Do the gulags still exist? Technically no, but actually yes. The gulag is not actually a place. We use the expression gulag to refer to a Russian prison, but it is really the name of the government agency that was in charge of the forced labor camps during the Soviet era. The word gulag is […]
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What is botulism? Botulism is an illness caused by a toxin that the Clostridium botulinum bacteria produces. Clostridium botulinum is a very strong bacteria. They are usually found in the soil in spore form, but they grow very rapidly on the surface of fruit, vegetables, seafood, meat, and any kind of food. They like a
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What is the difference between a castle, a fort, and a palace? A castle is a fortified building constructed for the nobility. A fort is just a fortified building. A palace is a large house built for royalty, or very wealthy people. Forts appeared long before castles. A fort is a fortified building and the
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When did people start using soap? In 2800 BC in Babylonia. Archaeologists have found soap-like materials in clay cylinders that have been dated to 2800 BC. The tablets are inscribed with “fats boiled with ashes”. Soap is first mentioned on a Sumerian clay tablet, which has a formula for how to make it. It says
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Where did the Democratic and Republican parties come from? The come from one party called the Democratic-Republican Party, founded by Thomas Jefferson. Everyone that watches the news knows that America has two political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. They take turns being in charge. The Democratic Party is generally considered to be
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What is the immortal hydra? It is a tiny, freshwater creature that doesn’t appear to age. Hydra are very small invertebrates that live in freshwater ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers. They are about 10 mm long and have a tubular body. At one end of their body they have a mouth surrounded by twelve thin
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When did people start using nails? Bronze nails were used in Ancient Egypt in about 3,400 BC. Before people had nails, there were different ways of joining wood together. Some of these techniques are still used today. The most basic way of joining wood to wood was with wood glue. Animal glues have been used
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How can giraffes have such long necks? Giraffes have jointed vertebrae in their neck, a large amount of ligament, and an enormous heart to get the blood to their head. Interestingly, giraffes used to be called camelopards, because they were kind of shaped like a camel and spotted like a leopard. That word came from
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What is the Great Attractor? It is the theorized gravitational center of our Milky Way Galaxy and 100,000 other galaxies. The universe is expanding at a rate of 2.2 million km per hour. All galaxies should therefore be moving at that speed, but it turns out we are not. Our Milky Way Galaxy is moving
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What causes Parkinson’s disease? It is caused by a loss of nerve cells in the basal ganglia part of the brain. Parkinson’s disease is a disease that gets progressively worse with time. It is more common in men than women and it generally starts when people are over 60, although 10% of cases start when
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