Why does hair turn white? The pigment cells in the hair follicles die. Our hair is colored by melanin that is produced by the pigment cells in each hair follicle. Melanin is what colors our skin as well. Melanin is produced in cells called melanocytes and different quantities or types of melanin can alter the […]
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Why does the medical symbol have a snake and a staff on it? It is the Rod of Asclepius, an ancient symbol of medicine. If you have the misfortune to require an ambulance in the US, you will notice that it a) costs an awful lot, and b) has a six pointed blue star with
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Alexander Cumming invented the S-bend in 1775. Toilets have existed for thousands of years, but the S-band (now the U-bend) was an invention that helped transition to indoor toilets and helped to improve sanitation levels around the world. Early people used streams running near their settlements for a toilet. That is fine, so long as
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What is a crusade? It is a Catholic expedition called forth by the pope for various religious purposes. If it doesn’t have the pope’s blessing, it is not a crusade. The word “crusade” means a military expedition under the banner of the cross. The first crusades were in the 11th century and the word “crusade”
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Why are poppies a symbol of remembrance? Because of a poem by a Canadian doctor called John McCrae. The poem was called “In Flanders Fields”. And because of an American professor and humanitarian called Moina Michael. Before World War One, war dead were not really remembered, unless they were wealthy people. There were no memorials
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When did people start writing music down? Music was first written down in the 6th century BC, but the current system we use began in the 11th century. There is no way of knowing when music itself started. It is very natural for us to sing and dance because they are merely extensions of talking
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What is the Ides of March? It is the 74th day of the Roman calendar, which is March 15th. When we think about the Ides of March, we imagine that it is a cursed and dangerous day. In actual fact, ides was just a name for a day and there was nothing special about it.
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What are the Queensberry rules? They are the rules for boxing published in 1867 and endorsed by the 9th Marquess of Queensberry. People have fought each other for as long as there have been people. Over time, fighting turned into a sport. The Romans had their gladiators and many other societies turned out in their
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Who painted the Isleworth Mona Lisa? This is a difficult question. It is either completely painted by Leonardo da Vinci, partially painted by him, or not painted by him at all, depending on what expert is asked. However, it does appear unlikely that this painting is by da Vinci. Let’s try and break it down.
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What does paint primer do? It helps paint stick to the surface, it helps the paint last longer, and it protects the material you are painting. Humans have been using paint for tens of thousands of years. The earliest cave paintings were found in caves in Spain and they have been dated to 64,000 years
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