Mulan was originally conceived as a straight-to-video film called China Doll, about a poor, oppressed Chinese girl who is whisked away by a white guy to live a happier life in the West. When a writer discovered the Chinese poem "The Song of Fa Mu Lan," the studio decided to combine both projects and create Mulan. Knowing the film's slightly racist, tone-deaf origins, on the other hand, casts the film in a whole new light.

Sharks have microscopic teeth called epidermal denticles that cover their bodies. Because of this, their skin feels like sandpaper.

Persian rugs never go out of style because they are classic. Persian rugs last a lifetime despite changes in fashion and trends. Rich colours and timeless designs will never go out of style. Contrary to popular belief, Persian rugs can add charm and character to a modern space as well as traditional settings. Adding some rich character and colour to your flooring can make a stunning feature in a room that is clean, simple, and contemporary.

When perfumer David Holtz spoke to the Cut about making a genuine lily fragrance, he talked about how his initial scent smelled like soap—flat and flowery—far from the actual smell of fresh lilies. That’s when he realized that live lily flowers have a note which smells like “ham or baloney.” Then he took notes of clove, which has the component eugenol which gives it a smoky character and added them in. That’s how he got his lily scent, proving that animalic notes are necessary to add depth to generic florals.

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.

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.

Chia seeds are a great nutritional enhancer and can be used in place of eggs, according to Tracee Yablon Brenner, RDN, CHHC.

In 2020, Netflix released "The Queen's Gambit," an adaptation of Walter Tevis' novel of the same name. Anya Taylor-Joy starred as chess prodigy Beth Harmon in the limited series. Every game in the series was created by chess consultants Garry Kasparov and Bruce Pandolfini. Whether the game was shown on screen or not, the actors learned and played every move, including the speed chess games.

Unfortunately, no. The Gala is invitation only and usually consists of about 500-600 guests. Even with an invitation, tickets reportedly cost around $35,000, and a table for 10 around $250,000 dollars. However, after opening night you can visit the exhibition while it’s there.

For the French, comedy is the most important and preferred film genre. The French have a sophisticated sense of humour and enjoy films that are both funny and intelligent. They also enjoy films that provide a unique perspective on life and challenge conventional ways of thinking.

Without a single piece of wreckage being found, the riddles of what happened to almost a hundred distinct planes remain a mystery to this day. Nobody knows where they went or what happened to the planes that vanished.

If you happen to be in Key West, Florida, for the holidays, stop by the Bourbon St. Pub, where each new year is greeted by a massive shoe. Sushi, a local drag queen, climbs into an oversized piece of footwear and is (carefully) dropped from a balcony every December 31. Meanwhile, Eastover, North Carolina residents have taken to dropping 30-pound ceramic fleas on the last night of the year. In North Carolina, the town of Mount Olive (home of the Mt. Olive Pickle Company) holds a New Year's Eve "Pickle Drop," in which a giant pickle slides down a flagpole.

On August 15, 1947, India gained independence from British rule, but the Portuguese refused to relinquish control of Goa. Goa's independence struggle was fought both within and outside the state, and on December 17, 1961, the Indian Army, air force, and naval forces invaded Goa and overpowered the under-prepared Portuguese army. The Portuguese governor officially surrendered on December 18th, and Goa became a part of India the next day! Every year on December 19th, Goa commemorates its second independence day.

The ability to see red is inherited from an X-chromosome gene, according to researchers at the University of Arizona. Because women have two X chromosomes, the two copies of these genes aid in women's perception of the red-orange spectrum.

Centrifuges are the most effective machinery for separating milk from product slurry. High g-forces produce maximum clarity and cake dryness, as well as a high flow rate. Modern machines are designed to meet the most recent sanitary design standards and can be readily integrated into a fully automated processing line that includes CIP cleaning.

Along with former Late Show with David Letterman bandleader Paul Shaffer, the trumpeter and jazz pioneer played a street musician in the 1988 Bill Murray holiday comedy.

Bed bugs are nearly impossible to eradicate and can spread as quickly as water cooler gossip. But it's also possible that's why they've lasted so long. According to a 2019 study published in Current Biology, scientists believe that the bugs have been around since the time of the dinosaurs, first appearing around 115 million years ago. "It was a revelation to think that the pests that live in our beds today evolved more than 100 million years ago and were walking the earth alongside dinosaurs," said researcher Mike Siva-Jothy. "It demonstrates that the evolution of bed bugs is far more complex than we previously thought."

Did you know? Insects are the only invertebrates with wings.

Developed in 1819 by the French army, soldiers used it to communicate at night without speaking or using candles. Fifteen-year-old French schoolboy Louis Braille learned about the code, and eventually developed the more usable, streamlined version of the braille alphabet we know today.

It was HIGHLY SECRET work! Even the factory workers who put the vehicles together were kept in the dark. They were informed that they were developing mobile water tanks for desert warfare. Tanks were originally referred to as "landships," but this was changed to "tanks" in order to confuse the enemy.

According to the findings, smoking is related to an increased risk of back discomfort. "According to the current study, current smokers who smoked more cigarettes per day had a greater prevalence of back discomfort.". In brief, nicotine reduces blood flow and circulation, which slows healing and diminishes bone strength. This should be even more incentive to give up smoking!

When you find your dog eating on something he shouldn't, he averts his gaze and assumes a submissive stance. That indicates he recognizes his error and expresses regret, correct? Scientists believe it's unlikely. It's more likely that the behaviors that owners identify with a dog's remorse are a reaction to being reprimanded. They just do not consider their violation as thoroughly as you do.

When asked what colour is their favourite, people all over the world consistently say blue. Blue is preferred by up to 40% of those polled, with purple being preferred by around 14%. Surprisingly, mosquitoes prefer blue to any other colour; they try to bite people wearing blue more than any other colour.

It's no coincidence that the Queen in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs bears an uncanny resemblance to Lady Macbeth. Walt Disney purposefully imitated Lady Macbeth's on-screen persona, and was even quoted as picturing the Evil Queen as "a mixture of Lady Macbeth and The Big Bad Wolf."