Where did the word “OK” come from? There are different theories about where “OK” came from, but it appears to have started in Boston in the 1830s, thanks to a fashion there for incorrectly abbreviating words for humorous intent. OK is probably the only word in any language that is truly universal. There are probably […]
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What is the glass beach in Vladivostok? It is a beach near the town of Vladivostok in Russia, which is covered in millions of rounded glass and ceramic pieces. The beach is called Steklyashka beach, and it is located 15 km northeast of Vladivostok, which is on the east coast of Russia. It is on
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What is antitrust? Antitrust is a set of laws that are supposed to promote fair competition and prevent monopolies. You have probably heard the word “antitrust” a lot since the birth of the giant tech industries. It is always being used to refer to Microsoft, Google, and Facebook (sorry – Meta). But, what actually is
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Is household dust made of dead skin? There is a myth that household dust is made entirely of dead skin cells. It is true that sometimes as much as half of household dust is dead skin, but there are many other things in it as well, depending on where you live and your house. We
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How do you soundproof a room? There are several ways, but the basic way of soundproofing a room is to make sure that there are no gaps in the walls or door and cover all surfaces in a material that absorbs sound. Sound is caused when energy is transmitted through something in a wave. When
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How do people breathe on a submarine? Submarines can carry a pressurized air supply, but most modern submarines make oxygen through a process called electrolysis. Producing enough oxygen for all of the people on a submarine isn’t the only thing to consider when trying to keep them alive. The air we breathe is 78 percent
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How does hydroelectric power work? Hydroelectric power works by converting the gravitational potential energy of stored water into kinetic energy, and then into electricity. As the first law of thermodynamics says, energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one type into another. This is what hydroelectric power does. A hydroelectric power station takes
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What makes a rainbow? A rainbow forms when light is refracted, reflected, and dispersed by raindrops in the air. The rainbow can only be seen from an angle of 42 degrees. The sun, or the source of light, must be behind you. We can see a rainbow because of the speed of light through an
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What is a filibuster? Filibuster has two meanings that are connected. The original, historical meaning of the word filibuster, is someone who “engages in an unauthorized military expedition into a foreign country or territory to foster or support a political revolution or secession”. The more modern meaning of the word filibuster is political, and it
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What is the Dewey Decimal system? It is a system used to classify books in libraries, so that they can be found easily. It was created by Melvil Dewey in 1876. Libraries have existed since writing was first invented. Whatever was written needed a place to be kept in. However, libraries were not public. Clay
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