December 29th, 2016

One billion is 1 followed by nine zeros. Or at least, that's what it is in the Short Scale. A huge section of the world uses an alternative system for naming numbers, known as the Long Scale. So what's the difference? Both scales are identical up to 1,000,000 (one million). After this the prefixes 'bi', 'tri', 'quad', 'quin', etc... are used. Where the scales differ is in how many zeros are added before you advance to the next prefix. In the short scale, you advance to the next prefix every three zeroes (1,000). In the long scale, the prefix augments every six zeroes (1,000,000). This means that one billion in the long scale is 1 followed by twelve zeroes, instead of nine. So what is 1 with nine zeroes called in the long scale? A milliard.

Bonus:

Seventeen countries use neither the long scale, nor the short scale, but their own local variants. Amongst these are many oddities, such as vigesimal (base 20) systems, and ones where the prefix advances every two zeroes (meaning 1 million is written 10,00,000 as opposed to 1,000,000).

-E

December 28th, 2016

Freestyle wrestling is a sport in which opponents earn points by employing various techniques to show dominance over their opponent. Amongst these techniques, the highest scoring are the 'takedowns', which involve manipulating the opponent in such a way that three 'contact points' on their bodies are forced against the mat. More points are awarded for more technically difficult takedowns. The most difficult involves lifting your opponent over your head, and is rare but quite impressive to watch.

Bonus:

Buvaisar Saitiev of Russia is considered the most accomplished freestyle wrestler. Before each fight he would recite a poem by Boris Pasternak, which discusses themes of modesty and determination. He has now transitioned from wrestling to politics.

-E

December 27th, 2016

Vinyl records have made a resurgence in the past few years. They come in three standard sizes: 7'', 10'', and 12''. They are also meant to be played at various rotations per minute (rpm): usually 33¹⁄₃, 45, or 78. Though you can always play a record at a slower or faster speed than intended, for interesting effect. The history of audio recording goes back to the 1850s, with the invention of the Phonautograph in 1857. It inscribed the waveforms linearly on paper or glass. However, at the time there was no way of playing back the sound. In 2008 some of the sheets were scanned and digitally reconstructed into audio files, allowing the recordings to be reheard after almost 150 years. In 1877 Edison unveiled his Phonograph, which inscribed audio on a wax cylinder. It allowed playback and reproducibility, but the cylinders were degraded significantly in each instance. Emile Berliner invented the Gramophone in 1887, which not only improved the quality and reproducibility, but was also the first to use disc shaped records. Discs in various form would become the standard form of data storage for the next century.

Bonus:

The word whiskey comes from the Irish/Scottish words Uisce Beatha/Uisge Beatha, which means 'water of life'.

-E

December 26th, 2016

The French word 'Paname' sounds as though it should mean 'Panama', but in fact it is used to refer to the Paris region. It is known that it entered the vernacular sometime around the First World War. The 1920's song 'Tu le r'verras paname', for example, highlights all the wonders of the city that will someday be seen again. Lines such as ''comme c'est loin tout ça, mais tu le r'verras" give the impression that it could have been intended for soldiers fighting abroad. In any case, how the term 'Paname' arose is still uncertain. It could have been linked to the Panama Scandals, in which funds meant for the construction of the Panama Canal were employed as bribes to hide financial difficulties. The scandal came to light in the 1890s, and involved many high profile Parisians, possibly explaining 'Paname'. Around the turn of the century, the French involvement in Panama also popularized the Panama Hat, which become a popular accessory amongst upper class Parisians. The sudden influx of Panama Hats could also be responsible for the term. A third suggestion is that Panama became slang for 'enormous', and was frequently used in reference to the grandeur of Paris.

Bonus:

On a side note the Panama Hat was in fact invented in Ecuador. It was shipped internationally from Panama, hence the name. In Spanish it is still sometimes called 'Paja Toquilla' (straw hat) or 'Jipijapa', which is the name of a region of Ecuador.

-E

December 25th, 2016

There are white chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and they are delicious.

Merry Christmas!

-E

December 24th, 2016

Amongst the sweet treats that will appear on tables this Christmas, one of the more Canadian options is Nanaimo Bars. It has long been know that the name comes from the town of Nanaimo, British Columbia. Yet the story of the exact origins of the Nanaimo Bar is a complicated one. After much research by Dr. Lenore Newman, a culinary anthropologist, it seems as though the main components for the Nanaimo Bar (an unbaked chocolate cake covered in icing) were coming together in the late 40s. The earliest recipe for the modern incarnation seem to have appeared in the Nanaimo Hospital auxillary cookbook in 1953, suggesting that the staff had adapted the recipe into its current form.

Bonus:

To go back a little further, where did the town of Nanaimo get its name? It was a mispronunciation of the native word for the region (in the Hul'qumi'num language), which was Snuneymuxw, meaning 'gathering place'.

December 23rd, 2016

Shipmap is a website that shows 2012 ship traffic across the globe. It also allows colour coding to see what each ship is carrying.

-E

December 22nd, 2016

चार दिन की चांदनी फिर अंधेरी रात is a Hindi idiom that translates as "Four days of moonlight then dark night". It means that exciting and fun things will eventually lose their lustre, and life will return to normal.

-E

December 21st, 2016

In 1986, Wierd Al Yankovic parodied the song 'Living in America' by James Brown with 'Living With A Hernia'. In the song, Yankovic talks about the pain and inhibitions caused by a hernia. However, not all types of hernia are painful. Inguinal groin hernias, the most common type, are often painless, and can even go unnoticed. Sometimes such a hernia is caused by fat which descends into the groin via the inguinal canal. Sometimes a section of the intestine can also descend, and become 'incarcerated', meaning stuck in the cavity. This can be quite dangerous, and if not operated on can even be fatal. 27% of males will have a groin hernia at some point in their lifetime, and it is estimated that 32,500 individuals died on account of them in 2013.

-E

December 20th, 2016

Each winter the residents of Roberval, Quebec set up a village entirely on ice. The village comprises roughly 350 small cabins set up on Lac Saint-Jean, all of which encircle a large skating circuit.

-E

December 19th, 2016

Flying from Europe to Montreal, planes often follow a 'great circle' which brings them North towards Greenland, and then across much of barren Quebec. During the latter section, looking out of the plane across the landscape reveals incredibly stark terrain, rocky and pocked with lakes and rivers. In winter, the sight is even more sombre and desolate, yet from the sky long and straight white lines can be seen in the otherwise untouched wilderness. These look somewhat like highways, or snowmobile trails, however they are actually power line corridors, bringing electricity huge distances to remote northern communities.

Bonus:

Without knowing it, passengers on transatlantic flights also cross the longest mountain range on earth: the Mid-Atlantic ridge. The underwater mountains stretch roughly 40,000 km and occasionally surface (such as on Iceland and the Azores Islands).

-E

December 18th, 2016

On the 18th of June, 1875, a malt house caught fire in Dublin. As a result, the whiskey also caught fire, and poured outwards into the streets as a fiery molasses. 14 people were killed, however none of them died because of the fire, nor the smoke, nor the building collapses. They all died from drinking what remained of the whiskey sludge.

-E

December 17th, 2016

At the end of each year, the total air traffic amongst international airports is tallied up. The Airports Council International releases data about which airports topped the list. As of 2015, the top ten spots for 'movement' (planes arriving and departing) are occupied entirely by US airports, with the exception of Beijing International (5th) and Charles De Gaule in Paris (10th). For passenger flow, the top 10 is much more international, and includes Dubai, Tokyo, London, and Hong Kong. At the top of both lists the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia reigns supreme (although dethroned in 2014 by O'Hare for movement, it reclaimed the title in 2015). In 2015, Hartsfield-Jackson was the first airport to process over 100 million passengers in a year. However, to date no airport has moved a million planes in a year, though Hartsfield-Jackson came tantalizingly close in 2007, with 994,346 total movements. Perhaps 2016 will be the year this achievement is finally claimed? The extra day in February could have helped...

-E

December 16th, 2016

Goostrey is a little town south of Manchester with a population of just over two thousand. As with many small English towns, the exact origins of the town have grown murky with time. In the Doomsday Book (completed in 1089) the town's existence is mentioned, although its name is given as Gostrel. A yew tree in Goostrey's churchyard has been dated to 1,200 years ago, meaning the town may have existed as far back as the Dark Ages, before the Roman Empire. Today, the quiet rural feel of the town is contrasted immensely by the nearby Lovell Telescope, built in 1957. However, somewhat counter-intuitively the telescope has helped Goostrey retain its quaint charm: most large scale building projects have been declined, as any excess radio interference would interfere with the telescope's precision. In the town, a pub called The Crown, which has been open since the 1800s, serves delicious fish and chips and local ciders. The pub has been called 'The Official Pub of The JBCA', and serves both international astrophysicists and Goostrey locals, both happy to have each other.

-E

December 15th, 2016

An interesting gif shows the six first regular polygons (where all sides and angles are equal) appearing from a point. It also begins with a point and line. Are they also regular polygons? A point most likely doesn't fit the bill, but, depending on how accommodating you are with the definition, a line might. However, the gif hasn't led to much discussion of regular polygons, but instead been touted as a way of synchronizing breathing to reduce stress.

-E

December 14th, 2016

From the age of polar exploration, Robert Falcon Scott's name most likely comes up first, on account of his martyrdom, followed perhaps by Shackleton or Amundsen. Not many remember William Speirs Bruce, who led the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition from 1902 - 1904. The expedition established the first ever meteorological station in Antarctic territory, charted new lands, and provided a wealth of scientific data. It was applauded for being incredibly efficient and well organized, however Bruce's strong Scottish Nationalist sentiments meant that it was all but ignored by England. Bruce had also wanted to join Falcon Scott's team, but this never came to pass for the same reasons. Perhaps the most iconic memory of the Expedition was a 1904 photo of a bagpiper serenading a penguin.

Bonus:

Before mounting his own expedition, Bruce had been part of the Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition (1894 - 1897), which aimed at mapping the incredibly remote and uninhabited Franz Josef Land. On June 17th, 1896, Jackson's party happened to bump into a bearded gentleman walking around one of the islands. This was Fridtjov Nansen, who had incredibly survived on the island for a year with a fellow explorer Hjalmar Johansen after their attempt on the North Pole (which failed, but broke the record for the highest north ever reached, at 86°14′). On returning to Christiania (the old name for Oslo), Nansen was greeted by the biggest crowd the city had ever seen, was hosted by royalty, and received tributes from around the world.

-E

December 13th, 2016

When a light is turned on, it is tempting to think that the electricity is flowing into the lamp at the same speed as the light particles are coming out - that is to say, at the speed of light (300,000,000 m/s). In fact, for a typical copper wire, electrons carrying a 10 amp charge only move along the wire at  a speed of a quarter millimeter per second.

-E

December 12th, 2016

French Toast, possibly because of its simplicity, exists in some form or another in many different cultures around the world. This international aspect of the dish has led to a variety of different names from country to country. In Quebec, French Toast is known as 'Pain Doré' (Golden Bread). In France the name is instead 'Pain Perdu', meaning 'Lost Bread'. This is to suggest soaking and frying as a way to salvage bread which has become stale (lost).

-E

December 11th, 2016

If a site is repeatedly abandoned and resettled, it eventually forms somewhat of a hill. In archaeology, this is known as a 'tell', and is a good indicator of potentially interesting sites for excavation. In 1963 a survey of southern Turkey noted a tell with some interesting characteristics, such as limestone slabs. However, the site was forgotten until archaeologist Klaus Schmidt reviewed the survey in 1994 and decided to excavate. Within a few years, something incredible came to light: the lower layer of the site dated to almost 10,000 BC, making it the oldest large-scale construction project known to date. In fact, the site is so old it pre-dates agriculture, meaning it was most likely built by hunter-gatherers. Göbekli Tepe, as the site is known, is still being excavated today, and continues to fascinate researchers. Some have suggested that its construction should be considered the starting point for modern human history, in which case we are two weeks away from the year 12,017.

-E

December 10th, 2016

The city of London has many green spaces, including eight Royal Parks which are owned by the Monarchy. Although they are now open to the public, these parks were originally intended solely for the recreation of the Royal Family. The public have no legal right to use the parks, however the Crown Lands Act of 1851 now permits public use. There are plans to shift the ownership from the Monarchy to the city of London, however for the time being the parks remain bureaucratically intended for the Royal Family.

Bonus:
On the topic of green spaces, in crowded central London there is - quite unexpectedly - a small 2.2 acre public farm on the Thames. Surrey Docks Farm is free to visit all year.

-E

December 9th, 2016

As early as 6000 BC cultures were beginning to play with various symbols and iconography, in what would eventually lead to proto-writing. However true writing systems didn't emerge until cuneiform, which was gradually evolving into a full-fledged system at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. Yet hundreds of years before cuneiform had fully matured, people still had signatures. In the place of writing, they used cylindrical stone moulds, called cylinder seals. First appearing around 3500 BC, it is thought that cylinder seals would have been worn on a necklace, and were each carved with a unique picture - usually religious in nature, though sometimes also contemporary life scenes or simple geometric patterns. The seals could be quickly rolled across clay, either for decoration or as a signature. When instigating a trade, a clay table would be inscribed with indentations indicating the nature and quantity of items involved in the trade. Then the cylinder seal would be rolled over the indentations, and the clay would be baked. Essentially an early sales receipt.

Bonus:

Pazuzu is an ancient Assyrian/Babylonian demon king, who was blamed for bringing famine and locusts, among other misfortune. His name and likeness still occasionally find their way into contemprary popular culture, such as the cover art for the Gorillaz album 'D-Sides'.

-E

December 8th, 2016

Canada has put out a new survey to gauge public opinion on changes to the investigative powers of government in the digital world. Concepts such as data retention and backdoor access are up for debate. Although many have argued that the concept of justified police search warrants should extend to digital information, youtuber CGP Grey offers some insight into why the two realms - material and digital - are not comparable.

-E

December 7th, 2016

Nude and naked aren't quite synonyms in portraiture. As one professor explains, nudity is a state of envisioned perfection, almost god or goddess-like physique. As such, it was not considered shameful to gaze upon a painting featuring nudes. However, non-idealized individuals drawn without clothes was labelled 'nudity', and could result in a painting or sculpture's exclusion from a gallery or salon.

-E

December 6th, 2016

Heraldry is the production and study of armory, or anything related to arms (shields, armour, military flags, etc.). Within heraldry, animals are often depicted, such as on coats of arms or statues. The position of the animal is known as the attitude. Among equestrian statues a rumour claims that the attitude of the horse is an indication of the nature of the rider's death. If the horse is salient (front hooves in the air) the rider died in battle. If the horse is passant (one front foot raised) the rider was wounded in battle. Otherwise, the horse is said to be statant (all hooves on the ground), which means the rider was neither killed nor injured in battle. Although some sculptors most likely followed this protocol, there is good evidence it is generally an urban legend, and counterexamples of the supposed symbolism are easy to find.

-E

December 5th, 2016

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are a group of seven incredible monuments, all of which were erected before the common era. For a brief period of 21 years (247 - 226 BC), all seven of them were standing, however an earthquake in 226 BCE knocked down the Colossus of Rhodes (upon which, as mentioned yesterday, the Statue of Liberty may have been loosely based). One by one they were all destroyed...well, all except the Great Pyramid of Giza. The oldest of the seven, it is also the only one still intact. Also of note is the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, whose location (if they truly existed as all) remains a mystery.

-E

December 4th, 2016

The true name of the Statue of Liberty is 'La Liberté éclairant le monde' (Liberty Enlightening the World). Although presented as a gift upon completion in 1886, the designer Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi also hoped to celebrate the US's abolition of slavery in 1963, and that France would take note and impact change upon its colonies. The statue itself may have drawn inspiration from the Colossus of Rhodes, which was roughly the same size, and greeted ships coming into Rhodes (until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BC). In 1987, the International Herald Tribune decided to dedicate a full scale replica of the Statue of Liberty's flame to Paris, to celebrate both 100 years of English language publication in Paris, as well as restoration work France had carried out on the Statue of Liberty three years earlier. The Flame of Liberty, completed in 1989, highlighted the fraternity between the US and France. However, in 1997 Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in a tunnel that passed directly below the statue, re-appropriating it as a memorial. Today most tourists assume it was built for her.

-E

December 3rd, 2016

In the 1970s, feminism, communism, and modernization began to challenge the idea of the 'nuclear household'. This trend influenced artists, specifically in the situationalist and happenings movements, to portray the household as falling apart. One example was Vito Acconci's piece Instant House, in which sitting on a swing brings together four walls of a house to reveal communism on the outside and the US flag on the inside. Acconci's most well-known piece was a controversial performance named Seedbed, in which he masturbated hidden from the spectators while his fantasies about them were broadcast on speakers.

-E

December 2nd, 2016

The holiday season is upon us, and many shops are now stocking Christmas trees. Around the world, some countries like the US, UK, France, and Canada prefer to have real trees. North America consumes 40 million trees each year, and to meet that demand 73 million are planted annually, as not all will survive to maturity (which takes 6-10 years). Other countries, especially those in South America, tend to opt for artificial trees. The debate has always been fierce as to whether natural trees or artificial trees are more environmentally friendly. Some research has suggested artificial trees need to be used for 20 years to surpass the environmental effects of a natural tree.

-E

December 1st, 2016

Guacamole has been around for a while: the Aztec people were making it in the 1500s. In fact, the name itself comes from the Aztek dialect of Nahuatl, in which the words 'āhuacatl molli' mean 'avocado sauce'. The avocado itself has been a staple of human diets since around 10,000 BC, and has come to been known by many names. In Nahuatl it was also sometimes called 'testicle' on account of its shape (possibly why the Aztecs also considered it an aphrodisiac). In Chinese the name is even more creative: 鳄梨 meaning 'crocodile pear'.

-E

November 30th, 2016

The École Nationale Supérieur des Beaux-Arts is a beautiful establishment in the centre of Paris, right across from the Louvre. Established in 1648, it is considered one of the top art schools in the world. Over the years, the highest honour students could earn was the 'Prix de Rome', which allowed them three to five years of studies in the Villa Medici in Rome. In 1968 the prize was discontinued for political reasons, and although still owned by the French Government, the Villa Medici now houses French students of all disciplines, not solely art.

Bonus:
Canadian mathematician cum musician Dan Snaith (who produces under the names Caribou and Daphni) created a youtube playlist of 1000 of his favourite songs, which you can listen to here.

November 29th, 2016

The Hubble Ultra Deep Field is the deepest image we've ever taken (well, the deepest optical image, otherwise the prize goes to images of the CMB). It was created by collecting distant light over 11 days, and every dot, blob, and smudge in the image is a distant galaxy. All in all, the image is thought to contain roughly 10,000 galaxies. It took years to comb the image for objects of interest (and research is ongoing), and in 2009 one especially interesting smudge was noticed. Named 'UDFy-38135539', the nearly invisible smudge is the oldest galaxy known to date (some potentially older ones have not be confirmed). UDFy-38135539, as it appears in the image, is 13.1 billion light years away, however because of the expansion of the universe it (or whatever is now left of it) is now around 30 billion light years away. In 2018 the James Webb Space Telescope will be launched, and be able to peer even further into the cosmos.

-E

November 28th, 2016

In recent years there has been an increased focus on the carbon production linked to our lifestyles. Cutting back on meats, especially beef, can be a step in the right direction. A pescatarian (no meats, but fish) diet leads to roughly the same carbon production as a vegetarian diet, and both are about half as polluting as a meat-heavy diet. In a year, a vegetarian (or pescatarian) produces about 1.5 tonnes of carbon, while regular meat eaters are closer to 2.5 tonnes. Flying is also a huge offender, producing an estimated 250 kg of carbon per hour of flight, or 1 tonne every 4 hours. A roundtrip flight across the Atlantic is thus roughly 4 tonnes, much worse than the yearly carbon produced through the diet of even a meat eater. That being said, driving is still worse per kilometer.

Bonus:
If she survives the night, Emma Morano will turn 117 tomorrow. She is the last living person verified to have been born in the 1800s.

-E

November 27th, 2016

Thanksgiving is now over, but fridges around the US will most likely be stocked with leftover turkey for quite some time to come. The turkey is quite an enigmatic bird in fact. It is now known to have originated in North America: across Canada, the US, and Mexico. Yet, on account of chaotic trading routes all over the world, there was much confusion in almost every language as to where the bird actually originated. The French thought it had come from India, hence 'dinde' (d'Inde). Indians, on the other hand, assumed Peru, hence पीरू (Peru). Khmers named it 'French Chicken', Arabs named it 'Ethiopian Rooster', Malays named it 'Dutch Chicken', and the list goes on. As for English, where do you think we assumed it had come from? Yep, Turkey.

-E

November 26th, 2016

Any time you catch a glimpse of the Paris skyline it's hard not to agree that some of the city's charm is the lack of skyscrapers. Although there are plenty outside the central city (defined by the ring-road), inside you will only see the Eiffel tower and church steeples. Well...almost. Tour Montparnasse is the only exception. Completed in 1973, it was part of a push by Georges Pompidou to modernize Parisian infrastructure. However, the brutalist structure was met with near unanimous disdain that continues today, so much so that a 37m height limit was imposed on all building projects in the city. To date no new skyscrapers have been built, although this will change next year when the controversial 118m Tour Triangle (approved in 2015) will begin construction. Some say skyscrapers are necessary; with 12 million people in the Paris metro area, living space is in high demand. Paris has amongst the highest rent prices on earth, and 1 square meter of storage space can cost over 110€/month.

-E

November 25th, 2016

The ancient city of Mari was built at the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC near the west bank of the Euphrates river, in present day Syria. A canal was dug connecting the city to the river, and Mari became a prosperous trading intermediary. The city was abandoned and rebuilt multiple times throughout its history, until it was destroyed by King Hammurabi in the 17th century BC. The city, however, continued to exist to some small degree until the last few centuries BC, at which point it was forgotten. In 1933 it was rediscovered, and excavations of the Royal Palace yielded a wealth of tablets, wall art, and sculptures, including an incredibly well preserved statue of Ebih-Il, superintendent of Mari. 48 sunken terracotta carvings puzzled archaeologists. Finally, as they were found near ancient ovens, it was realized that they were 4000 year old baking moulds.

Bonus 1:
Mari is one step in the complex rise and spread of civilization, which begun around 10,000 BC. A video by the California Academy of Sciences, based on work by scientists at the University of Utrecht, illustrates the process beautifully. Especially poignant is the astounding dimming of civilization in the Americas around 1500 - 1700 CE.

Bonus 2:
A small noddle shop in Hanoi received an unexpected endorsement in May, when President Obama and Anthony Bourdain sat down for some 6$ bún chả. Months later, there is still a constant line to get in, and so many customers ask to have what Obama did that the the menu now includes the 'Obama Combo'.

-E

November 24th, 2016

With Christmas now a month away, in which country does Santa Claus 'actually' live? The modern version of Santa evolved in the 19th century, incorporating elements from different mythologies. At this time it was thought that he lived in or around the North Pole. Ever since, northern countries have all argued over who gets to truly lay claim to Santa. All countries with territory bordering the Arctic Ocean (US, Russia, Canada, Norway, and Denmark) have at some point claimed Santa as their own, as well as a few others (Finland, Belarus, Slovenia, etc.). Perhaps Denmark, which contains the northernmost point of land on earth, should be the winner. However, Canada certainly upped the ante when they granted Santa Canadian Citizenship in 2008.

Bonus:
Romain Gavras' new music video for the Jamie XX song 'Gosh' is quite visually stunning. Filmed in the bizarre planned Paris-imitation city of Tianducheng it deals with, as the author explains, themes of cultural appropriation.

-E

November 23rd, 2016

The act of selling stocks, currency, or assets before a price decline, and then repurchasing them afterwards is known as 'Short Selling'. In 1992, billionaire George Soros noticed that the economic behaviour in the UK suggested the pound sterling could soon undergo a devaluation. He short sold £10 billion, forcing the UK to devalue the currency, and came out with a profit of £1 billion. The manoeuvre is estimated to have cost the country £3.3, and earned Soros the name 'The Man Who Broke the Bank of England'. Regardless, many argue that short selling is a healthy part of any economy, and helps expose faults, weaknesses, and fraudulent practices in stock markets.

-E

November 22nd, 2016

The birth of Rock and Roll in the early 1950s was driven by many names: Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and so forth. However, many of the stage antics and high-energy attributes we now associate with the genre were first seen in Jerry Lee Lewis. Lewis also introduced the piano as an instrument of Rock and Roll, and would slam the keys wildly as he played. In the late 50s Elvis and Jerry both fell in love with young girls (Elvis met 14 year old Priscilla Wagner when he was 24, and at 22 Jerry fell for his 1st cousin, 13 year old Myra Gale Brown). Elvis waited until 1967 to marry Prascilla, however Jerry married Myra in 1958, when she was still 13. The scandal nearly destroyed his career, and he fell out of favour for nearly a decade. His reputation never fully recovered, and it is anyone's guess if his name would be synonymous with Elvis had he postponed the wedding. In 1956, after an impromptu jam session with Elvis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash (dubbed the Million Dollar Quartet), Cash wrote that "Nobody wanted to follow Jerry Lee, not even Elvis."

Bonus:

Only 8 people have been granted Honorary American Citizenship, among which only two - Winston Churchill and Mother Theresa - received the honour while alive. Canada has granted Honorary Citizenship to six people, all of whom were alive to receive the award except one: Raoul Wallenberg. Wallenberg, who saved thousands of Jews during the 2nd world war before disappearing, was granted honorary citizenship by the US, Canada, Hungary, Australia, and Israel for his deeds.

-E

November 21st, 2016

On a sphere, the shortest distance between two points always follows a 'great circle'. That is, a circle that divides the sphere into two halves. It might seem, therefore, that planning the route an airplane follows is very simply a matter of following such a circle. However, the earth is much more complicated. Airlines must take into account dozens of variables, such as weather conditions, air traffic, political no-fly zones, fuel considerations, and the desirability of optimal flight paths. Complex computer algorithms are used to churn out flight paths, in a process known as flight planning. In some cases, the path an airline takes from A to B will be completely different from the one it takes from B to A.

-E

November 20th, 2016

The Rickshaw Run is a rally held thrice annually in India, where participants custom paint autorickshaws, and drive them across the country.

-E

November 19th, 2016

The sceptre-like utensil used to dribble honey onto toast or cakes is called a honey dipper. It certainly looks somewhat bizarre, but, as honey has high viscosity (thickness), any twisted into the spaces between the circular disks at the front will only begin dripping out after a few seconds: enough time to arrive safely above your target. By contrast honey will run off a knife somewhat faster than it will run out of the groves of a dipper. Making one requires finesse, as they are quite delicate, but the procedure can be quite satisfying to watch.

Bonus:

On the topic of kitchen quirks, a 'pinch' is a well known cookbook instruction when adding salt, sugar, or spices. However, various sources throughout the years have tried to associate an exact quantity to this term. Unfortunately there is quite a range of suggestions for this: usually either  ¹⁄₈, ¹⁄₁₆, or ¹⁄₂₄ of a teaspoon. Perhaps it depends on the size of the author's fingers.

-E

November 18th, 2016

Spirited Away, released in 2001 and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, still stands 15 years later as the highest grossing film in Japan. It is also the only hand-drawn animated film to receive an Oscar for Best Animated Film. As with many of Miyazaki's films, and perhaps explaining their success, the delivery is colourful and fantastical, yet the themes explored are deep and unsettling. Spirited Away tackles the ailments of a carelessly modernizing Japan: corruption, pollution, capitalism, and a loss of identity. Chihiro, the protagonist, fights against these ills with her youthful benevolence, as of yet untainted by age. Miyazaki's other magnum opus, My Neighbour Totoro, supposedly contains even more macabre foundations. The plot contains striking similarities to the Sayama Incident, in which a 16 year old girl was raped and murdered.

-E

November 17th, 2016

In India, at the end of a meal a bowl on fennel seeds are often presented, sometimes mixed with other spices. In Hindi these are called सौंफ (saunf), and are meant to give a pleasant freshness at the end of a meal, as well as help with digestion. They are sometimes coated in, or accompanied by, colourful sugars.

-E

November 16th, 2016

Delhi has been expanding fast. The metro area now has over 25,000,000 people, making it the 3rd biggest city after only Jakarta and Tokyo. The city has grown outwards and spilled over into two neighbouring states: it now has territory in Delhi Capital Territory, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Around the city, new urban areas have been planned to accommodate spillover, such as Gurgaon to the south, and Noida to the east. The latter stands for New Okhla Industrial Development Authority, which now comprises roughly one million people.

Bonus:

Turning a clock or watch upside-down in the UK will give you the time in India, and vice-versa, but only when Daylight Savings Time is not in effect (as India does not observe the switch).

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November 15th, 2016

The Jhelum Express is a passenger train that runs from Pune north through Delhi, and then ends in Jammu. The train is named after the Jhelum River, in Kashmir. It transports many soldiers up into the militarily active region up against the Pakistani border. As with many trains in India, the front sections are cheap to ride, and without reservation, meaning hoards of Indians begin clamouring onto it before it has even stopped, keen to secure a cheap ride.

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November 14th, 2016

The Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT) is a group of 30 radio telescopes, each 45 meters across, built in 1995 near Pune, India. The individual telescopes coordinate to act as a giant telescope 25 km wide. If wind-speeds rise above 60 kph, the dishes all face directly upright and lock into place to protect the machinery from buckling. When technicians go to check on the individual telescopes they bang on the doors before entering. This is to scare away any snakes, which are common in the arid lands the array was built on.

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November 13th, 2016

Some religious buildings are churches, others are cathedrals, and others still are basilicas. What makes each unique is summarized quite while in this post. To summarize, Churches are any place of Christian worship, no matter how simple. Cathedrals are churches that contain the seat of a bishop (which may be a symbolic seat, and not a literal one). The term Basilica is sometimes used to designate any large building that was designed in a similar style to the Roman basilica. However it can also be used to refer to any building granted special status and importance by the pope.

Bonus:

To take this a bit further, Abbeys were or are the church of a monastic order, under the governance of an abbot or abbesse (the head of a group of monks or nuns). A Shrine is a sacred place dedicated to a figure (human or other-worldly), and is the only term in this list not exclusive to Christianity.

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November 12th, 2016

In Borneo, the bizarre and tragic story of an orangutan named Pony shocked the world when it came to light. Pony had been captured, shaven, tied up, and used as a prostitute by her owner, who sold her to local men. In 2003 she was discovered and rehabilitated, and now lives a much happier life.

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November 11th, 2016

After the 2nd World War, many measures were taking to prevent a 3rd one from breaking out. One was the founding of the United Nations. Another was organizing a series of 'Sister Cities', meant to promote exchange between cultures. In recent times the concept has become somewhat more business oriented, however alliances continue to be forged. According to a recent paper, the city with the most sisters is Saint-Petersburg, with 78.

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November 10th, 2016

After eliminating the 500 and 1000 ₹ on Wednesday, the 2000 ₹ note has now been introduced in India. The note is magenta, and features Gandhi as did the old notes. The reverse side shows the Mars Orbiter Mission. To some it may seem strange to have modest Gandhi on one side, and a grandiose space mission on the other. However, at 73 million US dollars, the Orbiter Mission was also quite modest in what it accomplished. It is the cheapest Mars mission to date.

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November 9th, 2016

The SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), founded in 1984, searches the sky for radio signals that could have originated from other intelligent life in the universe. In 2015, on behalf of SETI, Stephen Hawking and Yuri Milner announced the Breakthrough Listen project, which will examine radio signals from ten million stars over the next 10 years.

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November 8th, 2016

India opted to eliminate 500 and 1000 ₹ notes today, in an effort to combat counterfeiting. At 8pm it was announced that the bills would cease to be legal tender at midnight, inciting some scrambling around the country to get rid of any extra bills.

Bonus:

Indonesian is written with the Roman Script, and doesn't have explicit tenses, nor gendered nouns.

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November 7th, 2016

During the Cold War, Americans set up a radar surveillance system to prevent against any Soviet attacks. However, on May 23rd, 1967 a massive solar flare knocked out the radar. The US, thinking the Soviets had jammed their systems, immediate began preparing for war. However, thankfully some military space-weather forecasters noticed the coincidence, and narrowly avoided a full scale nuclear war.

Bonus:

Fast Radio Bursts, or FRBs, are quick and powerful bursts of energy in the radio range that seem to originate outside the Milky Way. Their origins are unknown. Luckily radio frequencies are not as dangerous as gamma-ray frequencies...

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November 6th, 2016

In Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport you can buy sweet tea in cups made out of clay, called कुल्हड़ (kulhar). These have been used for millennia, and were one of the earliest forms of disposable cups -- after drinking they can be tossed on the ground and crushed. The cups are still quite popular in Kolkata, where they are called भर (bhar), and can be bought in the streets for a few rupees. Many Indians swear by them, saying that the clay enhances the taste. Others, however, point out the environmental detriments of producing one-use clay cups en-mass.

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November 5th, 2016

Nov 5 - 21 I am in India for an Astrophysics conference, and posts may reflect that.

The largest festival in India is Diwali, or the 'Festival of Lights'. The festival is marked by many colourful celebrations, including many fireworks. The smoke from all the fireworks causes the city to be engulfed in smoke for many days, and pollution levels can reach quite dangerous levels.

Bonus:

The largest ever evacuation took place in Kuwait during the 1900s, during the Persion Gulf war. Roughly 175,500 Indians were airlifted out of the war-zone through 488 specially chartered passenger flights.

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November 4th, 2016

When trying to wrap a rectangular present, sometimes we miscalculate how much paper we will need, and the two sides don't quite meet up to fully cover the item. Somewhat counter-intuitively, if you place the present down tilted relative to the paper, you will find that diagonally wrapping the item is very slightly more paper efficient, and may allow you to fully conceal it.

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November 3rd, 2016

The capital cities of many countries are often also the largest city, however this doesn't always hold true. 36 countries have capitals that go against this trend. However, amongst these many capitals are close seconds (Yaoundé, Quito, Abu Dhabi, etc.) and others are the largest if you consider the metro area as well (New Delhi, Vaduz, Valletta, etc). After controlling for these, only 15 world capitals are truly dwarfed (4+ times smaller) by larger cities: Brasilia, Belmopan, Ottawa, Canberra, Sucre, Yamoussoukro, Rabat, Naypyidaw, Wellington, Islamabad, Abuja, Ngerulmud, Washington DC, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, and Dodoma. Oyala will soon join this list as well.

Bonus:

Of these cities, Ngerulmud (the capital of Palau) is the most dramatic example of disproportionately small capitals: over 40 times smaller than the largest city, Koror. In fact with only about 300 people, Ngerulmud is the smallest world capital (Vatican has around 450).

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November 2nd, 2016

As the first modern humans expanded around the globe, they eventually tackled the last section of earth warm enough to sustain life: the pacific islands. Their progress continued fairly quickly, and by around 1500 BC they had reached Fiji. However then progress seems to have stopped, and islands further east weren't touched by humanity for another 2000 years, a period known as the 'Long Pause'. A new theory suggests that the hindrance might have been strong winds experienced east of Fiji, which took two millennia of technological advancements to overcome.

Bonus:

The suffix 'don' or 'den' comes from the Old English word for 'hill', and is often found in the names of persons or places.

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November 1st, 2016

Traditionally, in a similar fashion to orthodox Muslim women, after marriage Hindu women were also supposed to veil their faces with a fabric called a ghoonghat. Tides began changing around the 3rd century CE, as is chronicled in an ancient sutra, in which a bride refuses to hide her face, insisting that women who veil their minds have no need to veil their faces. In most parts of India women no longer cover their faces, however the old tradition is still somewhat preserved by the duppata, which must be worn by Indians (Hindu and Muslims alike) when entering a place of worship.

Bonus:

Leonardo DiCaprio and National Geographic have teamed up for a powerful documentary about climate change.

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October 31st, 2016

In 1911, a man walked out of the forest in California and became somewhat of a legend. He was the last member of a group of Native Americans called the Yahi people. Due to the Yahi custom of never speaking your own name, he became known as Ishi, meaning 'man' in his native language. During the California Gold Rush the Yahi were massacred by settlers. Eventually Ishi, his mother, sister, and uncle, were the only four remaining. His mother passed away, and his sister and uncle disappeared into the woods, leaving Ishi alone for four years before he finally opted to leave the wilderness. He spent the remaining five years of his life at Berkeley, where he shared much of his language and culture with linguists and anthropologists.

Bonus:

Bananas used to have large seeds, but varieties that have effectively none are now the norm. However, these strains are asexual, and must be cultivated by pruning and replanting shoots. This can keep a plantation going for 25 years, and all plants are effectively clones! The process of cultivating fruits such as bananas that are modified to remain seedless is referred to as Parthenocarpy.

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October 30th, 2016

In Laos you can stay in a treetop hotel, where you access other areas of the 'hotel' via zipline.

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October 29th, 2016

In Korea, a yearly standardized nation-wide university entrance exam is considered one of the most important challenges in a student's life. During the exam, plane traffic is limited, so the sounds of planes flying overhead don't distract the test-goers.

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October 28th, 2016

Although not the first attempt to set down a system of laws through which to govern, the Code of Hammurabi was one of most elaborate early attempts. The work was completed in the last years of Babylonian King Hammurabi's life, and he hoped it would help future rulers manage society. It is most known for the first mention of lex talionis, or 'an eye for an eye', however it also included broad rules for everything from marine law to witchcraft accusations to divorce. In many ways the rules were quite ahead of their time, suggesting that a woman has a right to financial compensation if a man divorces her, and should be free to remarry. Although punishments were still quite arcane, and often involved being thrown into a river and allowing the gods to decide your fate.

Bonus 1:

Atop the pillar upon which the Code of Hammurabi is inscribed is a carving of the ancient Semitic sun god, Shamash, handing wisdom to Hammurabi. The name of this god is still preserved in the Arabic word for sun, شَمْس (Shams).

Bonus 2:

Some East Asian cultures measure their ages starting roughly at conception (meaning they are considered to be one year old at birth), and also add a year each new year. That means that if a baby is born the day before the new year, by the time they are one day old by western standards they would be considered to be 2 years old in East Asia.

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October 27th, 2016

In 1922 a temperature of 58.0 C, measured in Libya, became the world record for hottest temperature ever observed on Earth. But as Randall Munroe mentions in his discussion of temperature records, this has now been disproved. The director of the climate department at the Libyan National Meteorological Centred, who provided key documents in the investigation of this record, was shot at and nearly killed during the Libyan Civil War in 2011. Had he not survived, the erroneous record may have.

Bonus:

The common swift can stay airborne for months: sleeping, eating, migrating, and even mating without landing.

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October 26th, 2016

The most powerful volcanic eruption since modern humans have existed was the Toba Supereruption about 75,000 years ago, which led to a winter that lasted years. Genetic records show that roughly around this time modern humans (as well as several other species) suffered a bottleneck, possibly being reduced to only a few thousand individuals.

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October 25th, 2016

On China's flag, the big star represents the Communist Party, while the four smaller ones represent the four social classes (working class, peasantry, urban bourgeoisie, and national bourgeoisie). The small stars are all rotated slightly relative to one another, to give the impression that they are radiating outwards. During the 2016 Olympics, Chinese Officials were disappointed to see that this detail had been omitted from the flag. Canada also occasionally suffers flag mix-ups...

Bonus:

Bees have two stomachs, one for digesting food, and another for collecting nectar and processing honey. In their six week lifetime they only make 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey.

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October 24th, 2016

When you are falling asleep, and suddenly your body jerks unexpectedly and wakes you up, you have experienced a Hypnic Jerk. The reason for these is still unknown, however one explanation is that it is an archaic evolutionary adaptation for when early humans slept in trees. When your muscles relax as you fall asleep, your body thinks you are slipping off a tree branch and quickly jolts awake to prevent the fall.

Bonus 1:

A youtuber has taught a program to play Super Mario, and provides an excellent explanation of Neural Networks to accompany the project.

Bonus 2:

Someone who loves cats is called an Ailurophile.

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October 23rd, 2016

The word 'Métis' in North America refers to a group of Aboriginals who trace their ancestry back to both First Nations groups and Europeans. However, in France the term describes anyone who is mixed-race. For some blacks these mixed-race Métis are seen as neither black, nor white until they marry. The colour of their spouse is seen as deciding their race.

Bonus:

The largest power outage in history took place in India in summer 2012. It left 9% of the world's population without power!

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October 22nd, 2016

In 1592 Catherine de' Medici wedded her Catholic daughter to a Protestant in Paris. The unorthodox union caused tensions to erupt in Paris, and Catholic mob violence spread all throughout France. The event, know as the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, is estimated to have resulted in the death of between 5,000 and 30,000 Protestants.

Bonus:

The language of Madagascar is called Malagasy. It was originally written with a variant of the Arabic script called Sorabe. How the Arabic script was introduced to the island is unknown. The Malagasy word for 'Thank You' is 'Misaotra'.

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October 21st, 2016

The List of Kings is an ancient text that chronicles early Mesopotamian kings dating back to over 2900 BC, and is the only known reference to many of them. Some are said to have reigned for many thousands of years, so there may be some slight inaccuracies. The wife of Sargon of Akkad, one of the most famous kings, is only known to have existed from a single pottery fragment!

Bonus:

You can watch a live feed from the ISS 24 hours!

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