidents are dealt with that might have made the difference. Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth on April 14th, 1865, at about 10:15 pm.
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How long do viruses and bacteria live for? It depends on the virus and the bacteria. Also, bacteria are alive, but viruses are not alive. In order for something to be considered alive, it has to meet certain characteristics. It has to have specialized parts that are coordinated. It has to metabolize something to make
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