While it's become incredibly common and is not considered a serious sin now, one prominent Catholic, mathematician Aquila Ponticus, was excommunicated from the church in 120 A.D. for practicing astrology. Some Catholic popes in the Middle Ages even officially denounced astrology to discourage the faithful from even looking into it.

Only 9-35 adults remain in the wild at Ball’s Pyramid, Lord Howe Island.

Over 1,000 elephants were used to transport the materials needed to build the Taj Mahal. It was mostly white marble and red sandstone that needed to be transported, and it came from all over India and the Middle East. Red sandstone is common in Persian architecture and can be found in other Mughal structures such as Delhi's Red Fort and Jama Masjid, while white marble was used as a representation of the divine.

Thanks to its microscopic budget and major success at the box office, the 2007 film Paranormal Activity, scored a return on investment of 19,758 percent, absolutely blowing away the next most profitable film (2015 horror film Gallows, with an ROI of 6,843 percent). It cost just $60,000 to make and another $400,000 or so to market, yet ultimately brought in more than $89 million.

As an alternative to the Gross National Product, Bhutan's Fourth King devised the notion of Gross National Happiness in the 1970s to assess the nation's well-being. They take a comprehensive approach to advancement and place equal emphasis on non-economic components of happiness. Its four pillars are frequently used to explain it: sustainable development, environmental protection, cultural preservation, and good governance. Before being approved, all of Bhutan's governmental programmes and initiatives must go through a GNH screening mechanism to ensure they do not have a negative influence on its people's well-being.

This is when things start to get interesting. To 'activate' Quartz Crystals, you must first reprogram them with your goal. This is recommended before utilizing these types of crystals. So, what goes into programming or reprogramming crystals? Whispering or chanting your intentions to the crystals in your hands is part of the procedure. Individuals interested in this can learn more and find useful information. Quartz is claimed to build a strong connection with you through programming, allowing you to achieve various 'powers' through it. If you are interested in programming crystals, it is critical that you learn and understand the whispers and chants that will be required.

Formula One cars aren't only about speed and power. They are among the safest vehicles on the market. There have been many F1 collisions throughout the years, and most of them have not been fatal. The vehicles are also quite uncomfortable, and it requires a great deal of stamina to compete for hours without becoming tired. According to Wired, an F1 driver may survive an incident in which the car goes from 100 mph to a complete stop in 2 seconds. For a car to be qualified for Formula 1 racing, it must meet hundreds of safety criteria. The driver's cockpit should be safeguarded as well.

For someone seeking a mid-sized dog, this breed is ideal. But don't be deceived by their appearance. They normally measure between 13 and 15 inches, but their personalities are far larger than that. It's crucial to keep in mind that mid-sized canines require energy expenditure in the same manner as larger ones. Walking is absolutely advised every day.

13 frames per second is the minimum speed required by the human brain to process consecutive images as movement. Anything less, and the human brain will treat each frame as a separate image. Because 16 FPS is so close to 13, old movies appear choppy and unnatural.

In 1970, Pope Benedict XVI was given an organ donor card. The card became invalid when he was elected Pope in 2005, according to the Telegraph. The Pope's entire body, according to the Vatican, must be buried intact because his body belongs to the universal Catholic Church.

Switzerland has a land area of 41,277 square kilometres and a population of 8.67 million people. California is roughly ten times the size of Switzerland, or nearly the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined. However, it is still well-known for much more.

This is a fun fact about Spain and Spaniards. You can easily spot Spaniards anywhere because they are the ones that speak in the loudest voice. It is part of the Spanish character and it is something that contributes to creating that special atmosphere.

Eggnog is a trademark beverage of the holiday season, with a history reaching back to mediaeval times and a drink known as "posset." According to Healthline, monks in the 13th century "enjoyed this concoction with the addition of eggs and figs," which was made with sweetened and spiced milk curdled with ale or wine and served hot.

The strangest thing of all time is that certain snails may sleep for up to three years! This is because they require wet circumstances to exist, and if the weather does not provide adequate moisture, they will hibernate. Honeybees, which can flap their wings 230 times per second, are also fascinating creatures. And did you know that baby pandas are born smaller than mice? They're only four ounces! Finally, horses and cows can sleep standing up but only dream while lying down.

Allahabad is located at the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. These rivers are known as the holiest rivers in the Hindu culture. The beautiful place where these rivers meet is known as Triveni Sangam.

The relationship between spirituality and religion can be complicated. There are so many different religions today, and some of them have similar beliefs about God or an afterlife. Anyone can enjoy and benefit from spiritual practices, regardless of their religious beliefs (or lack thereof). The relationship between spirituality and religion is that religion is (hopefully) spiritual, but spirituality is not a religion (defined as a set of rules or dogma).

The second of our fascinating mirror facts is that acoustic mirrors are those that reflect sound waves. Mirrors were used in the Second World War to detect sounds coming from enemy aircraft prior to the development of radar.

The berry is used in a variety of ways by First Nations people. It can be consumed raw or combined with dried meat to make the traditional dish pemmican. In addition to being used to treat coughs, the juice is used to make dye.

Kopi Luwak is the name of a special coffee that may be found all around Bali. It's made in an unusual and unethical way - from civet droppings. Civets consume coffee beans, and their poop is collected and processed to create the unique coffee, which can sell for up to $50 per cup.

The man responsible for the creation of arguably the most well-known cartoon character in the world, Mickey Mouse, was afraid of mice! Does it get any more ironic? Walt Disney had a deep-seated fear of the four-legged creatures. But he also saw them as sympathetic. That was why he choose to base Mickey on a mouse. It turned out to be a solid decision from Disney. Mickey Mouse helped turn Disney into one of the world’s biggest entertainment companies. 

This one from Amazing Facts About Hindi is a slap in the face to those who believe that the Hindi language has no standards and that only impoverished people speak it. The Hindi language is taught to students in various fields all around the world, making them recognise the value of this language.

With approximately 3,000 paintings, drawings, prints, and other specimens of 19th century ornamental art and design, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, located next to the Town Hall, houses the world's greatest collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings.

Technically, it's the tomalley, which is a digestive gland that includes the gut, liver, and pancreas. And anything red is an egg.

More than 1.5 million people applied for the required pass for the competition, according to The Hindu. The pass grants entrance to fan zones and works as a visa, transportation ticket, and match ticket. Throughout the competition, 150,000 entries per day will be handled by Doha's two international airports. By the middle of October, roughly 3 million tickets had been sold, according to Bloomberg.