A single cigarette contains more than 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are known carcinogens. Over 7,000 chemicals are found in secondhand smoke, including 70 carcinogens.

The Jewish tradition of covering up mirrors during shiva (the seven-day period of mourning by the deceased's immediate family) is still practiced today. According to several Jewish sources, when the soul departs from this world, a void is created. This void may end up attracting evil spirits to fill it. These demonic ghosts have a penchant for attaching themselves to mirror reflections. To prevent this from happening, Jews cover their mirrors until the end of shiva.

The Bailey Bridge, which spans the flowing Dras and Suru rivers, is the world's tallest. It was designed by the military to help them move fast through rivers during battle. A hydro-electric dam can be found to the left of the bridge, and a lake can be found to the right.

That's correct! There are several species of this bird, including the black-winged kite, black-shouldered kite, white-tailed kite, and letter-winged kite. These birds are said to be known for their graceful gliding in flight.

It may be time to discuss your vitamin D levels with your doctor if you're attempting to prevent or treat type 2 diabetes.

Since 2004, the Netherlands has seen a continuous reduction in crime, and it has grown so safe that it has closed down one jail after another—23 prisons have shuttered their doors since 2014. To assist reduce employment losses, the nation has begun importing convicts from foreign countries, including 242 offenders from Norway in 2015.

Article 32 of the Indian Constitution — ‘Right to Constitutional remedies’ — is considered the 'heart and soul of the Constitution'. This guarantees the fundamental rights of individuals. It is what makes all other rights effective.

Capsicums of various colours do not always come from the same plant. While some green capsicums are simply unripe red capsicums, yellow, orange, and even red capsicums are all distinct plants with their own seeds.

Oscars have been won by many well-known couples, but only one Hollywood family—The Minellis—can truly lay claim to having won an Oscar. Liza Minelli, the daughter of Judy Garland (who received a miniature Juvenile Award in 1940) and Vincente Minnelli (who won Best Director for Gigi in 1959), won Best Actress for Cabaret in 1973.

Bhutan's monarchy has always strictly limited outside influences in order to protect the nation's uniqueness from the crowning of the first king in 1907. Because of its small size and fragile situation, the country considers maintaining sovereignty essential. Bhutan first opened its doors to foreign tourists in 1974, the year it was recognized as a country by the United Nations.

Chia seeds are simple to add to bread, muffins, pancakes, cookies, and other baked goods! For some of my chia seed recipes, continue reading. 
 

Limes float, but lemons sink. Because limes are denser than lemons, they sink to the bottom of a glass, whereas lemons float on top. This is the one that has been in front of our faces (or rather, in our glasses) the entire time! Check out these other things to ponder that you probably never considered before.

The original Beauty and the Beast fable was written in 1740 by French author Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, and the beast was a horrible mix of an elephant and a fish. The story was designed to persuade girls to accept arranged marriages, "for an alliance that entailed effacing their own wants and surrendering to the will of a monster," according to children's literature expert Maria Tatar.

According to studies, consuming grapefruit daily for six weeks marginally lowers systolic blood pressure.

Regular toilet paper is still used aboard the International Space Station, but it must be compressed and packed in specialized canisters.

Google Analytics indicates that interest in crochet has surpassed interest in knitting, and the numbers are still rising. Since 2011, crochet-related searches have consistently outpaced knitting-related searches, and it appears that this trend will continue. Find out more about it here!

Beavers chew to keep their teeth at an acceptable length because their teeth never stop growing. However, their teeth are also designed to withstand chewing. They feature an enamel composed of iron, which gives them an orange colour but also keeps them sturdy and acid resistant.

These two gorgeous names are associated with Sri Lanka. This little island country is known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean because of its remarkable natural beauty, extraordinary biodiversity, and rare jewels. Furthermore, the island is shaped like a teardrop and is located off the coast of India, making it simpler to locate on a map. That is why it is also known as India's Teardrop. A Google map of Sri Lanka is shown below to give you an idea of its location and form.

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.

It was typical for countries to have flocks of homing pigeons for military usage during the twentieth century. The birds may convey critical signals swiftly between bases or over enemy lines. Pigeons are credited with saving thousands of lives due to the information they delivered so faithfully. With only 5 minutes to spare, a pigeon dubbed G.I. Joe saved British troops from a bombing. During WWI, another woman named Cher Ami delivered a total of 12 important messages for the US forces. Cher Ami was hit in the breast during his last flight, yet he still managed to fly for another 25 minutes, accomplishing his job and saving the lives of 194 stranded soldiers.

Saint Marinus established the monastery on September 3, 301 CE. For a long period, the city-state has retained its independence and has survived several crises, including barbarian invasions, the Napoleonic Wars, and the Italian Reunification.

Have you ever noticed how the Disney princesses never look at each other in promotional photos and marketing materials? There's a good reason for this. "To preserve what [Andy] Mooney referred to as their individual'mythologies,' the princesses never make eye contact when they're grouped," the New York Times reported in 2006. "Each looks off in a slightly different direction, as if unaware of the presence of the others." However, with the release of Wreck-It Ralph 2, which depicts all of the princesses hanging out together, this may change.

Meat-inspired perfumes are more common than you might guess. While definitely not gourmands, these scents are still weirdly food-like. Que Cologne from Pork Barrel BBQ is described by the brand as a mix of smoke, meat, spices, and "sweet summer sweat", and there is a perfume called Bacon Classic that smells exactly like fried and salty pig mixed with cedar, orange, and pepper.
Wild, right?

Though you might think there is a standard procedure to follow if a passenger dies in flight, what happens to your dearly departed cabin-mate varies greatly depending on the airline and type of plane. While some planes, such as Singapore Airlines' Airbus A340-500 planes, were designed with a special place to store bodies, according to one flight attendant, on many flights, the body is simply moved to a back row and covered—except for the head—until medical professionals on the ground can attend to the deceased.

While the Alien franchise swaps in different androids for (almost) every installment, there is an interesting consistency to them: they go in alphabetical order. Ash, Bishop, Call, and, most recently, David (played by Michael Fassbender in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant).