What if snowflakes actually looked like pizza slices and hail stones resembled pretzels? In a research conducted as a part of NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement mission, scientists have discovered that raindrops look like hamburger buns! It has been a long-standing belief that raindrops are tear-shaped. Cartoonists, illustration artists, doodle experts, and anyone who wishes to represent…
On 7th December, 1972, the crew members of Apollo 17 spacecraft took a photograph of the Earth. This photograph, known as The Blue Marble, gives a clear idea as to why we know Earth as the Blue Planet. The earth’s surface contains more than 70 per cent water distributed in the oceans. Water molecules in…
The peregrine falcon, earlier known as the ‘duck hawk’, is the fastest flying bird on the planet. With an average diving speed of 320 km/h during its hunting stoop, the bird becomes the fastest living creature in the world. The peregrine falcon holds the record for the maximum airspeed of 389 km/h. Barring extreme polar regions, high…
Every minute 750 ml of blood gets pumped through your brain, which is merely 15–20 per cent of blood flow from the heart. An adult brain requires about 20 per cent of the body’s oxygen. To meet this requirement, and other metabolic needs of the neurons, approximately 20 per cent of the blood flow is directed…
The word ‘limey’ refers to a British person, in general, and a British sailor, in particular. It originated in the 19th century and was a derogatory name for sailors in the Royal Navy. In the 17th and 18th centuries, British sailors who were at sea for more than a month often suffered from scurvy. Dr James Lind, a Scottish physician,…
It is believed that the name ‘Spain’, of the beautiful European country and the land of the famous La Tomatina festival, has its origins in the Phoenecian word hispanihad, which means ‘the land of rabbits’. Indeed the country has a huge population of rabbits.
