

Henna twigs are still used as toothpicks by the local population in rural North Africa to maintain healthy gums and clean teeth. Who would have guessed that Mehendi could be used to save money on dental bills?
Although walking the plank is common in modern pirate lore, most pirates simply killed people. When they tortured their prisoners, it was usually by keelhauling (dragging a tied sailor in the water from the back of the ship), marooning them on a deserted island or remote sandbar, or lashings with a leather whip.
Thousands of people's wishes are inscribed on the confetti in Times Square. "Wishfetti" became a part of the ritual in 2015. People write their New Year's resolutions and submit them to the Wish Wall in Times Square (or online), where they are transformed into the confetti that falls over the throng at midnight.
Not shortly after the original film's release, Steven Spielberg and writer Melissa Mathison collaborated on a nine-page proposal for E.T. 2: Nocturnal Fears. Elliott and his companions were captured by nasty aliens in the sequel, and E.T. returned to free them. The biggest surprise in the script? Zrek is the name of E.T.
You're probably wondering how to pronounce "ashwagandha" when you first encounter it. However, it is not as complicated as you may believe. Although it may appear strange, it has a meaning. It means "horse odour" in Sanskrit. This is because the roots of ashwagandha have an odd, disagreeable odour similar to that of a horse. Furthermore, this plant is related with horses because it is recognised for giving individuals energy and power similar to horses.
Despite the fact that they have recently gained popularity. Cupcakes are far from a new invention. They've been around for more than 200 years. They were mentioned in the late 18th century, so don't think of them as miniature cakes. In every way, they are much more than that.
Every oyster is born male, and they all undergo at least one gender change. Oysters can fertilise their own eggs since they have both sets of reproductive organs at birth.
Switzerland may boast some of the most costly cities in the world, yet its people receive excellent value for money. According to the Social Progress Report, the country excels in "medical," "nutritional," and "access to basic information." It has an index of 88.87 out of 100.
This one from Amazing Facts About Hindi tells us about the origins of Hindi films. Raja Harishchandra is the plot of Hindi cinema's future.
Only 17 nations are classified as "megadiverse," according to Conservation International. Each has a diverse range of species, many of which are unique to the area. And Madagascar is one of them, due in large part to its lengthy period of isolation from humanity. It is home to more than half of the world's chameleons and dozens of lemur species.
Although the '90s Disney princesses are thought to be more feminist than the older ones, a surprising study found that this is not entirely true. Despite being bolder, more independent, and less reliant on men, princesses still speak 40% less than their male counterparts. More recent Disney princesses, such as Rapunzel from Tangled and Merida from Brave, are more equal, but even Frozen, a film about two sisters, had 59 percent male dialogue.
Chia seeds are gathered from the blooming plant Salvia hispanica, which belongs to the mint family. Insects dislike mint and typically avoid it, which is excellent news for chia, which can be produced without the use of pesticides.
Pink Floyd, a rock band, captured a live performance in Pompeii's Roman Amphitheater in 1972. There was no audience present, but director Adrien Maben had realized his vision; the sound was incredible, and it was unquestionably a significant moment in rock history.
Feet are extremely complex body parts. Each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, and 19 muscles that all work together to allow for a wide range of motion and movement. However, many of these bones remain cartilage throughout a person's childhood, gradually ossifying into bone as time passes. According to the Ontario Society of Chiropodists, all of the bones in the foot do not harden completely until a person is around 21 years old! Sign up for our daily newsletter for more trivia to keep you sharp.
The massive book tour that surrounds publication is probably the largest fallacy propagated by television and movies about the publishing industry. Most authors do not have the name recognition to necessitate a multi-city reading tour. J.K. Rowling, Roxane Gay, David Sedaris? They can all sell hundreds of volumes in a bookstore or an auditorium. A first-time author from a tiny town? Not at all. This has nothing to do with the actual quality of their work; it's merely a publicity stunt. So, if you see an author you enjoy speaking at a library, reading at a bookstore, or participating in a demonstration near you, go! Support them in person!
Unlike Queen Elizabeth II, who was born into the role of monarch, Malaysia's King, Abdul Halim of Kedah, was chosen in December 2011. In Malaysia, the king is elected by the Conference of Rulers and granted a five-year tenure to govern the country. The country's sultans, who inherit their titles from their fathers, make up the Conference of Rulers.
Many people visit Birmingham Cathedral, but few realise that its stained glass windows were designed by Edward Burne-Jones, a notable Pre-Raphaelite. Bennetts Hill, Birmingham, has a blue plaque commemorating his birthplace.
The world's first Kinokuniya bookshop is located in Shinjuku, Tokyo. You may study as much as you want about Japan and Japanese culture with the abundance of publications available here - as long as you understand Japanese! This bookshop also caters to specialised interests such as anime and provides a limited selection of English-language books.
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.
According to E. Bruce Goldstein's Sensation and Perception, pirates would patch one eye so it was always adjusted for the darkness to help their eyes adjust more quickly between the bright ship deck and the dark belowdecks.
A category of beetle known as fireflies has more than 2,000 different species. Despite their name, only a few species give birth to glowing adults. For instance, fireflies in the western United States are unable to emit light.
According to the Koran and Sharia, a Muslim man has the right to marry four women at the same time and must treat them all fairly. A Muslim lady can only have one spouse at a time. Tunisia was the first Arab country to outlaw polygamy in 1956. Having more than one marriage at the same time is illegal in Tunisia, and those who engage in polygamy will face punishment. Polygamy is typically permitted under civil law in nations where Islam is a dominant religion.
The English language evolves at a breakneck pace. A new word is added to the dictionary every two hours, according to one estimate. At regular intervals, the conventions for how to use words change as well. Some of the most popular style guides, such as Chicago, APA, MLA, and AP, for example, change their rules for how to use punctuation, pronouns, and specific words and phrases on a regular basis. To ensure that their writing is up to standard, writers must keep up with the latest style changes.
The famous Ice Hotel is located in the Swedish town of Jukkasjärvi. Every year, the hotel is built from two-tonne slabs of ice from the neighbouring Torne River. Starting from the ground up, construction of the hotel begins as soon as the cold season comes in the Arctic. Builders and artists collaborate to construct a hotel that is unique each time. And if you ever believe health and safety standards go too far, consider the proprietors of the Ice Hotel. Despite being entirely built of frozen water, the massive igloo is nevertheless necessary to have fire alarms installed!
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