What is lichen? Lichen is not an organism. It is a symbiotic relationship between fungus and algae. There is some argument that the relationship is mutually beneficial, but there is another argument that the fungi are farming the algae. There are about 20,000 different species of lichen and they cover approximately 8% of the land […]
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Why does the USA use the dollar? Because, in the early days of the American colonies, the Spanish dollar was more prevalent than the British pound. There are twenty countries around the world that have a dollar as their currency. The symbol for the majority of them is the $ sign with possibly letters before
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What is the difference between a petrol engine and a diesel engine? They use different fuel, they ignite the fuel in a different way, and a diesel engine is more efficient than a petrol engine. Diesel and petrol are both made from crude oil. Crude oil is the petroleum that is taken out of the
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What makes our hands different to other animals? We have an opposable thumb. We have four fingers and a thumb on each hand. We are not the only animals to have this many fingers, and we are not the only animals to have an opposable thumb, but the reach of our thumb sets us apart.
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Why are UK public schools actually private schools? They were not attached to a church and were open to the fee-paying public. They are technically not for profit charities. In most countries, public schools are run by the government and private schools are run by private institutions. In the UK, public schools are a different
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How do millipedes control their legs? Millipedes use a direct-wave gait. That means the legs move from the back to the front in a wave pattern, moving the millipede forwards. Millipedes are invertebrates, which is a cold-blooded animal with no backbone. They have an exoskeleton and they are made of multiple segments. They come from
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Why do fingernails keep growing? So that we always have them. If they didn’t keep growing, they would get worn down and be of no use. How do nails grow? Nails are made of keratin, which is the same substance our hair is made of. Keratin is a fibrous protein that is very tough and
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How is Easter calculated? Easter is the first Sunday after the full Moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. When to celebrate Easter is a problem that has taxed the church for centuries. The date of Easter is very important for the Christian church because the whole religion revolves around the birth and
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Why is a broken neck fatal? It isn’t always fatal. It depends on the break. Breaking a neck is a very broad term. There are 33 bones in the spine of the average person. 7 of those bones are in the neck. They are called cervical vertebrae and they have three main jobs. The first
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What happened to biplanes and triplanes? They produce too much drag, which means they can’t fly fast enough and they use a lot more fuel. The first planes built were biplanes. The first heavier-than-air plane was a triplane. Sir George Cayley built a glider with three wings in 1848. He managed to convince a local
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