Do you know what people. "Did you know that ..." - a selection of amazing facts

22.12.2021 -

Where is more caffeine - coffee or tea?

But did you know that, despite the recent fashion statement that there is more caffeine in a cup of tea than in coffee, this is still not true. Dry tea leaves do contain a higher percentage of caffeine than coffee beans. However, when it comes to cups, the average cup of tea has about three times less caffeine than the same cup of coffee because more beans are needed to make coffee.

The level of caffeine in each particular cup of tea or coffee depends, of course, primarily on many factors that, unfortunately, we cannot influence in any way, and it is not always possible to track them: the level of caffeine will be different depending on their varieties, from where the grains or tea leaves are grown, how they were roasted or cut (in the case of tea).

But there are other factors that are entirely under our control. For example, the temperature of the water with which you prepare tea or coffee. The higher it is, the more caffeine is “sucked out” from tea leaves or coffee beans. Apparently, this is why smart Chinese never brew tea with boiling water. The duration of contact of water with leaves or grains also affects: the longer, the more caffeine you will have in the bowl.

Muse of Hokusai

Did you know that the symbol of Japan - Mount Fuji (or Fujiyama), is revered by Shintoists and Buddhists as a sacred place, the abode of deities, spirits, and the main spirit of the mountain - Konohana Sakuya-hime - is female. No wonder Fuji is perfectly symmetrical. This (or this) Spirit once did not shelter the Great Ancestor, and for this a snow cap was piled on top of the mountain. But for two months, from July to September, Fuji is freed from snow and becomes available for climbing.

The first monk climbed to the top in 663, and the first temples appeared on the slopes. Pilgrims in white robes and with staves climbed to the sacred peak. There was even a Shinto-Buddhist society of worshipers of the mountain, which proclaimed the volcano a pillar of the nation and state.

Interestingly, although the spirit of the mountain is feminine, women were forbidden to climb the sacred mountain until the end of the 19th century. The first, of course, climbed an Englishwoman - Lady Parkes in 1867. Even now, for religious Japanese, climbing Mount Fuji is like visiting Mecca for Muslims. There is a proverb in Japan: “He who has never climbed Mount Fuji is a fool. He who rises twice is doubly foolish.” Like this! Divine beauty should reach the first time!

St. Bernards against drunkenness

Did you know that the St. Bernards never wore a keg of brandy around their necks. As you know, St. Bernards are a breed of dogs that have long been used by monks from the Saint Bernard Orphanage on the Great Pass in the Alps between Italy and Switzerland. Initially, the dogs simply carried provisions on themselves, and people began to be rescued a little later. However, the St. Bernards were never supplied with brandy during rescue operations (after all, giving brandy to people with hypothermia, i.e. with hypothermia, is very dangerous). The barrel first appeared around the neck of dogs in an 1831 painting by the artist Edwin Landseer titled Alpine Mastiffs Rescue a Lost Traveler. The artist added this detail "for piquancy." And after all, like some other misconceptions, it took root. To this day, St. Bernards invariably pose for tourists with a barrel of brandy around their necks.

How did the drafters of the American Constitution view slaves?

Did you know that during the drafting of the US Constitution (the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia in 1787), the question of what should be understood by the "population of the state" aroused an interesting debate. The question of the population was decisive for the development of a system of representation of a particular state in the legislative and executive bodies - it was necessary to determine how this population should be counted, in connection with which the issue of slavery was first officially raised.

The delegates from the southern states insisted on the inclusion of slaves in the general population of the country, it was beneficial for them - after all, the larger the population of the state, the greater should be its representation in the federal government (although, of course, there was no question of slaves accepting participation in the real solution of political issues). The northerners, on the other hand, agreed to take into account the slaves, but on the basis of the rights of the "property" of the southerners, because the population of the southern states should have decreased from this, but the property taxes received by the federal treasury would increase. After long discussions, the delegates found an original way out: the composition of the state's population - equally for the purpose of representation and taxation, included ... three-fifths of the total number of slaves!

What is Big Ben?

But did you know that Big Ben is not at all the tall tower of the Palace of Westminster (popularly the Parliament), which is usually depicted on every second postcard with views of London. And not even the clock that decorates this tower. Big Ben is the bell behind the clock face. It weighs almost 14 tons, it is more than two meters high and about three meters in diameter.

Where this name of the bell came from, no one can still say for sure. According to one version, the bell was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who supervised the casting of bells. According to another version - in honor of Benjamin Count - a heavyweight boxer popular at that time - the bell was supposedly named after their idol by the workers who delivered "Big Ben" from the Whitechapel foundries to the Parliament building on a cart drawn by 16 white horses.

By the way, the very tower of the Parliament building, on which the clock hangs, behind which Big Ben is hiding, is called St. Stephen's Tower. Its height is 96 meters, and inside there is a narrow spiral staircase with 334 steps.

More tolerant than God

Did you know that recently the Council of Europe found signs of sexism in the words “dad” and mum.” Words with a gender color have already been taken out of the business language in Switzerland, and soon in all European countries it will be necessary to say “parents” instead of “dad” and “mother”, or “parent” - in the singular. But the Scottish Episcopal Church went even further in its tolerance. They developed new liturgical texts in which, when addressing God, his gender is not indicated. The Church Committee proposes that instead of “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” the phrase “In the name of the creator, savior and saint” be used during divine services. And the British clerics from the “Movement for the Reformation of Judaism” already two years ago changed the gender of God, calling God in the neuter gender in the new prayer book.

Interesting facts about Jupiter

1. Did you know that Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, has a mass 2.5 times greater than the mass of all the other planets in the solar system combined. True, this is only about 1/1047 of the mass of the Sun.

2. Did you know that the Great Red Spot on the planet Jupiter is a giant anticyclone that has been going on for at least 350 years (since it could be seen from Earth), but it may have existed for much longer. It can be up to 40,000 km long and 14,000 km wide. This vortex rotates counterclockwise at a speed of 300-500 km / h (in different parts).

3. Did you know that Jupiter also has the largest official number of satellites - 63 (today), although it is believed that there may be at least a hundred of them. The vast majority of them have a diameter of 2 - 4 kilometers.

toothy whiteblood

Did you know that scientists know only one invertebrate, in the blood of which there are no erythrocytes (red blood cells) and, accordingly, hemoglobin. This means that the blood of such an animal is absolutely colorless. This miracle of nature is called - ice fish or, less often, pike whitefish. Whiteblood looks impressive ...

Icefish live in Antarctic waters at great depths - usually from 200 to 700 m, but deep subspecies can also live at a depth of 1 - 2 thousand meters. Actually, it was life in very cold waters (up to -2’C) that caused such a unique blood. The fact is that when the temperature drops, the viscosity of the blood increases very sharply, so nature responded to this challenge in an original way, taking away the function of oxygen transfer from the blood - removing red blood cells and hemoglobin (a protein that binds oxygen to transfer it with blood to body tissues). This caused the entire metabolism of the icefish to change; they receive oxygen directly - dissolved in the blood, dissolved in water (absorbing it with the skin), and increased circulation is provided by a large heart, which works much more intensively than that of their "relatives".

Einstein - President of Israel

Did you know that in 1952, after the death of the first President of Israel, Chaim Weizmann, David Ben-Gurion, then Prime Minister of Israel, invited Albert Einstein to lead Israel as President of the Republic. Einstein, meanwhile, refused, saying that he had neither the ability nor experience in dealing with people.

In fairness, it should be noted that Israel is a parliamentary republic, and the president does not play such a significant role there as, for example, the prime minister.

Dinner is served

Did you know that scientists, having studied many paintings painted in different centuries, came to the conclusion that portions of food in these same paintings are invariably growing. People began to eat more and more - a fact that has been talked about so much lately, the Vansin brothers decided to prove it scientifically. One of the brothers, Brion, is a professor at Cornell University and director of the Nutrition Institute. And the other is Greg, a professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia. The results of their research were published in the May issue of The International Journal of Obesity.

The Vansin brothers decided to study one of the most famous paintings dedicated to the meal - the Last Supper. For this purpose, they selected over 50 paintings painted between 1000 and 1800. Among the paintings studied were the masterpieces of Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, El Greco and others. As a result, scientists came to the conclusion that the main course for the specified period increased by 69%, the size of dishes - by 66%, and the amount of bread consumed - by 23%. And the pace of life accelerated after 1800, and apparently we began to eat quite a lot ...

The longest mourning in history

Did you know that the English Queen Victoria (ruled from 1837 to 1901) loved her husband Albert so much, who died in 1861, that the queen spent the next 40 years in deepest mourning. She never took off her black dress, and in the room of Prince Albert at Windsor Castle, there was literally a cult of his personality.

After his death, the room was carefully photographed in order to preserve everything as it was under the prince. For example, the glass from which he drank, taking the last pills in his life, stood at the head of his bed for 40 years. Every evening, by special order of Queen Victoria, a maid brought hot water to the prince's bathroom and laid out his evening suit on the bed. And visitors to Windsor were required to enter the prince's guest book, as well as the queen's guest book, "as before." That's how it happens.

Do you crack your fingers?

Do you know what “crunches” in the finger when a person abruptly pulls it out, grabbing it with the other hand? According to the most common version, a vacuum is created in the joint space between the bones, which is usually filled with fluid. A crackling sound is heard when the same liquid is rapidly pouring in here.

By the way, the myth about the development of arthritis from “crunching” fingers has not been confirmed by scientists (although arthritis does crack the joints). But other unpleasant consequences of frequent crunching were found - a decrease in the grip force of the hand and damage to the ligaments and soft tissues of the joints. So, it's better not to crunch!

Ideal musical instrument

Did you know that Finland has been hosting an annual air guitar competition for almost 15 years now. The air guitar is played by people who do not know how to play a real guitar, but they really want to - because the main thing here is to portray the game, and the more emotionally, the better. Tearing imaginary strings, falling to your knees, waving your arms - these are all standard tricks of the air guitarist. In general, an ideal tool for a small apartment with thin walls - you get pleasure and do not interfere with your neighbors during rehearsals.

Since 1996, the International Air Guitar Competition has been held in the Finnish city of Oulu and is part of the Oulu Music and Video Festival. Initially, air guitar competitions were conceived as a joke, a side entertainment for festival guests. However, over time, these fights have gained real popularity, almost more than the festival itself. Now, in order to get the opportunity to perform at the festival, you need to go through the qualifying rounds in your countries. In the final, participants perform two songs each: one is obligatory, the other is of their choice. Well, the main prize in these competitions is, you won't believe it, a real electric guitar. In a strange way, it reminds of a children's joke: “If you behave well, we will pour water into the pool for you!” ...

Favorite flowers of our mothers

Did you know that that cute yellow plant that all our Soviet childhood dads gave to moms on March 8, and the kids happily depicted on postcards to the same moms, is actually not a mimosa. In fact, this is a silver acacia - its early flowering is due to the fact that it originally comes from the Southern Hemisphere, where it is summer from December to February. The biological memory of the time of flowering remained even when the plant arrived in the Caucasus in the middle of the 19th century - where it still blooms in early spring.

The real mimosa grows in the subtropics of South America, and the most famous species is the shy mimosa. The plant got its unusual name because its leaves are terribly sensitive and fold, clinging to the stem, from the slightest touch or other irritation. Of course, both mimosa and acacia, close to our hearts, belong to the same subfamily of mimosa, the legume family. But still, just in case, do not confuse mimosa with acacia, otherwise why are we telling you all these interesting facts.

most expensive spice

Did you know that the spice that gives color and smell to Spanish paella - saffron - is made from delicate crocus flowers? Rather, from the stamens of this flower. The pickers pick the delicate flowers by hand and then separate the stamens from the useless pistils. In Mesopotamia, saffron was used as early as 3000 BC. Hetaerae of Ancient Greece, knowing that saffron is a powerful aphrodisiac, scattered it in their bedrooms. Cleopatra, preparing for a romantic date, loved to soak in a bath with saffron. And the European herbalist Culpepper warned in 1649 that excessive consumption of saffron can lead to death from uncontrollable laughter, because. Saffron is also a natural antidepressant. Saffron is the most expensive spice. Previously, many European countries, especially Spain, decorated fields with purple crocuses; Now crocuses are bred mainly in Iran. An interesting fact is that 170 thousand flowers are used to produce 1 kg of saffron; that is why several tens of billions of crocuses bloom every year in Iran. For this kilogram in the USA they are ready to pay 700 dollars, but since in recipes, saffron is used in pinches, then even a gram of it is enough for many paellas.

Simultaneous session

Did you know that the song "Smoke on the water", most famously performed by Deep Purple, entered the Guinness Book of Records as the song that was performed by the largest number of guitarists at the same time - there were 1802 of them. This "simultaneous session" happened on July 23 2007 in the German city of Leinfelden, near Stuttgart. Of course, this was not the first record in this area - Smoke on the water is played massively very, very often. Interestingly, the previous record was set just three weeks before the Leinfelden - July 3, 2007 in Kansas, USA.

Act on the sly like real sappers!

But did you know that the expression “to act on the sly” and the word “sapper” actually have much more in common than it might seem at first glance. The word "sapper" came to us from French, in which, in turn, appeared from the word sape, which means "hoe". This word, starting from the 16th century, denoted a method of digging a trench or tunnel to approach the enemy's defensive fortifications or destroy them. So, for example, to destroy enemy walls, a trench broke through under their base. To prevent the walls from falling ahead of time and betraying the intention of the attackers, the walls were reinforced with wooden supports, which were later set on fire, and the wall sagged, forming an opening into which the invaders rushed. Subsequently, powder bombs began to be placed in dug trenches, and the people who did this were called "sappers". From the same word comes the expression “to act on the sly” - to act imperceptibly, quietly. Originally, it meant "to dig unnoticed".

Impressionism and progress

Did you know that the emergence of impressionism in painting is largely due to new technical possibilities. In order to capture their impressions and the play of light on the canvases, the artists had to paint outside the walls of the workshop, in the open air. But until the middle of the XIX century. it was very difficult for artists to go outside with oil paints, because paints were stored in bags made from pig bladders. This thin material was cut into squares, in the center of which wet paint was placed, making small convolutions. To squeeze the paint onto the palette, it was necessary to pierce the bundle, and then repair the puncture site again; the paint dried quickly. Only in 1842, the American portrait painter John Goff Rand invented, and a year later received a patent for the invention of durable tin tubes for oil paints. Without a portable box of paints in such tubes, neither Cezanne, nor Monet, nor Sisley, nor Pissarro would probably have taken place.

Shishkin and the bears

Did you know that Ivan Shishkin did not write his masterpiece dedicated to bears in the forest alone. An interesting fact is that for the image of bears, Shishkin attracted the famous animal painter Konstantin Savitsky, who coped with the task excellently. Shishkin quite fairly appreciated the contribution of the companion, so he asked him to put his signature under the picture next to his own. In this form, the canvas “Morning in a Pine Forest” was brought to Pavel Tretyakov, who managed to buy a painting from the artist in the process of work. Seeing the signatures, Tretyakov was indignant: they say that he ordered the painting to Shishkin, and not to a tandem of artists. Well, he ordered to wash off the second signature. So they put up a picture with the signature of one Shishkin.

Free City of Christiania

Did you know that one of the quarters of Copenhagen is a “state within a state”, a “city within a city”, which has a special semi-legal status and partial independence. This quarter is called "Free City of Christiania", and hippies live in it. It all began in the 1970s, when a cosmopolitan, long-haired youth, believing in free love and an open, self-regulating society, moved into the abandoned military barracks of King Christian by squatting. Each of the city's 1,000 residents is responsible for the well-being of the community and can speak in the Christiania Community Council. All attempts by the Danish government to eliminate Christiania led to clashes between residents and the police, but over time a consensus was developed. Now hard drugs are banned in Christiania, and marijuana is allowed, and this is part of the won freedom, financial and spiritual independence.

All shops and cafes in Christiania pay taxes to the general treasury, from which part is transferred to the government. The Council of Elders from the same treasury hires the inhabitants of Christiania to clean up the territory, repair paths, but they work only at will, without fanaticism. There are no guns, no thefts and no cars in Christiania, but there is a bank, a school and several concert halls. Those who do not fit in the old barracks build themselves unpretentious housing themselves. Christianity is not growing. Someone's children, growing up, leave for the outer, more comfortable world, but in any generation there is a certain number of people who choose freedom.

What to throw at a carnival participant?

Did you know that confetti is an Italian phenomenon. It originates, no matter how surprisingly well it sounds, from sweets, or rather from “sugar products” - this is a literal translation. Italians in the 19th century were very fond of showering carnival participants with various sweets, such as sugar-coated almonds. This is where the word "confetti" comes from. True, over time, sweets were replaced with cardboard balls so that it would not hurt so much.

Confetti in the modern form of multi-colored paper circles of small size, as well as various small paper figures - this is already French "know-how". In 1884, scattering flat multi-colored pieces of paper around, the owner of the Café de Paris casino met the guests.

Apathy is the way to achieve perfection

Did you know that in Greek philosophy the word "apathy" had an emotional connotation that was radically opposite to our modern understanding. Now we understand apathy as an indifferent, indifferent attitude to the surrounding reality and consider apathy as a psychological disease. Translated from Greek, this word also means something similar - "immunity", but in those days it was used to denote the ideal moral state of a person, "completely freed from harmful affects and passions." According to the Stoics, it was to this state that every person should strive, so he could achieve perfection. So maybe we just do not understand apathetic people badly?

Aztec pencils

Did you know that graphite pencils can be almost free of graphite? Of course, it happened that real graphite was used in drawing. The Aztecs, according to Cortes, used crayons made of gray mineral, and Pliny reports that papyri were lined with graphite. Italian artists of the Early Renaissance drew with pencils made from a mixture of graphite and tin, which was easily erased by breadcrumbs. In England, since the 16th century, very high-quality graphite has been mined. It was mainly used for military needs, only a small part went to expensive pencils, and only in the 17th century did they guess to place graphite in a hollow wooden stick (before that, artists wrapped fragile graphite with threads). But in the 18th century the French put an end to the English monopoly. In 1794, Nicolas Conte took low-grade French graphite, ground it into a powder, and mixed it with clay. Since then, we choose pencils for softness, i.e. according to the ratio of graphite and clay: the less clay they contain, the softer they are.

Heliocentric world - from whom did Copernicus copy?

Did you know that in the manuscript of his book De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (On the Rotations of the Celestial Spheres), Nicolaus Copernicus mentioned the views of the ancient Greek scientist Aristarchus, but this reference disappeared in the final edition of the book. Apparently, in order not to compromise the originality expressed by Copernicus. Already later, the priority of Aristarchus in creating the heliocentric system was recognized by the Copernicans themselves - Galileo and Kepler. Little is known about Aristarchus of Samos himself - he was an ancient Greek astronomer, mathematician and philosopher and lived around the 3rd century BC. e. He was the first to propose a heliocentric system of the world (we know about this from the work of Archimedes, who writes that Aristarchus “believes that the fixed stars and the Sun do not change their place in space, that the Earth moves in a circle around the Sun, which is in its center, and that the center of the sphere of fixed stars coincides with the center of the Sun”), and also developed a scientific method for determining the distances to the Sun and the Moon and their sizes (for example, he says that the angular dimensions of both luminaries in the sky are approximately the same and, therefore, the Sun is the same times larger than the moon, how many times farther).

Why is Hyde Park called Hyde Park?

Did you know that the name of Hyde Park - one of the largest London parks - comes from the ancient unit of area measurement - hyde. Hyde in Anglo-Saxon Britain denoted the amount of land sufficient to support one family of a free peasant. An interesting fact is that in different regions the sizes of land plots, which corresponded to 1 guide, differed, since in fact the guide was a value indicating the productivity of the land, and not its size. Therefore, if in Cambridgeshire one hyde could be about 120 acres of land, then in Dorset it was only 40 acres. Hyde Park itself was open to the public under King James I - and even then very carefully - they were only allowed to know, and for money. The general public was allowed into the park only in 1637 under Charles I.

In a healthy body healthy mind!

Did you know that the winged Latin expression “A healthy mind in a healthy body”, so beloved by all our physical education teachers, is taken from Juvenal’s satire. Well, great, so what's the interesting fact, you ask. And the fact that Juvenal in his satire invested in these lines the meaning is directly opposite to the reading we loved. Here is an excerpt from the work of Juvenal, translated by F.A. Petrovsky:

If you ask for something and offer sacrifices to the sanctuaries -

There is offal, sausage, which he cooked from a white pig, -

We must pray for a healthy mind in a healthy body.

Ask a cheerful spirit that does not know the fear of death,

Who considers the limit of his life as a gift of nature,

What is able to endure difficulties

"Red Gold" Australia

Did you know that the very first paint used by people of all continents since the advent of painting was ocher - iron oxide. First of all, painting originated in Australia, where artists painted with ocher more than 40 thousand years ago. There were several deposits on the continent. From ancient times up to our time, the natives revered their ocher mines, around which customs and legends developed. For example, the Aborigines who lived in the Lake Eyre region made an annual pilgrimage, setting off on a two-month journey over 1000 miles to collect "red gold" (about 20 kg of ocher in the form of round tiles, folded into a kangaroo skin shoulder bag). Aborigines used ocher for ritual coloring, and red (burned) ocher was applied to the chest of boys at their initiation into men. On the protected Arnhemland peninsula, there are thousands of ocher rock paintings that tell about rainbow snakes and hunting spirits, as well as drawings in the “spray technique”, when the artist, having filled his mouth with wet ocher, sprayed it over his palm, applied to the cave wall.

Album white paint

Did you know that the word "album" means "white paint" - it comes from the Latin album. The fact is that initially, in ancient Rome, the album was a planed wooden board, the surface of which was covered with plaster: official messages were written on them, and then hung out in some public place where a large number of people could get acquainted with the information. In the Middle Ages, this concept began to mean a pack of white sheets for business and household records, and then stitched sheets. In this sense, the word has come down to us.

For macaques! For Britain!

Did you know that there are still monkeys living in the wild in Europe (once, judging by the excavations, there were quite a few of them throughout Europe). True, this is just one species, and they live in one place - Gibraltar. The Barbary macaque (or magot) is the only European monkey, also the only macaque not living in Asia. Magots also live in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. An interesting belief is connected with the Magots in Gibraltar - they say that as long as at least one monkey lives on the rock, the city will remain British. Apparently, therefore, since 1855, the Magots have been under the official patronage of the British Navy. There is also a well-known aphorism associated with this belief, showing the determination of Great Britain to maintain its control over Gibraltar at any cost: "We will protect the monkeys to the last Englishman."

Who is guilty? Magellan

Did you know that the name of the archipelago at the southern end of South America, Tierra del Fuego, has nothing to do with volcanoes. Indeed, it is logical to assume that such a name was born in connection with the great volcanic activity of this region. But in fact, there is not a single volcano on this archipelago. Then why? The navigator Magellan is to blame for everything. He sailed somehow in 1520 along the strait, which a little later will become just Magellanic, and looked at the lights. According to one version, the natives of the islands saw ships going near the coast and warned each other about the danger with signal fires, according to another version, the natives burned fires simply because it was dark. In any case, Magellan saw a lot of fires, he decided not to go to this land for every fireman, and on the map he marked it as “Tierra del Fuego” (Land of fires or fires). The fact is that in Portuguese (and Magellan was just a Portuguese) fire and fire are denoted by one word - fuego. Therefore, the cartographers subsequently, not fully understanding what Magellan wanted to say, turned this name into “Fire Land” - the words are the same, but it sounds more beautiful.

cologne water

Did you know that cologne comes from the French "au de colon", which means "cologne water". The fact is that cologne was invented at the beginning of the 18th century by the Italian Giovanni Farina, who settled in Cologne, opened a perfume shop there and began selling fragrant water. He decided to name his invention in honor of his new homeland, Cologne. And, although "Eau de cologne" is a protected trademark of Farina's perfumes, perfumes continue to be produced, and their exact recipe is kept secret, the same thing happened to "Cologne water" that later happened to the photocopier. No one really thinks about the fact that cologne is a trademark, that's what they call (well, or at least until recently we used to call it that) all perfumes with a light smell.

Golden Sarah Bernhardt

Did you know that the legendary French actress Sarah Bernard never trusted banks. Throughout her long and very successful career (and she, by the way, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was called “the most famous actress that the world would ever know”), she never entrusted them with her fees. But, he asked to pay her money in gold coins, which she carried with her in a battered suede bag. When there were so many coins that it became difficult to carry them, he began to put the excess coins in a chest under his bed.

Sarah Bernard was an actress of the highest class - which was confirmed by her both on the stage, and in silent films, and in modern times. Her profound dramatic roles earned her the nickname "The Divine Sarah". Many prominent theater figures, such as Stanislavsky, considered Bernard's art to be a model of technical perfection, although her virtuoso technique and impeccable artistic taste were combined with a certain deliberateness and excessive showiness (which, I must say, her audience loved).

Limousine - raincoat car

Did you know that the word "limousine" originally meant hoodies that tightly covered the entire body, which were worn by the shepherds of the Limosen region, in France. Before the French Revolution, Limosen was one of the provinces of France. Having come to power, the revolutionaries deliberately divided the country into many small departments in order to destroy the loyalty of the inhabitants of their native province, and thus ensure easier control for themselves. However, many words that related the inhabitants of one province earlier remained in use, recalling the old times. In particular, shepherds' raincoats have since been called nothing more than limousines.

When the first cars began to appear at the end of the 19th century, the French turned out to be the “locomotives” of their creation. That is why so many French words refer to cars (chassis, garage, driver, etc.). The cars, in which the passengers were like in a cocoon, were also separated from the driver by a partition, received a strong association with a raincoat, and since then they have become known as limousines.

Crab sticks and crabs

Did you know that crab sticks have nothing to do with crabs. The recipe for this favorite component of salads of domestic housewives appeared in 1973 in Japan and has not changed much since then. The need for crab sticks was born due to the fact that at some point the number of crabs, which are a terribly important attribute of Japanese cuisine, began to rapidly decrease. The inventive Japanese began to come up with a replacement. They took as a basis a dish called "Kamaboko" - for its preparation they use fillet of cod fish - it is pure white in color. The fillets of these fish are crushed, then pounded, and thus minced surimi is obtained. Potatoes, soy sauce, starch, egg powder and flavors are added to it. Well, then oblong sticks are made from the resulting mass and evaporated to get rid of fat. The process is completed by applying red or orange food coloring.

I wish I could try these crab sticks! Indeed, most of the crab sticks lying on our shelves do not consist of minced surimi at all, but of soy protein.

Censorship for the canary

Did you know that one of the most famous cartoon characters from the Looney Tunes series (cartoons produced by Warner Bros., and which were originally a parody of Walt Disney cartoons) - the yellow canary Tweety - got his image thanks to, among other things, American censors. The fact is that initially Tweety was pink, which was supposed to symbolize a very small, still fledgling, chick. It was in this form that Tweety made his debut in 1942 in several short cartoons. But the censors did not like the hero, as he was recognized as "naked", and they strongly recommended that "nudity" be removed from the children's cartoon. The new director who came to the studio in 1945 heeded the censors and Tweety got yellow feathers. And already in 1947, for this cartoon, Warner Bros. received an Oscar.

Mouthpiece ophicleid

Did you know that the name of the musical instrument "saxophone" is made up of two words: "sax" - from the name of the inventor and the Greek "fon", which means sound. The saxophone was invented in 1841 by Adolphe Sax, a Belgian musician. True, he himself was embarrassed to call the instrument he invented by his own name, and gave it the name "mouthpiece ophicleid". The name "saxophone" was proposed a few years later by Hector Berlioz - apparently it was extremely inconvenient to pronounce the words "mouthpiece ophicleid".

Hierarchical uncouth soothsayer - what would that mean?

Did you know that the originally famous search engine Yahoo! was called "Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web", which translates as "Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web". It was founded in 1994 by Stanford University graduate students Jerry Yang and David Filo. However, the guys quickly realized that in order to successfully promote their product, they needed a name that would take people less than three minutes to pronounce. This is how Yahoo! According to Jerry and David themselves, they took this word from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, where this is the name of a race of coarse and stupid humanoid creatures (in Russian translation, by the way, it sounds like Yehu). But then, apparently for greater importance, another version was invented: Yahoo! is an acronym for the phrase "Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle", which means "Another Hierarchical Uncouth (Unofficial) Oracle". Here is such an abstruse decoding of such a seemingly simple name.

The Great Smog of 1952 – is history repeating itself?

Did you know that in December 1952, London was plunged into smog, which was later called the Great Smog. Smog ruled over the city for only 4 days - from December 5 to 9, 1952, but the consequences of this environmental disaster were terrible.

In London, fogs and smogs happen quite often, so at first no one was particularly worried about anything. But minimal visibility (sometimes "no more than a few meters" or even "at arm's length") stopped the life of the city. Meetings and concerts were canceled, public transport stopped working. Under the protection of smog, a wave of crimes has risen. The ambulance could not quickly arrive at the sick, and the doctors walked in front of their cars to get at least to someone. And they had somewhere to go - according to London doctors at that time, the number of deaths (especially among infants, the elderly and those suffering from respiratory diseases) increased sharply and reached 4,000 "early" deaths. But in fact, according to the authorities, the consequences were even more horrific - about 12,000 deaths and 100,000 sick during that period.

The cause of the Great Smog in London was, in a sense, an unfortunate combination of weather and anthropogenic factors. Lack of wind, unusual behavior of the anticyclone due to which the cold air masses were "locked" by the warm air cover. In such a boiler, a lightning-fast accumulation of harmful substances in the atmosphere of the city began - primarily the combustion products of coal, which, due to cold weather, the townspeople began to use in larger quantities than usual. Also, the recently completed process of replacing urban electric transport with diesel-powered buses added exhaust gases to the “cocktail”.

Black box or orange cylinder?

But did you know that the “black box”, which is the main source of information about the causes of an aircraft crash, is actually not black at all, and it doesn’t even look like a box. Flight recorders are painted - that's what they are officially called in red or orange - bright colors - to make it easier to search. And they have recently been given a cylindrical shape - so there are more chances that the recorder will not be damaged when it falls. Nowadays, all information, i.e. conversations of pilots and dispatchers, as well as all data from the aircraft's instruments during the flight, are recorded on a flash drive. The task of the designers of black boxes is to make sure that this same flash drive is not only not damaged when it hits the ground, but also remains intact during a terrible fire that usually accompanies a plane crash. According to international standards, the flight recorder must withstand one hour at a temperature of 1100'C - this is the combustion temperature of aviation kerosene. Therefore, all hollow parts of the black box are filled with a special powder that does not allow the temperature inside the recorder to rise above 160'C. This is how the flash drive inside survives.

Victorious breath of air

Did you know that the United States team won the first hockey title in its history almost thanks to the Soviet hockey player Nikolai Sologubov. The fact is that at the Winter Olympic Games in Squaw Valley in 1960, the US team, for which this Olympiad was home, but which had not won a single competition before, unexpectedly made it to the finals of the Games. In one of the key games, the opponent of the Americans was Czechoslovakia, which was in good shape and after 2 periods won the American hockey players with a score of 4-3.

During the break before the third period, Nikolai Sologubov came to the Americans' locker room and with gestures (because he did not speak English) explained that the Americans should use oxygen tanks. American coaches, not having sufficient experience in performing in various conditions, did not take into account that in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada (about 1900 m above sea level) the air was much more rarefied, which adversely affected the physical condition of the team. The Americans took Nikolai's advice and won the match 9-4, scoring 6 unanswered goals.

I must say, by the way, that Nikolai Sologubov was recognized as the best defender of the World Championship in the same year, and was also the standard bearer of the Soviet team at these Winter Games. An interesting question - was his advice his own initiative or the initiative of the leadership of our team?

arterial delusion

Did you know that arteries carry blood from the heart to the periphery? You most likely know this, but the ancient Greeks did not, which is why they called these (as it is now known) blood vessels arteries (from the Greek ἀρτηρία - “air pipe”). The fact is that the ancient Greek physician Praxagoras (according to other sources, Erazistrat was the first to put forward this theory) believed that pneuma (the spirit of life, breath, air) circulates through the arteries from the lungs. This misconception was easily explained, since the corpses, according to which Praxagoras studied the structure of a person, the arteries are usually empty. With regard to blood, Praxagoras believed that it is taken from digested food and distributed through the veins from the liver.

The Praxagora system remained intact for a very long time. It was supplemented and refined by later physicians, there were new interesting facts about blood and "pneuma", but its essence did not change. Only in the 17th century, the English physician William Harvey proved that blood returns to the heart in a closed cycle, which is provided by the smallest vessels - capillaries that connect arteries and veins.

Lost generation

Did you know that the stable phrase "lost generation" came to us from the works of Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway's lost generation is young people who found themselves at the front at an early age (for Hemingway, first of all, the period between the two world wars), often not yet finished school, undecided in life, but early on began to kill. After returning from the war, such people, morally or physically crippled, often could not adapt to civilian life, many committed suicide, some went crazy. The “Lost Generation” was also called the literary movement that united such famous writers as Ham himself, James Joyce, Erich Maria Remarque, Henri Barbusse, Francis Scott Fitzgerald and others.

“When we returned from Canada and settled on the Rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs, and Miss Stein and I were still good friends, she uttered her phrase about the lost generation. The old Model T Ford that Miss Stein drove in those years had something wrong with the ignition, and the young mechanic, who had been at the front for the last year of the war and was now working in the garage, could not fix it, or maybe maybe he just didn't want to fix her Ford out of turn. Be that as it may, he was not sufficiently sérieux, and after Miss Stein's complaint, the host gave him a severe reprimand. The owner said to him: "All of you are génération perdue!" - That's who you are! And all of you are! said Miss Stein. - All the youth who have been in the war. You are a lost generation."

The ideas and problems of the "lost generation" at one time fed the beatnik movement, and later the hippies. An interesting fact is that this expression is now used everywhere without regard to its original meaning and history.

Toyota and tractors
Did you know that such a well-known automobile company Toyota was originally called Toyoda - by the name of the founding family, and specialized not at all in cars, but in the production of automatic looms. In 1933, a special division of the company was created, which was engaged in the production of cars. Production of the AA model passenger car began in 1936. Early models resembled the pre-existing Dodge Power Wagon and Chevrolet models.

In 1936, a competition was announced to create the company's logo. The logo where the name Toyoda in Japanese was enclosed in a circle won.

However, Risaburo Toyoda, who headed the company at that time, did not have due respect for the surname - after all, he took it after his marriage. So, following commercial logic, he decided to change the name to "Toyota" - in Japan, the name "Toyota" (トヨタ) is a better name than "Toyoda" (豊田), since 8 is considered a lucky number, and the word "Toyota" , written in katakana (Japanese alphabet) just consists of 8 strokes. The modern logo, consisting of three ellipses forming the letter "T", appeared only in 1989. From the documents of the company, unfortunately, it is not clear who was its author.

Fish passport - how to find out the age of a fish?

Did you know that the age of the fish can be found by the "annual rings". And for this it is not necessary to cut the fish, just look at its scales. The fact is that fish scales grow unevenly throughout the year and have visible concentric grooves - accumulations of tissue in the place where the scale is immersed in the skin. Each such groove corresponds to an annual growth cycle.

Although, it is worth noting that to determine the age of fish, scientists examine under a microscope not only fish scales. The fact is that there are several more interesting ways to find out the age of fish (although they are not so universal): by the size of otoliths (solid formations responsible for orientation in space; it is believed that their size is proportional to the age of the fish), by seals in the dorsal fin etc. Here is such an interesting fact about our smaller scaly ones.

Lightning that strikes twice

Did you know that the expression "Lightning never strikes twice in the same place" is quite far from the truth. Firstly, lightning does not appear by chance, but under the influence of certain factors, and more and more often in the same places. On this map you can see where lightning strikes most often - the record holder in this difficult matter is a village in the Congo - there, on average, there are 158 lightning strikes per square kilometer per year.

Secondly, lightning strikes quite often. After lightning became possible to track from satellites, the average number of lightning was recorded as 44 (+/- 5) lightning per second. True, it must be said that only about 25% of them hit the ground.

And finally, lightning, like any electric discharge, follows the path of least resistance, which means that, under similar conditions, it will not fail to strike at the place where it has already been.

How many eagles are on the Russian coat of arms?

But do you know (more precisely, have you noticed) that there is more than one double-headed eagle on the Russian coat of arms. If you look closely, you can see that on the scepter that the eagle is holding, there is another eagle - the same double-headed one as the first one. So there are two of them? No - there are much more of them, or rather, an infinite number. For the eagle on the scepter also holds the scepter surmounted by an eagle, and so on. This heraldic idea is intended to symbolize the eternity of the Russian state.

How are small snakes born?

Did you know that not all snakes hatch from eggs, despite the fact that it has been firmly planted in our heads since reading about the fearless mongoose Rikki-tikki-tavi and his fight against cobras. There are also viviparous snakes - that is, they give birth to completely living offspring, which no longer need to hatch. These include, for example, our common viper. But what is most unusual is that there is also an “intermediate” species - zoologists call it the strange word “ovoviviparous”. The offspring of these snakes develop in the egg, but the egg itself is in the body of the mother. A dense network of blood vessels entangles the egg, and oxygen from the mother's blood seeps into the shell, thus ensuring the respiration of the serpent. He gets his food from the egg yolk. This is how boas give birth to their offspring.

What do tobacco chicken and tobacco products have in common?

Did you know that tobacco chicken has absolutely nothing to do with tobacco. Indeed, the fact that there is no tobacco among the ingredients of “chicken tobacco” can be confirmed by any housewife who knows how to cook this dish. And all because the name did not come from tobacco at all. In fact, this hot dish should be called "Chicken Tapaka". And this name comes from a massive Georgian tapa frying pan with a heavy lid. It is under the yoke of this very pan that a real tapaka chicken should be cooked.

Actually, this is not the only Georgian dish, which is somehow very unlucky with the translation into Russian. Let's take, for example, "chicken chakhokhbili" - a fairly common dish in our Georgian restaurants. But such a name is simply absurd! "Chakhokh" in Georgian means "pheasant", that is, this dish should be prepared from a pheasant, and not from a chicken at all. And if something like that is made from chicken, then it should obviously not be called “chakhokhbili”.

Kosher and Progress

Did you know that it is not only food that is kosher. In general, absolutely everything is kosher: from clothing to building materials. For example, the development of progress dictated the appearance of a kosher phone. It differs from the usual one by the limitation of many functions: for example, you cannot send SMS from it or take a picture of a sunset, it cannot connect to the Internet - because it may contain pornographic materials. The proof of kosherness is a rabbi's stamp - the procedure is similar to confirming the kosherness of a product.

Kosher tariffs are also different from regular ones. So, when calling to another kosher number, the subscriber gets a very significant discount. However, if it occurs to him to call on the holy Shabbat, about 2.5 dollars will be deducted from his account instead of the usual 9 cents.

Water cats

But did you know that the statement that cats do not like water is rather superficial. Even out of the five (if we include the leopard among them), the so-called. Half of the "big cats" - the tiger and the jaguar - are excellent swimmers. This quality often helps them when hunting, when the victim is trying to seek salvation in the water (apparently, having also heard a lot of myths about the rabies of cats, and did not read our interesting facts). The leopard is also ready to swim if it is necessary for business.

But even more swimmers are common among the so-called. "Small cats", which include domestic cats. So, in many feline subspecies, the habit of hunting for fish is quite common, and there are cats that do this in the water. An excellent example is the Angler Cat. This predator feeds mainly on fish and can hunt it both from the shore (pulling it out with its paw), and diving into the water, and even swimming. To do this, on the front paws of the fishing cat there are membranes that do not allow the cat to retract the claws, but help to swim and catch fish.

And finally - for all those exhausted by the heat, as well as for all those who still do not believe that cats are not so dry-loving creatures - a bathing cat!

What or who destroyed Napoleon's army in Russia?

But did you know that the Russian frosts, which Napoleon blamed for the death of his army, in general, have nothing to do with it. We remember illustrations from school, where the unfortunate French cling to fragments of ice floes, cover their faces, overcoming severe snowstorms. However, according to eyewitnesses, that winter turned out to be extremely warm: for example, the average temperature during the retreat of the French ranged from +7 to +10 ° C. On the coldest night, the thermometer dropped to -8°C. It's not cold enough to kill an entire army. Apparently, Napoleon himself is to blame for the defeat of his soldiers: dizziness from previous successes prevented him from developing a competent strategy, caused interruptions in the supply of food, and the climate is not at all to blame.

scary eared

Did you know that a dozen wild and domestic rabbits released from a cage in 1859 still seriously threaten the ecology of Australia. Literally for 40 years, rabbits, having virtually no natural enemies in Australia, have become a national disaster. In 1900, their number in Australia was already estimated at 20 million heads. Rabbits are food competition for sheep and cattle. But the main problem is that rabbits "eat out" plants with roots and eat young trees. It is already clear that because of the rabbits, many species of the native flora and fauna of Australia have disappeared, because. rabbits literally eat relic vegetation and crowd out (to the point of extinction) local species that cannot compete with rapidly breeding rabbits.

The Australians have been fighting the rabbit population for more than a century, where shooting, poisoning, blowing up rabbit holes are used as measures. In addition, European predators - fox, ferret, ermine, weasel - were brought to Australia to regulate rabbits. Mesh fences are being installed in places in Australia to prevent rabbits from settling in new areas. All these measures did not bring relief.

It was only in the middle of the 20th century that bacteriological methods of dealing with rabbits were invented, when rabbits began to be infected with an acute viral disease - myxomatosis, endemic to South America. The initial effect was very large, in many areas of Australia up to 90% of all rabbits died out. But the surviving individuals developed immunity and the problem of rabbits is still acute in Australia and New Zealand.

The room of laughter, or what were the first mirrors

Did you know that the first mirrors, similar to modern ones, were not flat, but concave - in the best traditions of laughing rooms, they could quite distort the fashionistas of that time. But let's first turn to history, because the mirror is one of the oldest inventions of mankind. Of course, the first mirrors were all kinds of reservoirs that man did not invent. But over time, apparently not having a decent lake at hand to look at themselves before an important meeting with the leader, people learned how to make artificial mirrors. For example, by polishing obsidian (volcanic glass) to a shine, one could get a good mirror. Such ancient obsidian mirrors found in Anatolia (on the territory of Turkey) date back to 6000 years BC. (although, it must be said, obsidian mirrors were used for many thousands of years after the ancient Anatolians). Other stones could also be polished, although with less effect.

With the development of metal processing, already from 4000 BC, mirror-polished metal plates began to appear, which could also be used as mirrors. But, as often happens in life, the best mirrors were very expensive. For example, imagine your usual mirror made of gold or silver sheet. Also, an expensive, but very effective alloy was the so-called. "mirror metal" - an alloy of copper and tin.

The search for a more affordable solution led to experiments with glass. It was then that the ancient Romans had a technology when molten lead was poured into a glass ball, creating a reflective layer. And then the ball was broken. This is how the mirror fragments were obtained. It was hard to see in them (the glass was not transparent and with inclusions), they distorted reality (due to the shape), but still these were the first mirrors ...

How much for a cell with an ocean view?

Did you know that Russia sold Alaska to the North American United States for only $4.73 per square kilometer? Count! An area of 1 million 519 thousand square kilometers was sold on March 30, 1867 for 7.2 million dollars in gold (according to the modern rate, about 104 million dollars). What was to be done? The Treasury urgently needed money. In order to pay compensation to the landowners for the abolition of serfdom, Alexander II in 1862 borrowed 15 million pounds from the Rothschilds at 5% per annum. Should have returned! And the territory was uninhabited (only 2,500 Russians and 60,000 Indians) and very far from the capital. The costs of maintaining and protecting Alaska seemed incomparable with the benefits lost in the haze of the Bering Strait. The Klondike Gold Rush, oil and gas glorified Alaska later, but for now this lost land has cost the US government less than a 3-story district court building for the New York State Treasury.

Balzac and the pyramid

Did you know that the original idea of installing a pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre was set out in a small pamphlet of 1809 entitled "Reminder on the fulfillment by the French of two great obligations." One of these obligations is the construction of a pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre, which would be a national monument of gratitude to the Emperor and at the same time, secretly, a Masonic sign. The signature indicated that the author of the Memo was Bernard Francois Balsa, father of Honore de Balzac.

Presumably, in the 80s, the President of the Republic, Francois Mitterrand, having found a copy of the brochure in one of the second-hand bookshops on the Seine, purchased it and handed it over to the American architect of Chinese origin Yo Ming Pei, which prompted the famous architect to create a glass pyramid, which now serves as the main entrance in the Louvre and is one of the symbols of Paris.

The intimate life of armadillos

But did you know that in everything related to intimate life, armadillos are great originals. Let's start with the fact that they mate in a "missionary" position - so, besides them, only bonobo chimpanzees and people can do it. But even this is not the most interesting! Armadillos are the only mammals that can control the length of their pregnancy. If the female does not like the environment, or is confused by something else, she can delay the development of the embryo for up to two years! This stage of armadillo pregnancy is called latent in the scientific literature. Can you imagine what opportunities could open up before us if a human female were able to delay pregnancy!

Ivan the Terrible does NOT kill his own son

Do you know that it seems that Ivan the Terrible did not kill his son, as we used to think from the school bench, invariably recalling the famous painting by Repin. We were told that Grozny had killed the prince by hitting him on the head with his staff. A few days after this injury, Prince John died. However, as it turned out, there is no evidence in the documents and annals of that time.

In 1963, the grave of Ivan the Terrible and his son, Tsarevich John, was opened in the Kremlin's Archangel Cathedral. The examination did not find any damage on the prince's skull. However, another curious fact turned out - mercury was found in the bones of the prince, Ivan the Terrible himself and later his mother and first wife, Anastasia Romanova. A lot of mercury - an amount many times higher than the lethal dose. It turns out that the dynasty was systematically persecuted for a long time. Maybe Ivan the Terrible was not so formidable after all?

Does it still have a coat of arms?

Did you know that Japan is practically the only country that does not have an official national emblem. Sometimes, for example, on the cover of foreign passports, the emblem of the Imperial House is used instead, which is a symbol in the form of a yellow or orange 16-petal chrysanthemum with a double row (although, by the way, the second row of petals is not depicted on passports for some reason).

Chrysanthemum, imported from China, in Japan has become a symbol of happiness and wisdom. Also, the Japanese often associated this bright, bursting with strength and energy flower with the sun. Therefore, since ancient times, the chrysanthemum has been a symbol of high position or nobility.

Emperor Gotoba-in, ruler (1183-1198) of the Kamakura period, was a great lover of chrysanthemum flowers and began to use their image as his own seal. This tradition was continued by other emperors, and, since the Kamakura period (XII-XIV centuries; then the first shogunate appeared in Japan), it is considered the emblem of Japanese emperors and members of the Japanese imperial family.

Officially, the sixteen-petalled chrysanthemum was recognized as the kamon (coat of arms) of the ruling imperial house in 1869 by order of the Meiji government, and since 1871, persons who did not belong to the imperial family were strictly forbidden to use it. After World War II, this ban was lifted, and, for example, the oldest of the Japanese orders is called the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum.

When did the first mailbox appear?

Did you know that some researchers give the exact date when the first mailbox appeared - 1500. True, its functions were then performed by a simple shoe. In 1500, Bartolomeo Diaz (the one who discovered the Cape of Good Hope for Europeans) with his expedition got into a terrible storm off the coast of South Africa. Of the entire expedition, only one ship survived, which miraculously escaped in a quiet bay. Realizing that the journey, nevertheless, would have to be continued, and not counting too much on a successful outcome, the members of the expedition decided to write down everything that happened to them. They decided to leave the manuscript on the shore in the hope that someone could find it. The letter was stuffed into a shoe and hung from a tree.

Indeed, after all, this manuscript was discovered - in 1501, the sailors of a Portuguese ship under the control of Captain Joao da Nova. The captain ordered that a chapel be erected on this site in memory of the dead sailors. A European settlement gradually grew up around this chapel. And many years later, at this place in Mossel Bay, the settlers erected a monument to the first mailbox. It is made of concrete and performs all the functions of a real mailbox, but it has the shape of an old shoe.

Save who can!

Do you know that, according to scientists, during a disaster, from an egoist escaping at any cost, a person sooner or later turns into an altruist anyway, he just needs some time for this. Scientists came to this conclusion by comparing shipwrecks. They differed only in duration. So, the Louisiana, torpedoed by a German submarine, sank in 18 minutes, and the Titanic struggled with the elements for almost 3 hours.

So, mostly strong young men were saved from the Louisiana, and more women and children survived on the Titanic. Scientists explain it this way: at first, an imminent danger provokes a powerful release of adrenaline into the blood, it lasts for minutes. However, nervous exhaustion soon sets in, then the brain, where everything, so to speak, human is concentrated, finally takes control, the instinct of self-preservation gives way to our consciousness, and we, in turn, give way to the boats for the weak, and do not push them away with our elbows.

But not only consciousness plays a role here, this altruism has little to do with good manners. Inside every person sits an innate instinct to ensure the survival of the population. And this is possible if a large number of women remain alive in this same population. Therefore, they give way to places in the boats. And that is why the old people, forgetting about politeness, are pushed away with their elbows.

Interesting facts about oysters

1. Did you know that oysters, which, like most other individuals, have two sexes, can change it. This can happen several times during the life of an oyster, under the influence of various factors. It's funny that usually oysters start their lives as "men", and when they are well fed and ready to produce offspring, they become "women".

2. Did you know that the rule that oysters should only be eaten in months starting with "P" became obsolete at about the same time that artificial breeding of oysters became widespread. Now the months when oysters produce caviar can be changed at the discretion of the manufacturer, and in addition, there are oysters that do not produce caviar. Although, there is another explanation for this rule - oysters in the breakups really spoil faster in the summer.

3. Do you know that the story that oysters squeak when they are poured with lemon juice apparently comes from the story of A.P. Chekhov's "Oysters" - this is how the hero of the story imagines an oyster:

“I imagine an animal like a frog. The frog sits in the shell, looks out from there with big shining eyes and plays with its disgusting jaws. I imagine how this animal is brought from the market in a shell, with claws, shining eyes and with slimy skin ... The children are all hiding, and the cook, grimacing in disgust, takes the animal by the claw, puts it on a plate and carries it to the dining room. Adults take it and eat it ... eat it alive, with eyes, teeth, paws! And it squeaks and tries to bite the lip ... "

Attention, salvo!

Did you know that some modern artists who consider painting by throwing paint from the anus onto canvas as great art (sorry), can seriously envy penguins. Indeed, for example, Antarctic penguins and Adélie penguins throw a stream of white and pink droppings into the air with such force that they are able to hit targets at a distance of 40 cm. They do this by exposing the back of their body from the nest. Thus, both the plumage of birds and the nest remain clean. Well, the stripes from penguin volleys quickly disappear under the snow.

Why does the Pentagon have so many toilets?

Did you know that during the construction of the Pentagon at the very beginning of the 40s of the 20th century, twice as many toilets were provided as required by the number of people working there. It's all about Virginia's racial segregation law. This law brought many difficulties to the architect of the Pentagon, Captain Clarence Renshaw. After all, at first he had to design separate dining rooms for white and black builders. The builders, despite the "separate meals", clashed with each other and had fun by drawing lines through which others had no right to cross.

When the architect was told that the amenities should also be separate, he was completely upset, but he nevertheless built exactly twice as many toilets. And by the way, there was a reason to be upset - after all, back in 1941, President Roosevelt signed a decree prohibiting racial discrimination against public servants. The military brazenly ignored the decree and insisted on separate "amenities" anyway. True, the signs with the inscriptions "Whites Only" were never hung on the doors of the toilets. Maybe because in 1942 Roosevelt came to the Pentagon with an inspection and reminded the obstinate military about his decree. In 1948, all segregation in the United States was declared illegal.

Al Capone or Papa Carlo?

Did you know that on the business card of the most famous gangster in America - the Chicago mobster Al Capone - the profession was listed as "antique furniture dealer". Capone, by the way, also known as "Scarface", was engaged in smuggling, gambling and pimping - at the same time, law enforcement agencies, desperate to get evidence of his activities in organizing brothels, bootlegging and murders, in the end were able to put him behind bars only for tax avoidance.

In the biography of Al Capone, other strange but interesting facts constantly come across, but even more often there are famous phrases attributed to the gangster - such as:

“Nothing personal, just business”

“You can get more with a kind word and a gun than with a kind word alone.”

“I'm just a businessman giving people what they want.”

Vertical Expression of Horizontal Desire

Did you know that the tango was first danced by men, alone or in pairs. This dance originated in the port suburb of Buenos Aires, La Boca, at the beginning of the 20th century. It was a district of smugglers and prostitutes. In the brothels, the men, waiting for a girlfriend, danced, sometimes learning the art of tango from a pimp. The judge for this performance was a woman who could often favor the best dancer. Sometimes the beauties joined the men to inflame the client's imagination with a dance. Such competitions often ended in a fight, sometimes with a fatal outcome. But when the sounds of an orchestra consisting of a piano, a violin, a guitar and a kind of accordion - a bandoneon - were heard, instead of the downtrodden women and men, the priests of passion again appeared.

Borges called tango "a vertical expression of a horizontal desire." In Buenos Aires, interesting facts are told that often during the day, having met on the street, yesterday's partners did not recognize each other, because they were different in the dance. Tango made it possible for people to be simply - a man and a woman, that's why in the 10s. tango conquered Paris and all of Europe, and after the 2nd World War, a tango frenzy began in the USA.

And in Russia, passion for alcohol was added to the passion of dance - at the beginning of the 20th century, dancing the “Russian” tango, a man held a partner in one hand, and a glass of champagne in the other!

"Golden" climbers

Did you know that the emergence of mountaineering as a kind of sports leisure is associated with a long history of conquering Mont Blanc. The first, of course, were 2 English gentlemen - Pocock and Wyndham - they were able to climb only one of the Alpine peaks - Montenvieu (1913m). After 19 years, the 20-year-old scientist Horace Benedict de Saussure repeated their path and appointed a large reward to those who reach the top of Mont Blanc. For 26 years he organized expeditions from Chamonix - without success! And so, on August 8, 1786, doctor Paccard and mountain guide Jacques Balma reached the coveted height of 4810m. Pakkar crawled to the top on all fours, earned snow blindness on the descent - and the sponsor Saussure received the glory of the pioneer! A year later, Saussure and Balma climbed in 3 days. The list of things that 18 porters were pulling after Saussure included, for example, an umbrella, 3 jackets, 6 shirts, smart white clothes, 3 pairs of boots and slippers - and how without them? This ascent to the "roof of Europe" attracted hundreds of adventurers to the Alps. So mountaineering arose - a new hobby of the “golden youth”.

First travel guide

Did you know that the first tourist guide was written already in the 2nd century AD. "Description of Hellas" by Pausanias - 10 books in which the author invites you on a journey through the most interesting places in Greece. Pausanias describes temples, statues, tombs, altars, theaters, along the way reporting on trade, local government, legends, reports various interesting facts. From the border, he leads his reader along the shortest path to the central city, describes its sights, then returns to the border along another road, marking all the most interesting things, then back to the center, and so on many times until he moves to another area.

One drawback of the work of Pausanias is a very large volume. Such a guide was difficult to use. Imagine a man with a pile of scrolls in his hands, who, on a hot summer day somewhere in Arcadia, is trying to find a passage about the temple of Apollo in Bassae. Apparently Pausanias addressed his work to people as wealthy as himself. Such a person, traveling on horseback or in a wagon, was not embarrassed by the sight of several scrolls. Having stopped for the night, the traveler could read the corresponding passage, and in the morning inspect everything in place.

The first printed (and much more convenient) edition of the work appeared at the beginning of the 16th century, and in the 18th-19th centuries. travelers visited Greece with the obligatory volume of Pausanias in their hands. The question remains how accurate this guide is. So far, whenever his information could be verified, it turned out to be true!

Nazi anti-smokers

Did you know that despite the fact that the problem of smoking occupied the minds of some rulers at different periods of history, the first systematic study of the effects of tobacco on health was carried out in the Third Reich. It was there that the first state anti-smoking program was launched. All methods were used to defeat the "devil's potion".

The leadership of the NSDAP publicly condemned smoking and encouraged scientific research into the effects of smoking - German science had a "green light" (and funding) in this direction. The campaign also relied on Hitler's personal aversion to tobacco (who, by the way, was a heavy smoker in his youth, but quit smoking and began to seriously fight this habit among his subordinates and associates). The program included a ban on smoking in public transport, a restriction on smoking in public places, a restriction on the number of cigarettes in the rations of Wehrmacht soldiers, and an increase in the tax on tobacco. Smoking cessation was promoted throughout the country. Anti-smoking, also the concept of racial hygiene and bodily (including reproductive health). The Nazis, by the way, called tobacco a “genetic poison.” But after the collapse of the Third Reich, the American tobacco giants quickly infiltrated the German market.

Such multifaceted barbers

Did you know that barbers, whom everyone now identifies with hairdressers, once constituted a special workshop and, in addition to, in fact, cutting and shaving (and, by the way, pedicure), they had the right to engage in minor surgery (i.e., adjust dislocations, apply dressings for fractures and wounds, etc.). An even more important occupation of barbers was bloodletting, which, as it was believed in those days, cured the vast majority of ailments. By the way, it was precisely being “specialists” in treating people that barbers at some point in the Middle Ages received the status of a “barber surgeon” - a doctor who treated wounded soldiers. Interestingly, for many centuries there was no other way to learn surgery, but through barbershops. Well, they combined all these things then with dental treatment and other body care procedures. The selection of narrower specialists from among the barbers occurred only in the 19th century.

Terminator fish

Did you know that the small, wonderfully colored fish Betta Splendens from the shallow, warm waters of Southeast Asia are distinguished by an unusually aggressive disposition and hate their own kind. They got the name cockerel fish. This aggressiveness is used by the natives, arranging public fights of fish, to which people flock, as in our races. And just like on the run, the favorite fish is watched with admiration and excitement. The fish are specially trained for about a year, placing the males in separate curtained jars and briefly showing each other. At the sight of an opponent, the fish become furious and strive to rush into battle, but for the time being, the glass of the cans does not allow their intentions to come true. And now the males meet face to face! Usually rather faded, at the moment of special irritation, the fish seem to glow from the inside, become very bright and can change color. An outfit of deployed fins should intimidate the enemy - this is a ritual dance of self-praise. The meaning of the dance is no different from the verbal duel of Homeric heroes before the battle. The dance lasts up to several hours, but after the fighters go on the attack, in a few minutes one of the competitors will lie on the bottom with mortal wounds. But these little warriors have incredible courage and contempt for death - and how beautiful they are in battle!

red red flag

Did you know that the English Locomotive Act adopted in 1865 (better known as the Red Flag Act) contained completely absurd rules for the operation of self-propelled carts, in other words, the first cars. So, for example, their speed was limited to 3 km / h in cities and 6 km / h in rural areas. But the most interesting thing was that, according to this law, the crew of a self-propelled car had to include at least three people: a driver, a fireman and ... a man with a red flag. A man with a red flag (or a lantern if it happened at night) had to walk fifty meters ahead of the car, thereby warning people and horses of the approaching steam monster. By the way, the Act was in force for 31 years, although, about the middle of this period, the legislator allowed local authorities to cancel the requirement for a red flag.

Such laws, by the way, were adopted in other countries, sometimes quite comical. So, in about 1896, legislators in the state of Pennsylvania passed a law (which was actually vetoed) according to which, when meeting with cattle, the driver of a horseless cart had to not only stop, but also dismantle it as quickly as possible and hide it in the nearest bushes until that moment. until the cattle calm down. Here are some interesting facts that the legislature sometimes throws up.

From drawing to sports or who was the first to jump with a parachute?

Did you know that the first sketch of a parachute was drawn in 1483 by Leonardo da Vinci - in terms of inventions, he was almost as prolific as the Chinese. Moreover, his 15th-century “tent” made of starched linen measuring 12x12 cubits coincides with the dimensions of modern parachutes 6-7 m. The idea was embodied by the French physicist Lenormand, who gave the device the name parachute (from the Greek “para” - against and the French “chute” - the fall). However, the scientist did not dare to test the miracle design.

The first test of a parachute can be seen in the 1820s, when the French prisoner Leven used something similar to escape from prison: he used a ball sewn from sheets with whalebone plates attached to the bottom. Having jumped out of the prison window, the fugitive splashed down safely.

Well, the first truly practical use was found for a parachute in 1793. Aeronautics enthusiast Jean-Pierre Blanchard suggested using it for safe evacuation from the newly invented hot air balloon. At first, he hung small parachutes under a basket and lowered animals from a height for the amusement of the public: dogs, cats, a ram. They descended in perfect health. And when one day Blanchard's balloon exploded, he risked a desperate evacuation from the balloon by parachute. This is how the history of skydiving began.

About the first flags

Did you know that the attitude that many people have towards the flag as something sacred is an echo of its original pagan meaning. Indeed, at first, flags or banners were wands on which a tribal totem was fixed - during the battle, such a wand was carried in front of him by the leader of the tribe. The wand was taken with them into battle. On the one hand, it performed practical functions: it allowed to determine the location of forces, the place of assembly or location of the commander. But besides this, the wand with the totem attached to it served as protection from the enemy, the presence of the tribal talisman instilled confidence and courage in the warriors, because they could see him from afar. Therefore, they guarded him in battle, the capture of an enemy wand was equated with defeat.

Flags made of fabric appeared, like many other things, in China. It is believed that they began to be used there as early as 1100 BC. The appearance of flags made of fabric, in particular silk, in China is associated with the cheapness of this material there. In Europe, fabric flags became widespread in the Middle Ages - during the Crusades.

Music Gate Guardians

Did you know that later world-famous musicians and composers' contemporaries were in no hurry to recognize their talent "on time". So, for example, the “guardians of the gates” of the Milan Conservatory did not let the young Giuseppe Verdi into it. The secretary of the conservatory noted the low level of piano playing and insufficient ability for composition. It must be said, however, that Verdi, who wrote such famous operas as “Rigoletto”, “La Traviata” and “Aida”, heeded the assessment of the secretary of the coservatory and, after the refusal, began to take private lessons and, in general, seriously took up his musical education.

The fate of Georges Bizet was more difficult in this respect. Despite the fact that Bizet entered the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 9, in his youth he collected a collection of awards for his success in playing the piano and organ and early compositions, his success quickly ended.

Having won the Prix de Rome, he left to study in Rome carrying a letter of recommendation, which he forgot to give and eventually read it himself. After describing him as a charming, intelligent, well-mannered and very friendly young man, there was a postscript: “P.S. Bizet has no hint of musical talent.”

Nothing has changed (or rather worsened) even after the premiere of the opera Carmen. 3 months after this premiere, called one of the most disastrous, Bizet dies without knowing that "Carmen" will be translated into dozens of other languages and will be called the "queen of operas" by descendants.

Oxytocin effect!

Did you know that trust and distrust are also determined by hormones. In particular, the hormone oxytocin, which is produced by the brain, is associated with a sense of affection and trust in humans. Trust is probably too important for the survival of society, so natural selection has created a hormonal base for it.

In the event that a person’s profession is associated with something that requires special trust, the level of oxytocin rises: for example, scientists have proven that people involved in charity work have the level of this hormone mostly elevated.

But there is also a downside: the use of this hormone can cause an increase in the level of confidence. For example, in an experiment on 178 students from Zurich, it was found that students who were under the influence of oxytocin were twice as trusting as those who took placebo, and 17% more made monetary contributions to enterprises that were unprofitable for them.

It turns out that, after injecting a few drops of a hormonal spray into the nose of a potential victim, resourceful scammers can only wait until the “client” brings them money, jewelry and various other useful things as a gift. Be careful!

good deal

Did you know that the oldest person who ever lived on Earth, whose date of birth and death is documented, the Frenchwoman Jeanne Louise Calment, was born in 1875 and lived 122 years and 164 days. Probably the secret of her longevity was in movement: at the age of 85 she began to practice fencing, and at 100 she was still riding a bicycle.

Jeanne outlived all her heirs and, when she was already 90, she entered into an agreement to sell an apartment with a 47-year-old lawyer, Raffre. Raffre had to pay a monthly annuity until Calment's death, with the cost of the apartment estimated at 10 years of payments. Alas! The lawyer is out of luck. Kalman survived him, having lived after the deal for more than thirty years. And the widow Raffre continued to make payments.

long-lived trees

Did you know that the oldest trees on Earth grow in eastern California in the Ancient Britlecone Pine Forest National Park. It is a "long-lasting pine" (Pinus Longaeva), and the oldest tree is called Methuselah. He is now 4839 years old (i.e. the first sprout was in 2832 BC). in the first half of the 20th century, giant sequoias were considered the oldest, living in California up to 3,500 years old and reaching a thickness of up to 8 m. But in 1957, scientist Edmund Shulman discovered that small pines growing in the White Mountains are a thousand years older. Moreover, the age of the pine from the White Mountains is considered not by new shoots from the roots of an older tree - for fifty centuries the pine has managed to preserve its original trunk. This enables scientists, by studying tree rings, to find out what kind of climate was on Earth at the time of the construction of the pyramids and the heyday of the Sumerian civilization.

Most Experienced Driver

Did you know that American Gladys Flamer, who recently celebrated her 104th birthday, also has the most incredible driving experience - about 90 years! Gladys first got behind the wheel when she was 15, and received her first car license in January 1925, because they simply had not been invented before. The most amazing thing is that the woman never got into an accident and did not earn a single fine. And continues in the same spirit! Jumps in the car, goes to the grocery store or to the church. And they also say “a woman is driving” or “old people need to stay at home.”

Gladys remembers the first American highways - they were made of cement and quickly collapsed, she remembers cars on which speeds were switched using special pedals. A big life is next to a big car. Of her 1979 2-ton Cadillac, Gladys says he's part of her, and they even grow old together.

Played solitaire on the computer? Welcome to jail!

Did you know that for several years in Greece, a manager who peacefully played solitaire on his computer in his spare time could easily end up in jail. The fact is that in 2002 Greece passed a stunning law number 3037, which banned computer and video games. Moreover, absolutely all electronic games were banned, whether it was paid slot machines or races in your phone, "Civilization" and any game on the console. It was impossible to play everywhere - at home too.

Violation of the strict ban was punishable by imprisonment from 1 to 12 months or a fine of at least 5,000 euros. For a repeated violation, the fine was already 75,000 euros. Moreover, violators were really diligently caught. Of course, the public was furious - numerous lawsuits confirm this. As a result, the law was found to be unconstitutional, and is now applied only to Internet cafes and gambling, and even then, often formally. But the attempt, you see, is funny.

tulip fever

Did you know that Holland is not the birthplace of tulips at all. These amazing, but wild flowers appeared in the Central Asian steppes and deserts in the foothills of the Tien Shan. The ancient Persians, and later the Turks, tamed the "savages", and now wonderful carpets of red and yellow flowers appeared in the seraglio of Suleiman the Magnificent. Particularly appreciated were elongated buds with tapering petals - similar to the blade of a Turkish saber. The Austrian envoy in Constantinople once brought a few bulbs to Vienna, and the gardener of Emperor Ferdinand I, Charles de l'Ecluse, introduced all the famous gardens of Europe to amazing flowers.

And - away we go! Venetian merchants brought bulbs from Turkish flower gardens, and collectors collected up to five hundred varieties in their gardens! Tulips have become a symbol of wealth and nobility.

And the Dutch, famous for their commercial vein, staged a real “tulip fever” in the 1630s. The insane passion for tulips of an entire nation - tulip mania - led to the fact that prices rose rapidly: one bulb was already given as a bride's dowry, once a buyer gave an entire beer house for a bulb. Merchants, nobles, sailors, servants - all lost their heads. Tulips began to be sold on the stock exchange, futures contracts were concluded on them. Then, of course, everything collapsed, the tulip bubble burst. Someone profited, someone mourned the state over boxes with depreciated bulbs. But thousands of new varieties remained and the main source of income for many modern Dutch people.

How to open bags of sugar?

Did you know that sugar bags, so common around the world today, are mostly used by people in a completely different way than their inventor intended. They were invented by Benjamin Eisenstadt (1906-1996) - the owner of a coffee shop in New York. When things went wrong at the coffee shop, Eisenstadt switched to tea, and at the same time decided to somehow optimize the use of sugar at the tables. He came up with the idea to package sugar in bags, which would reduce the amount of spilled sugar and general garbage. However, relying on the honesty of people, Eisenstadt, not having time to patent the invention, shared his idea with sugar companies, and they immediately jumped on it. Of course, the unfortunate inventor did not receive money.

But even this is not the saddest thing in this whole story. The fact is that, according to the author, bags of sugar should have helped to minimize the amount of garbage on the table. Therefore, it was assumed that a person should bring the bag to the bowl and break it in the middle - this can be done even with one hand. Thus, all the sugar is in the cup, and in the person’s hand is one neat candy wrapper. Instead, with the tenacity of sheep, people continue to shake sugar into one part of the bag, and then tear off the opposite corner of the bag with the other hand. And there are a lot of actions, and it is inconvenient to collect garbage. Let's use the invention of Benjamin Eisenstadt the way its author wanted it!

Ahead of the rest - Russian Ten

Did you know that Russia was the first country to conduct the so-called. "decimalization" of the currency - the transition to a decimal currency. It happened in 1704. Only 91 years later, France followed the example of Russia, introducing the decimal franc to the world. Other countries followed suit. Although, for example, Great Britain and Ireland switched to decimal currencies only in 1971. But they celebrate this day as a holiday - Decimal Day.

At the moment, almost all countries of the world in one way or another (in practice) have undergone decimalization. Non-decimal currencies exist, for example, in Mauritania and Madagascar (there, monetary units of different categories are related 1 to 5), and in some countries where there are no “minor” digits at all.

Which side do you wear?

Did you know that when George Brummel introduced terribly tight pants for men in the early 19th century, men who wanted to wear them had to securely fasten the penis on either side so that it looked aesthetically pleasing in tight leggings. To achieve this, some men pierced their dignity by inserting a ring into it in order to hook a hook into this ring, which the tailor sewed into leggings. When a client came to the tailor, he asked him a sacramental question: "Which side do you wear?" – and everyone immediately understood what was at stake.

Nowadays, the need to secure the penis inside men's trousers seems to have disappeared, but some thrill-seekers continue to do such a piercing. It is called the piercing of Prince Albert (the one who was the husband of the English Queen Victoria) - according to one version, this name is due precisely to the fact that Prince Albert "worn on the left side."

One write, two in mind

Did you know that the Great Red Kangaroos (and some other marsupials) have a unique feature that allows them to increase the conservation of the genus. Despite the fact that a female kangaroo usually has only one cub after mating, she can delay the appearance of another one while she is carrying the first one (while she does not need a male at all). Thus, in the event that the female lost the cub, or, as sometimes happens, he quickly grew up and left the mother's pouch, she can immediately begin to bear the second. This feature of delaying the bearing of a cub is also used by large red kangaroos in cases where they find themselves in unfavorable conditions for bearing offspring.

By the way, another interesting feature of this species is that the female kangaroo produces milk of different fat content for cubs of different ages - moreover, it can do it at the same time.

High-rise of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - who is the author?

Did you know that according to the architects' plan, the high-rise building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - one of the seven high-rise buildings in Moscow built in the 50s, was supposed to look a little different. The composition of this heavy building clearly shows the desire of the authors to use the traditions of Russian architecture, in particular such a typical technique as tiered construction with volumes gradually decreasing upwards. In full accordance with the principles of tiered construction, the architects intended to finish the central part with a rectangular tower - the one above which we see the tower today. This would make the overall look of the building more balanced. However, suddenly the architects had an unexpected co-author - Comrade Stalin himself. With a single stroke of the pen, the project came up with a tent with a spire - too small and ornate for such a massive structure. But how can you refuse the father of peoples, who was terribly fond of Gothic? For a while, experts scolded the high-rise architecture, and then everyone got used to it and no longer pays attention.

Interesting name: Yamal

Did you know that the name of the Yamal Peninsula means "end of the earth" in the language of the indigenous inhabitants of this region - the Nenets. The territory of the Yamal Peninsula is part of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, which was formed on December 10, 1930 by a decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. Salekhard is the capital of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

Interesting word: Yankee

Did you know that according to one version, the word "Yankee" comes from "eankke" - the word that the Cherokee Indians used to designate settlers who came from New England. In the language of the Indians, this meant "extremely cowardly people."

True, other versions are also expressed: that the colonists who settled in North America came from different European countries. They "rewarded" each other with various offensive nicknames. Very often, these nicknames came from the name that was the most common in a particular country. So, in Spain it was the name Diego - the nickname "Dago" turned out. The most common name among the English was John, which the Dutch pronounced as Jan. But Yang sounded somehow too harmless - so they remade him like a surname, it turned out the Yankees.

Brandy for riding the escalator

Did you know that the first escalator that appeared in England was installed in one of the most famous stores in the country - Harrods. Harrods managing director, Richard Burbidge, decided that the installation of "moving steps" could attract additional buyers. However, when the escalator was launched on November 16, 1898, few of the buyers dared to use it. Worried visitors who nevertheless dared to try a ride on this infernal device were met at the end of the journey by store employees and offered brandy or smelling salt - the trip seemed so terrible.

Feathered marathon runners

Did you know that some species of birds set some absolutely incredible records for non-stop flights. The longest non-stop flights, according to modern science, are made by birds called godwit - their record is 11,425 km. Scientists have long observed birds in preparation and during migrations. In 1976, biologist Robert Gill Jr. paid special attention to just small godwit - one of the marsh heron species. Gill noticed that the birds were constantly eating food to such an extent that they became like flying balls. Even then it was suggested that the birds would have a very long flight. However, no one could even imagine how long this journey to warm countries is.

Only in 2006, when modern technology made it possible to implant satellite navigation sensors into the birds, scientists were able to accurately trace the route of travel to the south. And that's how it turned out that godwits start in Alaska, fly straight south, cross the Pacific Ocean and do not make a single stop. Their average speed is about 65 km/h. Now scientists are busy implanting similar chips into the bodies of other birds, maybe they will be able to identify new record holders among feathered marathoners.

Miracle bun

Do you know that according to one of the versions, the French baguette - one of the symbols of this country, appeared at the behest of the French lawyers. On March 28, 1919, a law was passed in France, according to which, from 10 pm to 4 am, bakers were forbidden to bake bread and use hired workers for this work. Thus, the bakers had very little time to prepare fresh, warm bread for serving for breakfast by the demanding French. Popular indignation knew no bounds. After all, the French are accustomed to a vast selection of different types of fresh bread and rolls in the morning. Will everything be forgotten?

And then technology came to the rescue - not only did the wonderful baguette take much less time to cook, but the buyers also liked it terribly - because it was somewhat sweeter than ordinary bread, and its crust was pleasantly crunchy. The bakers also saw another advantage of the baguette - it dried up surprisingly quickly - literally in a few hours, and buyers who were addicted to new bread ran for a fresh loaf several times a day.

Can a gentleman wear trousers?

Did you know that trousers, without which a modern man can no longer imagine life, once could not serve as a dress for a decent person. Appearing as early as 1000 BC. from the nomads of Central Asia, trousers were gradually borrowed by the "civilized" neighbors of the inventors, because they were extremely comfortable to ride a horse. The Romans also used trousers during military campaigns, but in peacetime they had to be replaced by a toga under pain of punishment.

Punishments were also applied to English students who dared to wear trousers as early as the 19th century: in 1812, an order was issued at Holy Trinity College, according to which if a student came to class or to church service in trousers, he was to be considered absent. Priests were forbidden to serve in trousers, because one dressed in this way would not be allowed into the Kingdom of Heaven.

"Do you love outfits the way I love them?"

Did you know that the wardrobe of the Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna consisted of about 15 thousand dresses. Elizabeth was a terrible fashionista and loved to have fun. In her palaces, balls and masquerades of unprecedented beauty were continuously held, to which the most distinguished guests from different countries were invited. It was during the time of Elizabeth that the Russian court was known as one of the most magnificent and richest in the world. The Empress loved to capture the imagination of the public: she changed clothes several times in one evening and never! don't wear the same dress twice.

She preferred to sew dresses from the most expensive and unusual fabrics. At that time, a law was established in the country, according to which no foreign merchant had the right to sell his goods until Elizabeth examined it - this is how she selected the fabrics and outfits she liked and ensured their uniqueness. After herself, the empress-shopaholic left a vast wardrobe and a lot of debts.

Interesting name: Yucatan

But did you know that Yucatan is, most likely, not even a name. According to one of the most common theories, when the Spaniards arrived on the peninsula in Central America that separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea, they were trying to figure out the name of this place. Unfortunately, the Mayans did not understand the questions of the Spaniards, which they were honestly informed about. As is often the case in geography, the Spaniards thought that the phrase "we do not understand your words" (sounding to the European ear as "Yucatan") was the name of this peninsula. In fairness, it should be noted, however, that there is another version of the name - "a place of wealth."

By the way, on the Yucatan Peninsula, which was the center of the Mayan civilization, and where, for example, the most famous Mayan cities are located - Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Tulum and others, Mayan languages are still spoken.

Interesting word: Humor

Did you know that the word "humor" comes from the Greek humor - "humidity". So what does humor have to do with humidity? But the fact is that in ancient medicine the human condition was described by the ratio of four fluids: blood, lymph, yellow (cold) and black (hot) bile. Excess or lack of any of the fluids leads to the fact that human health changes (usually for the worse). And humor was just such a state of a person in which he observed the correct ratio of these fluids - the juices of the body.

What is a "whipping boy"?
Did you know that the expression "whipping boy" came from the name of a real position established at the English royal court in the 15th-16th centuries. The whipping boy was usually of noble blood, he was brought up from childhood with the prince - the son of the king. In case the prince did something wrong, it was just the whipping boy who was punished. Sounds weird if you don't know the theory.

And the theory is as follows: the king is the governor of God, respectively, only God can punish the king for anything. In turn, the son of the king, the viceroy of God, can only be punished by the king, and by no means ordinary people, who are all subjects. But in the process of raising even the son of a king, some punishments are necessary, and as a rule, the king is not at hand. So the position of "whipping boy" was invented. Since the children grew up together from childhood, and the unfortunate prince didn’t communicate with anyone else, it was believed that watching your best and only friend suffer by your grace was very painful, and the prince should have immediately realized all his sins. Although it is possible to argue about such a way of cultivating a sense of responsibility for one's actions.

Lake Balkhash - fresh or salty?

Did you know that in Kazakhstan there is a unique lake - one part of it is fresh, the other is salty. This lake is called Balkhash. Balkhash takes 13th place in the list of the largest lakes in the world. It is about 600 kilometers long. The lake has the shape of a crescent, approximately in the middle it is separated by an elongated Saryesik peninsula, due to which the two parts of the lake are connected by a narrow strait. The western part of Balkhash is relatively shallow and almost completely freshwater, the eastern part is deeper and the water in it is salty. Currently, like many unique natural objects these days, Lake Balkhash is unfortunately drying up, and so far scientists cannot figure out how to deal with this situation.

1. Saryesik Peninsula, dividing the lake into two parts, and the Uzynaral Strait

2. Baigabyl Peninsula

3. Balai Peninsula

4. Shaukar Peninsula

5. Kentubek Peninsula

6. Basaral and Ortaaral Islands

7. Tasaral Island

8. Shempek Bay

9. Saryshagan Bay

For ancient earthquakes

Did you know that the first seismometer (or as it is now customary to call such devices - a seismograph) - a device that made it possible to determine the beginning of earthquakes, was apparently invented back in 132 by the Chinese inventor Zang Heng.

As follows from the description of the device, it was a bowl with a copper dome, surrounded by dragon heads, each of which had a bronze ball embedded in its mouth. The principle of operation of the device was based on the fact that when the earth's surface fluctuated, the pendulum suspended under the dome began to swing and knocked the ball out of the dragon's mouth into the open mouth of the bronze frog, thereby producing a loud sound. This was the signal for the beginning of the earthquake. At the same time, knowing which ball fell, it was possible to determine the direction in which the epicenter of the earthquake was located.

Where did the legendary Woodstock festival actually take place?

Did you know that the famous Woodstock music festival of 1969 was not held in Woodstock at all, as its name suggests, but about 60 kilometers from this city, on one of the farms near the town of Wallkill, New York. The fact is that at first the festival was planned in Woodstock, but at some point the organizers were suddenly afraid that about a million people would gather at the event, and there was not enough space in Woodstock. The event was already planned to be canceled - the organizers are good - but then a place was unexpectedly found: one farmer allowed the festival to be held on his field. By the way, Woodstock is not even a festival at all - its official name was the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair. According to some reports, about 200,000 illegitimate children were born about nine months after this three-day fair.

Interesting name: Ecuador

Did you know that the country of Ecuador was named in this way by the Spanish colonists really in connection with what lies on the equator. Yes, sometimes the origin of the name is so obvious. The capital of Ecuador is Quito, whose historic center was inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in the 1970s as the best-preserved historic city center in Latin America.

Interesting word: Eskimo

Did you know that the word "eskimo" (originally the name of the brand of ice cream, which later became a household name) really has to do with the Eskimos. At one time, the polar tribes received from their neighbors - the American Indians - the name "eskimo", which in Indian meant "people who eat raw meat." The British, adopting this word, decided that "eskimo" is a singular number, and out of habit added "s" at the end to indicate the nationality. Well, we borrowed this word from English already in a distorted version.

And the popsicle itself was invented by Christian Kent Nelson - an American - a Danish immigrant, in 1920 after he had to watch how a child in a store painfully could not choose whether to buy him ice cream or a chocolate bar. The enterprising Nelson experimented for a long time how to pour chocolate on his ice cream to get a decent result - and now he found it. He called the ice cream "Eskimo Pie".

"Survival of the fittest" - who is the author?

Did you know that Charles Darwin was not the author of the expression “survival of the fittest”. This expression ("survival if the fittest" - as it sounded in the original) was first proposed by Herbert Spencer in the work "Principles of Biology" in 1864, which he wrote just under the influence of Darwin's "theory of natural selection".

Darwin thought and thought and decided that Spencer's expression, in general, suited him better. “This principle, by virtue of which every slight variation is preserved if it is useful, I called the term "natural selection", in order to indicate by this its relation to the selection made by man. But the expression often used by Mr. Herbert Spencer, "survival of the fittest," is more accurate, and sometimes equally convenient," as Darwin would say in the fifth edition of his On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, in 1869.

Leave in English or still in French?

Did you know that the expression "leave in English" was coined by the French in response to the similar English expression "leave in French" - that is, to leave without saying goodbye, or without paying the bill, or taking something with you without permission. All this comes from the well-known "dislike" between the British and the French. Usually this long-lasting feeling is associated with long wars between these two countries, but maybe this is such a strange love for the nearest neighbor.

In traditional English, one can look for expressions for a long time and with interest that confirm the passionate feelings of the English for the French (the French, by the way, have much fewer such expressions). So, the prim English, for whom the topic of sex is to some extent "forbidden", a lot of obscenities associated with the French. Vulgar postcards were called "French pictures", prostitutes - "French Horse Guards". Using the services of prostitutes "took French lessons", and sometimes as a result of this "he was given a French compliment" (that is, infected with syphilis). Well, the expression "French kiss" (as if the British themselves would never have thought of this) has settled even in Russian. As well as "pardon my French" - like us, the British to this day can pronounce this phrase, cursing.

Interesting name: Sri Lanka

Did you know that the name of the country (and island) Sri Lanka is translated from Sanskrit as "Blessed Land". Although, of course, the name "Sri Lanka" is far from being as familiar to everyone as the previous name of this state - "Ceylon", which is well known to us by the tea variety of the same name - the traditional export of Sri Lanka. Until 1972, the country was called that way. By the way, the name "Ceylon" is also from Sanskrit and means "land of lions", despite the fact that there were no lions on the island.

Interesting word: School

Did you know that the word "school" comes from the Greek scole - leisure, idleness, rest. What kind of amazing metamorphosis happened with this word, that it began to mean educational institutions, which are literally the main work of schoolchildren? It all started in ancient Greece, where in the 1st century BC. and in public places they began to build semicircular benches for relaxation, on which people could sit and talk heart to heart. Gradually, these benches were chosen by speakers, they got regular listeners, and the benches previously intended for idle rest became a place of intense discussions. When such meetings of "teacher" and "students" became permanent, there was a need to create permanent educational institutions with their own premises. As a tribute to tradition, these establishments were called "schols".

Facts you may not have known. I read it and I'm surprised!

According to studies conducted in several countries of the world, in particular, in the USA, EU countries, the level of education and erudition of the population is steadily falling from year to year. The exception is Asian countries. Statistics compiled by pollsters at Beloit College show that a large proportion of young Americans struggle with capitalization. Recall that the ability to write is one of the manifestations of fine motor skills, which, in turn, is associated with the development of the speech center of the brain. A similar degradation is observed in European teenagers: one in five of them has difficulty reading and writing!

As you know, only elephants, humans and Neanderthals have a burial ritual. The typical lifespan of an elephant is 60–80 years.
If the elephant is sick, then the members of the herd bring him food and support him when he stands. If the elephant is dead, then they will try to revive it with water and food for a while. When it becomes clear that the elephant is dead, the herd falls silent. Often they will dig a shallow grave and cover the dead elephant with mud and twigs, and after that they will stay near the grave for several days. If the elephant had a very close relationship with the deceased, then he may be depressed. A herd that happens upon an unknown, lonely, dead elephant will show a similar attitude. In addition, there have been instances of elephants burying dead humans in the same way they found them.

Ronald Reagan (who was a popular actor before his political career) did not get a role in the Broadway production of The Worthiest because the playwright decided that he would not be convincing enough as President of the United States.

Waste disposal in Germany is so complicated that the city administration has to send out a magazine every year with detailed instructions.

German scientists recently published interesting data: over the past 50 years, Germans have become, on average, 400% richer, and the number of unhappy people suffering from depression has increased by 38%.

In 1972, a Spanish postman was sentenced to 384,912 years in prison for failing to deliver more than 40,000 letters. He was just too lazy to spread them.

The first athlete to die during the modern Olympics was Portuguese marathon runner Francisco Lazara. Before the competition, he covered his entire body with wax to protect against sunburn. But the wax clogged the pores, preventing sweat from evaporating from the surface of the skin. This led to a violation of the fluid balance in the athlete's body and, as a result, to death.

Researchers working in Antarctica have a tradition of running naked out of the sauna into the cold, running to the ceremonial South Pole and back. This means a temperature difference from +90 to -70 degrees Celsius. Polar explorers have to run very fast so as not to freeze their dignity and lose the opportunity to continue the race. Not everyone succeeds.

“Did you know that…” - a selection of amazing facts within the framework of the project “Informative about Russia!”

"Swan Lake"

Swan Lake is the first outstanding example of the ballet genre in Russian musical art and one of the best works of the great Russian composer P.I. Tchaikovsky. The ballet was ordered to Tchaikovsky in the spring of 1875 by the directorate of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater. The premiere of the play took place on February 20, 1877 at the Bolshoi Theatre.

At first, the production was rather coldly received by both the audience and critics. Both the former and the latter found Tchaikovsky's music too boring and difficult to perceive.

For the inhabitants of the former USSR, ballet has a rather sinister meaning, because during the August putsch in 1991, all television channels in the country showed it. Why Swan Lake and not The Nutcracker, for example, is difficult to say, but the fact remains that for many years Tchaikovsky's creation has become for many citizens a symbol of expectation of something disturbing and significant.

Any resident of Russia, from young to old, will recognize one of the parts of the work - of course, this is the legendary "Dance of the Little Swans", for which there are a huge number of parodies - in particular, one of them is shown in the 15th issue of the cartoon "Well, wait a minute!" .

Soyuz and Apollo

On July 17, 1975, the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz and the American Apollo docked. It was planned that at the time of docking, the ships were supposed to fly over Moscow, but the calculations were not entirely correct, and the astronauts shook hands while flying over the Elbe River. It is symbolic that 30 years earlier, a meeting of Soviet and American soldiers, allies in World War II, took place on the Elbe.

"Cruiser Aurora"

It would seem that we know everything about Aurora since childhood. However, it turns out that there are many curious little-known facts.

Despite its high-profile historical fate, the cruiser was built according to far from the best project of that time. He was inferior to foreign counterparts and the power of machines, and the power of artillery. At that time, there was a joke in the navy that the Aurora differed from an ordinary steamship only in its low speed and a certain number of low-powered guns.

BUT: For 45 years of service, the legendary cruiser managed to take part in four wars and three revolutions. And despite all these historical events, the St. Andrew's flag is hoisted daily on the ship-museum Aurora.

The cruiser "Aurora" did not differ in fighting qualities. There were only eight guns of the main caliber, the ship developed a speed of 19 knots (miles) per hour, and the engine reached a power of 11 thousand horsepower. For comparison, the power of the Titanic was five times greater. Then it was impossible to imagine that the Aurora would become a real legend. The cruiser made its first voyage in 1903, from Kronstadt to the Far East to reinforce the Port Arthur squadron. The crew of the ship was six hundred people.

Baptism of fire took place on May 14, 1905 in the Battle of Tsushima. During the battle, the Aurora received ten hits from enemy guns. Several compartments were completely flooded, the guns were out of order, and fire was blazing on the ship. Despite this, the cruiser withstood the battle.

However, the cruiser is no longer known as a warship, but as a symbol of the October Revolution of 1917. On October 25, 1917, a blank shot from a ship served as the signal for the start of the assault on the Winter Palace.

The service life of military cruisers is 25 years. Aurora served almost twice as long - 45 years. The ship managed to take part in the defense of Kronstadt from fascist shelling. In 1948, the cruiser was sent to eternal parking, and a museum was opened in its premises. Over the years, the cruiser was visited by Yuri Gagarin, Margaret Thatcher and the Princess of Monaco. In the 1980s, the ship underwent a major overhaul. The underwater part had to be completely replaced - it was not subject to reconstruction.

"The first capital of Russia"

Constant disputes about which city owns the right and status to be called do not fade away. But most historians agree that Ladoga, which arose in the middle of the 8th century, was the residence of Rurik and they all refer to the main source: The Tale of Bygone Years.

According to this version, Rurik sat in Ladoga until 864, and only after that he founded Veliky Novgorod.

The popularization of Ladoga (now the village of Staraya Ladoga in the Leningrad region) as the "first capital of Russia" received a strong impetus during the celebration of its 1250th anniversary in 2003. However, not all historians recognize this status for her.

Now Staraya Ladoga is a village located twelve kilometers above the mouth of the Volkhov River. Even before 1704, it retained its status and name - Ladoga. Staraya Ladoga is included in the list of the oldest Russian cities.

"Trans-Siberian Railway"

The Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest railway in the world. The length of the Trans-Siberian Railway is 9300 kilometers, which is an absolute record that has no analogues in the whole world.

According to scientists, the highway has about a century of history, linking Southern Siberia, the Far East, the Urals and the Western part of Russia. Although the line was built so long ago, it was not fully electrified until early 2002. You can overcome it all in 7 days and 6 nights, that is, in 146 hours of continuous movement. The highway consists of 40 stations located on the segment between Moscow and Vladivostok.

Traveling along the Trans-Siberian Railway is the best way to see Russia in all its diversity. The Trans-Siberian Railway crosses exactly 3901 bridges.

More amazing facts.

Lena Pillars, Yakutia, Russia

The Lena Pillars are a forty-kilometer series of sheer cliffs stretching along the right bank of the Lena River. Two hundred kilometers downstream is the city of Yakutsk, about a hundred kilometers - the city of Pokrovsk.

Today it is a natural reserve of Yakutia - rocks from 40 to 100 meters high every year become more beautiful and more mysterious due to local climatic conditions. The view of the Pillars at sunrise is especially beautiful.

Interestingly, on the slopes of the rocks of the Lena Pillars, many caves were discovered, on the walls of which drawings of ancient people who lived in this area were painted with yellow paint, and tools were also found. On the territory of the national park, the remains of mammoths, rhinos, bison were found, and in the fragments of rocks - fossils of trilobites, an extinct class of marine arthropods that lived more than 200 million years ago.

For the Yakuts, these rocks are a monument of love, fidelity and courage, since the Lena Pillars are actually nothing more than a pair of lovers who were bewitched by a dragon: a young man in a mortal duel defeated an evil snake who wanted to take his beloved as his wife, but he managed to take revenge .

Lena Pillars in 2012 included in the list of objects of the World.

"Clock on the Spasskaya Tower"

Initially, the clock on the Spasskaya Tower was English. They were made in 1625 under the direction of the English mechanic Christopher Galloway. But in 1705, by decree of Peter I, the watch was remade in accordance with German traditions - with a dial at 12 o'clock.

Modern clocks weigh 25 tons and are powered by three weights ranging from 160 to 224 kg. The clock has four dials with a diameter of 6.12 m, the height of the numbers is 72 cm, the length of the hour hand is 2.97 m, the minute hand is 3.28 m. They are wound 2 times a day.

That's all for today. I hope you enjoyed the first portion of impressions. Cultivate curiosity in yourself, and as old Einstein used to say: "It is important not to stop asking questions ... Do not lose holy curiosity over the years."

To be continued…

1. The eye of an oyster is bigger than its brain.

2. 97% of people who are offered a new pen will write their name first.

3. Before World War II, there were 22 Hitlers in the New York phone book... and not a single one after..

4. Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian.

5. Your stomach produces a new layer of mucous every two weeks or it will digest itself.

6. In China now live: Jesus Christ, Richard Nixon, and Elvis Presley.

7. To avoid the danger of being crushed in the mouth of a crocodile, experts advise you to pierce his eyes with your thumbs, and he will immediately release you.

8. In the Czech Republic, Margaret Thatcher is called Malgorzata Thatcherova.

9. If the statue of a horse rider has both front legs raised, this means that the person died in battle. If the horse has only one leg raised, then the person died from wounds received in battle. If the horse has all 4 legs on the ground, then the person died a natural death.

10. Everyone knows that English is very poor. It is especially hard for poets. It turns out that not a single word rhymes with the words: "month" (month), "orange" (orange, orange), "silver" (silver, silver), and "purple" (purple).

11. Men commit suicide three times more than women. However, women attempt suicide three times more often than men.

12. As you know, people are animals too. However, we are the only ones who can copulate face to face.

13. The most common name in the world is Muhammad.

14. Catholic priests who died during sex: Leo VII (936-9) died of a heart attack, John VII (955-64) - beaten to death by the husband of the woman with whom he was at that time, John XIII (965-72 ) was also killed by a jealous husband, Paul II (1467-71) died during an outrage with a page boy.

15. The first bomb dropped on Berlin during World War II only killed an elephant at the Berlin Zoo.

16. Approximately 10% of people in the world are left-handed.

17. Sherlock Holmes never said: "It's elementary, Watson."

18. Soldiers in World War I were the first to use the prototype of the modern cistern flush toilet. Unbelievable but true!

19. Be careful not to ride donkeys. Every year more people die because of this than in plane crashes. If you fall from a donkey, you are much more likely to break your neck than if you fall from a horse.

20. In Israel, it is forbidden to talk on a cell phone while driving.

21. It takes an average person 7 minutes to fall asleep.

22. In 1880, cocaine was freely sold to treat colds, neuralgia, headaches, and insomnia.

23. Each time you lick a postage stamp, you gain 1/10 of the calories.

24. A chameleon's tongue is twice as long as its own.

25. Ants never sleep.

26. In psychiatry, the syndrome, accompanied by depersonalization, impaired perception of time and space, one's own body and the environment, is officially (!) Called "Alice in Wonderland".
The human small intestine during life has a length of about 2.5 meters. After his death, when the musculature of the intestinal wall relaxes, its length reaches 6 meters.

27. Man is the only animal that can draw straight lines.

28. The shortest war in history was the war between Great Britain and Zanzibar on August 27, 1896. It lasted exactly 38 minutes.
Under Peter I, a special department was created in Russia to receive petitions and complaints, which was called ... racketmaking.

On June 29, 1888, the New York State Congress passed a bill abolishing the hanging. The reason for this "humane" act was the introduction of a new method of the death penalty - the electric chair.

30. Only in 1947 in England was the post of a person who was supposed to fire a cannon at the entrance to England Napoleon Bonaparte (!) Was canceled.

31. One of the American aircraft in Vietnam hit itself with a missile.

32. Abdul Kassim Ismail - the great vizier of Persia (10th century) was always near his library. If he went somewhere, the library "followed" him. 117 thousand book volumes were transported by four hundred camels. Moreover, books (i.e. camels) were arranged in alphabetical order.

33. The Thai national anthem was written in 1902 by the Russian (!) composer Pyotr Shchurovsky.

34. Until 1703, Chistye Prudy in Moscow was called ... Filthy Ponds.

35. The population of the world in 5000 BC. was 5 million people.

36. In ancient China, people committed suicide by eating a pound of salt.

37. In 213 BC. Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huangdi ordered to burn all the books available in the country.

38. Until 1361, legal proceedings in England were conducted exclusively in French.

39. The inscription "Allah Akbar" is repeated 22 times on the flag of Iran.

40. Japan has over 3,900 islands.

41.Less than 1 per cent of the Caribbean islands are inhabited.

42. The first capital of the Russian state was Ladoga.

43. The center of Europe is located on the territory of Ukraine in the Transcarpathian region between the cities of Tyachev and Rakhiv, near the village of Delovoe, and the center of Asia is in the city of Kizyl, Tuva Republic.

44. Several buildings in Manhattan have their own zip code. And the World Trade Center even has several of them.

45.7 most numerous peoples of the world: Chinese (Han), Hindustanis, US Americans, Bengalis, Russians, Brazilians and Japanese.

46. Residents of the island of Lesvos are called lesbians and lesbians, not lesbians and lesbians.

47. In Moscow there is a river Elk, and the largest of the streams flowing into it is called ... Losenok.

48. Unlike most African nations, Ethiopia has never been a European colony.

49. In France, Italy and Chile, the existence of UFOs is officially recognized.

50. Apple vodka is called Calvados.

51. In Ukraine, varenukha is an alcoholic drink made from vodka, honey, dried apples, pears, and cherries boiled together.

52. The Hungarian artist M. Munkacsy has a painting "Desert Storm", written in ... 1867.

53. Leonardo da Vinci spent nearly 12 years painting the Mona Lisa's lips.

54. Impressionism got its name from the painting by Claude Monet "Impression" (Impression).

55. Just one drop of oil makes 25 liters of water unfit for drinking.

56. In addition to fingerprints, each person's tongue print is also unique.

57. In the Roman Catholic Church, the highest bishops are called ... primates. It is for this reason that the first classification of the animal world, created by Carl Linnaeus, was anathematized.

58. Chinese sages claimed that saints sleep on their backs, sinners sleep on their stomachs, kings sleep on their right side, and wise men sleep on their left.

59. The # symbol, often referred to as the "pound sign", "number sign" or "pound sign" actually has an official name - octothorpe.

60. The Greek philosopher Anacharsis divided all people into three kinds: those who died, those who are alive, and those ... who swim in the sea.

62. The usual "bow", on which boots are tied, is called by sailors nothing more than a "reef knot".

63. The most popular female name in the world is Anna. Almost 100 million women wear it.

64. The millionth resident of Moscow was born in 1897.

65. The two highest IQs ever recorded on Earth belong to women.

66. Every second over 200 lightnings sparkle on Earth.

67. Over the past 500 years, the mass of the Earth has increased by a billion tons due to cosmic matter.

68. The world's largest planetarium is located in Moscow.

69. The largest number that has a name is a centillion. It's a one followed by 600 zeros. It was recorded in 1852.

70. The University of Baghdad awarded the eldest son of Saddam Hussein Uday, who does not even have a secondary education, a doctorate in political science. His dissertation was titled "The Decline of American Power by 2016".

From the moment of birth, there are already 14 billion cells in the human brain, and this number does not increase until death. On the contrary, after 25 years it is reduced by 100 thousand per day. In the minute you spend reading a page, about 70 cells die. After the age of 40, brain degradation accelerates sharply, and after 50, neurons (nerve cells) dry out and the volume of the brain shrinks.

So, do you know what?..

In the Conan Doyle books, Sherlock Holmes never said "Elementary, Watson!"

Peanut is not a nut.

In fact, the peanut is not a nut, but the seed of a herbaceous plant in the legume family.

The word "love" occurs 613 times in Beatles songs.

Tibetan monks can sleep standing up.

Cats don't taste sweet.

A genetic defect common to all cats prevents them from enjoying sweets. This was established by Joseph Brand (Joseph Brand) and his colleagues from the American research Center for chemical sensations Monell. The researchers took saliva and blood samples from six cats, including a tiger and a cheetah, and found that each cat had a useless, dysfunctional gene that other mammals use to create a sweet receptor on the tongue.

Photoshop is 20 years old.

Koala sleeps 22 hours a day.

Koalas inhabit eucalyptus forests, spending almost their entire lives in the crowns of these trees. During the day, the koala sleeps (for 18-22 hours a day), sitting on a branch or in the forks of branches; climbs trees at night looking for food.

On average, 12 newborns a day are given to the wrong parents.

Sea stars do not have a brain.

The movie Titanic cost more than the Titanic itself.

Chaplin placed third in the Chaplin lookalike competition.

Chaplin once took part incognito in a Tramp look-alike contest. According to one version, he took second place in the competition, according to another version - third, according to the third version - fifth.

Hitler was a vegetarian.

According to most biographers, Hitler was a vegetarian from 1931 (since the suicide of Geli Raubal) until his death in 1945. Some authors argue that Hitler only limited himself to eating meat.

OK is the most used word in the world.

Paparazzi in Italian means "annoying mosquito".

In Oklahoma, watermelon is considered a vegetable.

Most robberies happen on Tuesdays.

George Bush was a cheerleader in high school.

One cigarette takes 5 minutes of life!

Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries.

Beaver teeth never stop growing.

If the cola was not tinted, it would be green.

On Windows, you cannot create a folder named "Con".

There are a lot of hidden system folders that have appeared since the creation of Windows, Con is a command of one of the services, so you can’t call the folder that way.
And there is also a beautiful legend that Bill Gates banned this file name because he had such a nickname in school - con (something like "crammed, nerd").