Termites have natural predators just like many other animals. Ants are termites' main predators, destroying entire colonies when they catch them off guard during an invasion. Ant and termite colonies are frequently constructed next to one another, which can lead to conflict as both insect species compete for food. Actual "wars" can start if an ant or termite ventures into the other's territory as soldier insects plan attacks on the adversary's colony.

The Nabataeans revered their dead and took special care to honor them as they transitioned from this world to the next. They constructed over 1,000 protected tombs in the mountains surrounding the city. These tombs coexist with depictions of their gods, creating a sense of fluidity between the sacred and the mundane.

The Spaniards celebrate Christmas, the New Year, and the Three Wise Men feast during the winter holidays. This time of the year is very special and they live it intensely. A fun fact about Spain is that it is traditional to eat twelve grapes at a time to receive the new year. It is more difficult than it seems, but the Spaniards swear that achieving that gives good luck for the rest of the year.

When Thracian tribes initially settled the Bulgarian capital in 7000 BC, it began a very intriguing history. 

Originally known as Serdika, Ulpia Serdica is now the preferred name for Sofia. In honor of St. Sophia Cathedral, it was renamed Sofia in the fourteenth century.

Wayanad is home to Kerala's unique mirror temple (Kannadi Ambalam). The temple is a Jain temple located in Vythiri Taluk.

A procedure to remove a cataract was first successfully carried out in 1747 by French ophthalmologist Jacques Daviel. The treatment was only carried out in the most extreme circumstances because the entire lens was removed. Unfortunately, other fields of medicine had not evolved as much. The incision remained open because fine sutures were not yet invented. Sandbags were employed to keep the patient motionless while the injury healed.

A few other fictitious-sounding details about pirates are correct. According to National Geographic, battling pirates would have lost limbs from time to time, and some of them would have replaced their missing appendages with a hook or a wooden peg. "Members of the crew... received compensation for the loss of body parts in action—an early form of worker's compensation," according to the Smithsonian Institute.

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.

It costs 124% more than the average European price. A half-kilogram of beef costs around CHF 12-14. A 200-gram Kentucky rump steak costs CHF 37.50 ($38) in a Swiss restaurant near Zurich airport, while a bigger 250-gram Argentinian rump steak costs €20.90 (CHF22.90 or $23) in a steakhouse close over the German border in Singen. That is double the price in Switzerland, gram for gram. High Swiss tariffs on food and drink imports are intended to safeguard local farmers, who often have smaller farms than foreign rivals, as well as the hefty prices of Switzerland's 'high price island.'

Women make up about half of the labor force, but they continue to earn much less than men in comparable jobs. That roughly 20% salary disparity has scarcely changed in years. According to the Institute for Women's Policy Research, women earn less than men in practically every occupation where there is enough data to calculate a gender ratio. Even the fact that women are better educated than at any other moment in history, with more women obtaining undergrad and advanced degrees than men, hasn't made a difference. Moreover three-quarters of UK companies pay their male employees more than their female employees, and males earn at least 10% more than women in nine of seventeen industries.

People frequently allege that the Michelin star grading system favours Paris unjustly. However, most people are unaware that Tokyo is the city with the most three-star Michelin restaurants.

Not all of the tastes are accessible internationally, and some are no longer available at all! Some of the less well-known and less successful flavours include New Coke, Coca-Cola Orange, and Coca-Cola BlaK, a coffee-flavored variation. Coca-Cola BlaK had a brief existence, lasting just from 2006 to 2008, and was only available in seven countries. Coca-Cola, on the other hand, has stated that it intends to release another coffee-related product in the future.

If the Babylonians hadn't thought 12 was a neater number than 13, you could have been born under the sign Ophiuchus. The 13th constellation was dropped from the Zodiac calendar 3,000 years ago, NASA explains.

In 1867, a 15-year-old boy named Erasmus Stephanus discovered the stunning Eureka diamond in South Africa. The rough diamond weighing 21.25 carats was discovered on the Orange River near Hopetown. The polished diamond now weighs 10.73 carats.

Even though we all already know this, it's still important to mention. Lack of sleep can stress your skin, which can result in unwelcome breakouts and a dull complexion. Allow your body to use the time to regenerate and recover from your day by allowing it to get the rest it needs.

The forests of Kanha National Park inspired Rudyard Kipling to write the famous children's novel "Jungle Book." All of the characters and animals were inspired by the dense forests of Madhya Pradesh, where Rudyard Kipling visited and drew inspiration for his world-famous work.

Have you ever thought about why snakes put out their tongues? They're probably trying to smell their surroundings with their tongue. They have a Jacobson's or vomeronasal organ on the roof of their mouth. The odor then travels from the tongue to an organ in their mouth. Their odor is particularly pleasant and has been characterized as smelling in stereo. They have a long tongue and numerous sensors that can detect varying levels of chemical stimuli.

Hindi and Urdu are very similar, with most terms being the same in both languages. If you know Hindi, you can easily speak with anyone in Urdu.

Humans and slugs have a lot more in common than you may assume at first appearance. Our DNA is 70 percent identical to slug DNA. All creatures, like plants, have a common ancestor a long time ago: the DNA of a person and a banana is 50 percent same. As a result, a human is half a banana or 40% cucumber. To some extent, all living organisms on Earth are related — this just means that our evolution took a different course at some point in time.

The legend of the Chupacabra began in Puerto Rico in 1995 after a series of attacks on livestock occurred. The animals appeared to be drained of blood with puncture wounds around the neck, but the deaths were never explained. Though the description of the creature varies, it’s said to have a forked tongue, large eyes, and alien-like quills. The tale of the Chupacabra eventually spread to other parts of Latin America and even to the United States. It is still widely believed to be true.

Butterscotch candy is thought to have originated in the early 1800s in Yorkshire, England. The term "butterscotch" is supposed to be a combination of the terms "butter" and "scotch," both of which signify to cut or score. In 1817, English confectioner Samuel Parkinson used the term "butterscotch" for the first time. Parkinson's butterscotch was a brown sugar, butter, and vinegar hard candy.

You may design your own personalised clip-in extensions just at home! All you need are some weft extensions, clips, thread, needle, and scissors if you're feeling crafty and up for the task. There are several techniques available online, but in general, you will need to trim the weft extensions to the correct width, sew in the clips, and you have your own extensions. If you don't want to deal with the inconvenience, you may just buy prefabricated extensions. Secret of Medusa sells high-quality wefts, clips, and clip-ins for your convenience.

At age 16, Victoria met her future husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who also happened to be her first cousin. After four years of friendship and flirtation, Queen Victoria proposed to her prince (actually, she had no choice—according to tradition, a man couldn’t propose to the queen). The smitten couple married in 1840.

You've most likely heard of Santorini, Mykonos, and Crete... But did you know that Greece has dozens of more gorgeous islands? Greece is thought to have up to 6,000 islands and islets, with just about 200 of them inhabited.

Cardiovascular disease accounts for 70-75% of type 2 diabetes mortality (Kings Fund Policy Institute, 1996). Insulin resistance raises the risk of cardiovascular disease before the onset of type 2 diabetes. Hyperinsulinaemia has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (Ruige et al, 1998). The metabolic and systemic alterations associated with insulin resistance caused this elevated risk: insulin resistance syndrome.