An annual competition for students who are blind, the Braille Institute hosts more than 1,400 students from the U.S. and Canada to test their braille skills. Contestants compete in categories like reading comprehension, proofreading, and spelling. Winners in each age group walk away with monetary prizes – and braille bragging rights for a year.

The giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) of South America typically has up to 100th teeth! It feeds mostly on ants and termites.

Silent film 'The Artist' is widely tipped to win the Best Picture gong at this year's Oscars, but the only silent film to previously win an Oscar for Best Picture was 'Wings' in 1929. The movie is about two young fighter pilots during World War I who starred Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers, Richard Arlen, Clara Bow, and a young Gary Cooper.

Indonesia has 165 million people under the age of 30, with only 8% of the Indonesian population being above the age of 60. Despite the implementation of a relatively effective family planning program in Indonesia in 1964, Indonesia's population growth is anticipated to exceed that of the United States if nothing changes.

While the earliest automobile races occurred long before WWII, Formula One did not formally begin until 1946. The inaugural race was held at Valentino Park in Turin, Italy, and was won by a driver in an Alfa Romeo 158. This event was part of Achille Varzi's spectacular recovery from a drug-fueled past. The inaugural race was held in 1946, but the first world championship would not be held until 1950. On May 13th, 14 teams and many independent drivers competed in the championship race, with Giuseppe Farina claiming the win.

Silk's proteins also give it unmatched strength; in fact, it is finer and more durable than Kevlar. It has been used historically as a thin layer of "soft armour," and it was even used to create the first-ever bulletproof vest. Silk is still utilized today for a variety of purposes, including sutures and other medical devices. Although it is still being tested in the lab, the applications seem almost endless.

The Netherlands has one of the highest home birth rates in the developed world. Around 30% of Dutch women deliver their babies at home, and this figure has changed little since 1990. 

So why are home births still cherished in the Netherlands? It’s partly because Dutch health insurance fully covers home births, but doesn’t always cover hospital births without medical necessity. 

The Dutch medical system also has a good screening system and provides midwives (verloskundige) who help mothers have a safe delivery at home.

Sachin Tendulkar was the first international batsman to be dismissed by a third umpire. Tendulkar was caught short of the crease by a Jonty Rhodes toss on the second day of the 1992 Durban Test. He was ruled out after watching TV replays. South African Karl Liebenberg served as the game's third umpire.

The youngest ever Oscar winner is actress Tatum O'Neal who was only 10 years old when she won Best Supporting Actress for the film 'Paper Moon'.

The Nepalese Himalayas are the confluence of three major Asian river systems: the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, and the Yamuna. The Himalayas also has the world's third-largest ice and snow depository.

Libya imports the majority of the food it consumes due to its inability to produce it locally. Because the nation is located within the vast Sahara desert, it receives extremely little precipitation. It also has weak soil and a harsh climate, both of which hinder food production. The financing of the Great Manmade River Project, which was designed to irrigate farmed fields, was a major attempt by former Libyan President Gaddafi to reverse the situation. This project ended up becoming the largest irrigation project in the world. It consists of a 1750-mile subterranean water pipe network. Libya's people, meanwhile, continue to rely on imported food to survive.

Glass can naturally form when sand is struck by lightning due to high temperatures.

The raptors' terrifying noises in Jurassic Park were inspired by recordings of tortoises mating. The sound designer also tried horses breathing and geese hissing, but the tortoises proved to be the most evocative.

Many notable enterprises were formed in Sweden, particularly in the fields of design and technology. Electrolux, Ericsson, H&M, IKEA, Saab, Scania, and Volvo are just a few of the well-known Swedish brands in the world. Sweden is also the source of several inventions and advancements. Tetra Pak, the pacemaker, dynamite, and the spherical ball bearing are only a few examples.

Donkey milk is used to make the world's rarest cheese. It was long thought that making cheese from donkey's milk was impossible because the liquid lacked enough casein to coagulate. Slobodan Simi, a Serbian cheesemonger, found a roundabout way to make it. He charges $500 per pound for his cheese.

When you steal someone's thunder, you use their ideas for your own benefit without giving them credit. Shakespeare appears to have used a sound effect invented by fellow playwright John Dennis to create the thunder heard throughout Macbeth. Appius and Virginia, Dennis's failed production, was the first to feature the sound. Dennis then heard thunder during a Macbeth performance shortly after that one ended. He was enraged that his thunder had been stolen.

The chia plant is fickle and requires highly specialised growth conditions. It cannot withstand frost, yet it need low temperatures to create large quantities of omega-3 fatty acids. Chia grows best between 23 degrees north and south of the equator. This region has some of the ideal conditions for growing chia seeds.

In 1935, humans introduced the cane toad to Australia to help eradicate the cane beetles that were eating all of the sugar cane crops. The plan backfired. Cane toads increased in numbers and territory, killing predators and depleting food sources for native species.

The hard fangs, large cranium, and scaly skin prompted most to believe this was an alien. Only after it was certified human did the subject of its size, mutations, and provenance emerge. None of the solutions were ever discovered.

Afrikaans is spoken throughout the world, not just in the Republic of South Africa. Though to a lesser extent, you can also hear it in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Does thyme differ in flavor from the majority of other herbs? Yes, thymol oil is responsible for the herb's distinctively strong aroma and flavour, as well as its pungent flavour, which is what thyme tastes like. Any recipe can benefit from its zingy lemon taste.

Birmingham actually boasts more canals than Venice, Italy, with a 35-mile-long water network. Not only that, but Birmingham's canals carry more cubic meters of water than any other city on the planet! You can board a boat at Gas Street Basin and tour the city while learning about its industrial history.

The original script for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, by William Goldman, was originally titled The Sundance Kid and Butch Cassidy. That all flipped when Paul Newman, maybe the biggest star on the planet at the time of production, took the role of Butch.