Sand is combined with lime and soda ash and heated to extremely high temperatures to create glass. Glass is produced when the liquid combination is allowed to cool again.

Initially, the "Queen" could only move diagonally one square at a time. The piece was originally known as the "advisor," and it was one of the board's weakest pieces. It wasn't until the introduction of chess to Europe and the rise of Queen Isabella in the 15th century that the "adviser" was replaced with the "queen" and became the most powerful piece on the board.

It is home to the country's only legal two-wheeler taxis. This is the only place in India where you can pay a motorcyclist for a lift without fear of riding off with a stranger! Goa is teeming with motorcycle taxis and pilots, who are known as the state's most cost-effective mode of transportation.

You wouldn't anticipate centipedes to be perfect mothers given how brutal they are. Though it may come as a surprise, some species are actually fiercely protective of their young. In order to shield their eggs from predators until they hatch, females of the aforementioned species will encircle them. Some mothers will stay with their babies until they are old enough to leave the nest on their own, and these mothers will also clean the eggs to stop them from growing fungi.

Another fun fact about Spain is that it has 44 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Only Italy and China have more. Probably the most famous UNESCO World Heritage Site is the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona. This building was begun to build in 1882 and is believed to be finished in 2026.

After being motivated by an animated film called Alakazam the Great, Miyamoto originally envisioned an ox as Mario's main foe. Fellow designer Takashi Tezuka, on the other hand, believed the ox character's illustrations looked more like a turtle. Following that, the two collaborated to create a nefarious turtle-like Koopa leader who would go on to become Bowser.

This well-known oil painting by Johannes Vermeer was completed in 1665. It shows a European girl in an exotic dress, an oriental turban, and what appears to be a large pearl earring. The beautiful girl in the painting is thought to be his eldest child Maria, who was also said to be his muse. She appears in other paintings by Johannes and bears an uncanny resemblance to the painting, though this theory has never been proven.

The name Dussehra is derived from the Sanskrit phrase Dash Hara, which in English means "the defeat of the Sun." Hindu scriptures claim that the Sun would never have risen again if Lord Rama had not vanquished Ravana.

If you've ever considered memorizing all of the different species of butterflies, it might take a little longer than you expected. Those species that are usually found in the lower 48 states of the United States would be a good place to start. Still, that figure is close to 575, so we recommend making note cards or focusing on the butterflies you see in and around your yard this spring and summer.

The quality of Persian rugs' construction is one of their best qualities; hand-knotted rugs are of the highest caliber. They are not only strong and durable, but they also have a lovely appearance. The rug can withstand heavy foot traffic and still maintain its high quality because each stand is hand-knotted.

In truth, Sweden is Europe's sixth biggest country. The overall land area of 450,295km2 is more than that of Norway and Denmark combined. Despite being one of the biggest countries in Europe, Sweden has one of the lowest population densities.

One of the best sources of dietary antioxidants and naturally occurring nitrates is beetroot juice. Nitrates (not to be confused with nitrites!) are substances that increase blood flow to the brain, heart, and muscles as well as to other parts of the body.

Some of the most futuristic items in the Star Wars films were made from strange materials. Like Luke Skywalker's lightsaber, which was actually the handle of an old camera flash, or the medical droid's mouthpiece in Empire Strikes Back, which was simply an old-school microphone. But our favorite piece of prop deception comes from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. You probably didn't think twice about the communicators used by Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). However, if you did, you may have noticed that they are designed just like a Gillette razor.

Changes to the screenplay came in so late, according to Matthew Wood, sound editor on The Rise of Skywalker, that he had to visit the house of Adam Driver, who played villain Kylo Ren throughout the last trilogy, to record him delivering a few new and crucial lines in a pretty low-tech setting. "I ended up opening one of his closets where he kept all of his suits, and I simply shoved the suits out of the way and said, 'put your head in here,'" Wood explained on The Week's SoundWorks Collection podcast.

Not all of the tastes are accessible internationally, and some are no longer available at all! Some of the less well-known and less successful flavours include New Coke, Coca-Cola Orange, and Coca-Cola BlaK, a coffee-flavored variation. Coca-Cola BlaK had a brief existence, lasting just from 2006 to 2008, and was only available in seven countries. Coca-Cola, on the other hand, has stated that it intends to release another coffee-related product in the future.

A catastrophic occurrence, according to John Cook, an expert on misinformation at George Mason University's Center for Climate Change Communication, creates a "particularly fertile breeding environment for conspiracy theories." He argues that when individuals feel threatened or are unable to completely comprehend a critical event, conspiracy theories might assist them in making sense of it. Consider the assassination of JFK. It was easy to picture "shadowy groups and agencies" managing things behind the scenes when the world felt terrifying and out of control. "Randomness is incredibly uncomfortable to people," Cook explained.

Make sure you're getting enough vitamin D to maintain your immune system operating at its peak.

Aliens may inhabit one out of every 37 to one out of every 70 sun-like stars. These discoveries alone suggest that there are billions of planets in our galaxy that potentially support life.

They specifically eat dust-borne human skin cells. (They are less concerned with the dust's inclusion of dirt, soot, and pollen.) According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, you shed 1.5 grammes of skin each day (AAFA). Although it may not seem like much, that will feed a million dust mites. Yes, you read that correctly. Dust mites number one million.

Although sunflowers come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, only one has entered the Guinness Book of World Records. A sunflower owned by Hans-Peter in Germany stands more than 30 feet tall.

Beetroots are a special vegetable since their roots are abundant in sugar. This sugar is gradually released into circulation, so you don't get a sugar rush as you would with other sweet meals. As a result, beetroots are an excellent choice for people seeking a healthy alternative to sugary snacks. Beetroot sugar is also advantageous to diabetics since it helps to manage blood sugar levels.

The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, started building the Terracotta Army in 246 BC, shortly after assuming the throne at the age of 13. 
 

The Earth wobbles on its axis in a phenomenon called "precession," which means that the sun is "in" the constellations of the Zodiac at slightly different times than the widely accepted astrological calendar that was decided so long ago. If you want to check to see what your actual sign is with the movement of the Earth taken into account, check this Space article.

Banquo, like the other characters in Shakespeare's Macbeth, is based on a real person. King James I (James VI of Scotland) claimed his ancestry could be traced back to Banquo, a friend of the real Macbeth, via the Stuart dynasty. In the play, Shakespeare portrays Banquo in a favourable light, which he may have done in order to please King James.