What is a salt road? A salt road is a road that was used in ancient times to transport salt from where it was produced to where it was needed. We don’t think about salt so much these days. Maybe if our meal is a bit bland we might reach for the salt cellar and […]
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What is a tadpole shrimp? It is a species of crustacean and is actually one of the oldest known animal species. It is called a living fossil because it is so old. The Latin name for the tadpole shrimp is Notostraca, and their genus is triops, which means three eyes because they have two compound
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Why is the AK-47 so good? AK-47s are so good because they are easy to use, cheap to make, reliable, and they can function in extremely harsh conditions. The AK-47 is the most popular gun ever made. The AK-47 was designed in 1945, finalized in 1947 (hence its name), and went into production in 1948.
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Does the placebo effect work? The placebo effect works for things that are directly affected by the brain, but not for actual illnesses. Nobody understands exactly the mechanism behind the placebo effect, but there are some pretty good theories. The word “placebo” comes from Latin, and its origins give a clue to what it does.
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How can a person control a bionic limb? There are generally four ways a person can control a bionic limb. They can use a special harness that can open or close hooks. They can have sensors that read electrical signals through the skin. They can attach directly to the nerves. They can have sensors that
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Why are the two Koreas still at war? The two Koreas are still at war because they didn’t sign a peace treaty in 1953 when the Korean War ended. Fighting could technically break out at any time, although it is fairly unlikely. The reason they didn’t sign a peace treaty is surprisingly because of the
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Why can’t the immune system kill all bacteria or viruses? The immune system can’t destroy all of the bacteria and viruses it comes across because some of them can deflect our immune system and some of them are able to hide. Others multiply far too quickly for the immune system to get on top of
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Why were coffeehouses important? Early coffee houses were important because they were a center for social interaction and the sharing of knowledge. It can be speculated that were it not for coffeehouses, several revolutions would not have happened, and the world would be much different to the way it is today. Coffee was discovered on
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Why are trousers / pants plural? Trousers and pants are plural because they used to be separated into left leg and right leg. Before we begin, people in the UK say trousers and people in the USA say pants and they both mean the same thing. However, all of the words have different origins. The
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How does a lie detector work? Lie detectors work by recording breathing rate, pulse, blood pressure, muscular activity, and perspiration to look for any changes. They are not admissible in court because they don’t always work. The modern lie detector (polygraph) was created in 1945, but there were many steps along the way. The first
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