The Netherlands could be crammed into Mongolia 37 times. It is the world's 18th most populous country (Iran is 17th).

This holy summit, perched in the gorgeous southern Hill Country, has been a paradise for people of many faiths in Sri Lanka for over a thousand years. The mountain is known as Sri Pada in Buddhism, which means sacred footprint, and is thought to have been left by the Buddha on his way to paradise. It is Lord Shiva's footprint, according to Hindus. When Christians and Muslims are asked, they will reply that is the footprint of Adam when he was expelled from the Garden of Eden. 

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.

Tendulkar became Yorkshire's first overseas-born player when he was 19 years old in 1992. Yorkshire had never chosen anyone from outside the county before Tendulkar's arrival. Tendulkar was chosen for Yorkshire as a replacement for injured Australian fast bowler Craig McDermott, and he scored 1070 runs in 16 first-class matches at an average of 46.52.

Pigeons can find their way home from 1,300 miles away, believe it or not! Furthermore, they have demonstrated that they can do so after being relocated in full isolation to a region they had never been to before. The cages were even rotated during shipment to keep the birds guessing which way they were going. Scientists aren't sure how pigeons manage to find their way back when there are no visual, olfactory, or magnetic cues to help them. They now believe that pigeons have compasses and map mechanisms that aid in navigation. While the mapping mechanism is unknown, the compass mechanism is most likely based on the location of the sun.

According to the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP), outdoor air pollution causes up to 36,000 premature deaths in the UK each year. 29,000 premature deaths per year are caused by fine particle air pollution. The harmful gas nitrogen dioxide's (NO2) impact raises the number to 36,000 every year.

The pancreas does play a significant role in digestion even though food never enters the organ. The pancreatic duct transports the pancreatic fluid it produces to the duodenum. Once in the digestive system, the fluid's enzymes aid in the breakdown of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. It performs the role of an exocrine gland by releasing a substance into the body's ducts. It also serves as an endocrine gland, secreting two hormones into the bloodstream to help regulate blood sugar levels. Glucagon is released when you don't have enough sugar, and insulin is released when you do.

One of the lesser-known facts of the Indian Ocean is that it has a number of tectonic plate boundaries, notably the Rodrigues Triple Point, where the African, Indo-Australian, and Antartic continental plates collide.

The yo-yo was invented in Greece in 500 BC, according to information I found during my research. The yo-yo is commonly thought to have originated in China, but it was first recorded in Greek history.

Because of his WWII experience, he began assembling together tractors out of scrap parts when he returned home. People adored them, and his tractor company shot off like wildfire. Although they are no longer owned by the same corporation, Lamborghini Trattori is still designed by the same team that built the Gallardo and Maserati MC12. They range in price from $30,000 to more than $300,000; the only issue is whether your neighbor will still give you credit for having a Lambo.

During World War I, there was a cotton scarcity, therefore Kimberly-Clark created a thin, flat cotton replacement that the army sought to employ as a filter in gas masks. Because the war ended before scientists were able to perfect the material for gas masks, the firm redesigned it to be smoother and softer, then sold Kleenex as facial tissue instead.

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.

Dennis Quaid is a movie star, but he also has some killer dance moves! While attending the University of Houston, the actor said that he studied dance. He described it as an "amazing exercise" in Us Weekly.

If you want to view the Eiffel Tower in all its splendor, you should go to Paris in the summer. According to the Los Angeles Times, the 1,062-foot monument grows more than six inches taller in the heat due to thermal expansion, which allows the iron structure to literally grow. However, if you want the best view, go during the day because the tower begins to shrink as the sun sets.

Since nails are not naturally alive, they do not require breathing. However, it's advised to give your nail paint breaks in order to prevent some of the negative side effects of leaving acrylics or nail polish on for an extended period of time.

Yogurt has helpful bacterial cultures that can help boost immune system activity.

Bulgaria required a flag to symbolize its independence when it became a sovereign nation in 1878. Petko Slaveykov, a poet who also authored the Bulgarian national hymn, was the designer.

There are so many different ways to express your beliefs. Some people believe in God and go to church regularly or belong to a religious community. In contrast, others do not believe in God at all! Some people meditate. Others just focus more inside themselves rather than externally. And others are less egoistic and more altruistic.

The pan shot, also known as the panorama shot, was invented in 1987, when panning cameras were first used in film production. Cameras used to be stationary, so you had to move the entire camera and tripod to get any movement. This was a significant step forward in filmmaking and cinematography as an art form.

the foundation - which contains the yolks 
the delicate peak - obtained from beaten egg whites

When they roll out the red carpet on Oscar night spare a thought for the organizers. The specially made carpet is a whopping 500 feet long and has to be rolled out at LA's prestigious Kodak Theatre days in advance, hoovered and covered with protective plastic, before being unveiled just hours before the ceremony.

Research conducted by Cornell University food experts discovered that loud, noisy settings, such as flying, impair your perception of taste. The study discovered that persons who flew had decreased sweet receptors and increased umami receptors. The German airline Lufthansa revealed that passengers requested nearly as much tomato juice as beer on flights. The discovery raises fresh issues about how taste is impacted by factors other than our own internal circuitry, such as our interactions with our surroundings.