Did the spice trade change the world? The spice trade changed the world because it not only allowed people to flavor bland or not quite fresh food, but it also allowed for the exchange of wealth and ideas and encouraged exploration. It was the first step on the path to globalization. When you are cooking […]
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Why does the year start on January 1st? The year starts on January 1st because of the Romans and then Pope Gregory XIII. Although, for most of the history of civilization, the year did not start on January 1st,, and for a lot of cultures, it still doesn’t. In fact, for the 1.4 Chinese people
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What is a mycorrhizal network? A mycorrhizal network is a web of fungal organisms that spread underground and connect trees together. When we think about fungus, mushrooms and toadstools spring to mind, but these are only the fruit of the fungus and are produced so that the fungus can spread its spores. The main part
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How does a self-cleaning surface work? There are two basic ways to make something self-cleaning. You can make it superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic. Both of these methods will use water to clean the object. Self-cleaning surfaces are very useful for places that are difficult to get to and manually clean, such as the windows on the
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What caused the US dust bowl? The dust bowl was caused by a combination of factors including bad farming practices, drought, high winds, and the economy. The dust bowl was named in 1935 by a reporter called Robert Geiger, but it was a phenomenon that had started in 1930, with causes going back long before
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How does our night vision work? We have night vision because our eyes can use their rods, which are more sensitive to light. Night vision is technically called scotopic vision, which comes from the Greek skotos, which means darkness, and opia, which means sight. Our eyes have two ways of detecting light. We have rods
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What is the difference between coal, coke, and charcoal? Charcoal is made from wood, but coal and charcoal are both sedimentary rocks that are processed differently to produce different results. Charcoal, coal, and coke all have different advantages, disadvantages, and uses. Let’s look at them one by one. Charcoal is made from wood. If you
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Why are there only the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal? There are only the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal because they are at the two points in the world where shipping distances can be greatly reduced. No other canal would make enough of a difference to be worth the price of building it.
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Where did Christmas trees come from? The idea for Christmas trees came from Germany in the 16th century. They were introduced into North America in the early 18th century, but they didn’t spread to England until the 19th century. The origins of having an evergreen tree, or part of one, in the house, go back
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Is there such a thing as true altruism? It depends on how you look at it. You could say no because people benefit through feelings of pleasure, and animals benefit by furthering the gene pool. You could say yes because people and animals make sacrifices that don’t benefit them personally. This is a very difficult
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