Human settlers first arrived in Madagascar very recently, probably as late as 500AD, some 300,000 years after Homo sapiens originally appeared in Africa.

The world we "see" is a figment of our imagination. Our minds do not generate images in the same way that a video camera does. Instead, the brain builds a model of the world using data from modules that measure light and shade, edges, curvature, and so on. This allows the brain to easily paint out the blind spot, which is the area of your retina where the optic nerve connects and has no sensors. It also compensates for our eyes' rapid, jerky movements, known as saccades, creating the illusion of steady vision.

Yes, truly. Nintendo rented a warehouse in Tukwila, Washington, in 1981 to serve as its American headquarters. According to NPR, when a guy called Mario Segale went into his Nintendo tenants' offices demanding late rent, he created an impression. Even Segale's preference for overalls and short stature appear to have influenced Mario's design over time.

Egypt's ancient pyramids were built during an 85-year period, between 2589 and 2504 BC. The Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudi's masterwork, began building in 1882 and has continued under development ever since. Gaudi was never able to see his masterpiece completed. After 144 years of development, Barcelona hopes to have it finished by 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death.

As if the Nazis weren't already evil enough, they got dangerously close to producing plutonium, the material that powers nuclear bombs. When the Germans invaded Norway, they seized control of a facility in the Telemark region that manufactured heavy water, which was used to generate plutonium. However, before they could create anything, a group of 11 Norwegian commandos damaged the factory, detonating explosives in the base without incurring a single death.

The entire ban was based on the discovery of a picture of a swastika-adorned Pooh owned by a single person known for supporting the Nazi party. That was apparently enough to get Winnie banned for good.

When you think about Greece, you probably see sandy beaches, turquoise seas, whitewashed houses, and blue domes. However, one of the most unexpected facts about Greece is that the bulk of the nation is really made up of mountains. It is one of the most mountainous nations in Europe, with mountains covering 80 percent of the land area. Remember to bring a decent pair of walking shoes!

Since 1995, Charles Martinet has provided voices for Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, and other Mushroom Kingdom characters. It's all thanks to a friend who urged him to attend an audition at a tradeshow in Las Vegas to which he had not been invited. When Martinet arrived, the audition team had already begun to pack up their belongings. Fortunately, they still let him audition for the part.

Libyan tea is thick because it is made with a lot of tea leaves and a lot of sugar. It is mostly made by women. The tea boils for 20 to 30 minutes after the two components are combined and a suitable amount of water is added. When the tea is done, it's served in little pyrex glasses with sumak and khobza, two popular Libyan snacks.

Guinness World Records certified the mixed-use hotel and office complex as the World's Farthest Leaning Manmade Tower in 2010. The lean of the Capital Gate structure is 18 degrees, which is more than four times that of Italy's famous leaning Tower of Pisa.

In Korea, age is given precedence over all other considerations. When conversing with someone of a higher rank or age, formal language must be used. Similarly, when conversing with a junior/someone younger, you can use informal language (banmal, ). Unless two people agree to use banmal at the same time, this usually remains the case. Even in a k-pop group with members who are mostly around the same age, a few months difference in birthdate can make a big difference.

Some of these European facts are more recent than others. Kosovo gained independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008, becoming Europe's youngest country. Kosovo, a landlocked nation in the European Balkans, with a population of almost 2 million people.

With its enormous size and mass, you'd think Jupiter would rotate slowly around its axis. With a rotational velocity of 45,300 km/h, it is the fastest spinning planet in the solar system. As a result, a day on Jupiter lasts only 9 hours and 55 minutes. A year, on the other hand, is much longer; Jupiter orbits the sun once every 11.8 Earth years.

The Nazis pondered releasing an army of potato bugs on their adversaries, which they felt might be dumped on England to ruin its crops and bring severe starvation. However, experts recognised that almost 40 million insects would be required for the operation if it was to be successful—though several million had been hoarded by the time the war ended.

The most impressive artificial paradise, with a length of 1,000 yards, an area of 20 acres, and a maximum depth of 115 feet, can be found in Algarrobo city on the Pacific coast. It was named by the Guinness Book of Records as the World's largest swimming pool, with a length of 1,000 yards, an area of 20 acres, and a maximum depth of 115 feet. It can contain nearly 66 million gallons of crystal clean saltwater. The pool opened in December 2006 after five years of building work at a cost of about one billion dollars ($US) and an annual maintenance cost of roughly two million.

Despite the fact that Nazi scientists tried to produce weaponized versions of illnesses such as typhoid and cholera, Hitler banned the employment of offensive biological weapons in war, probably due to his experiences with bioweapons during World War I.

The first hot air balloon was launched in 1783, transporting a sheep, duck, and rooster. In France, the Montgolfier brothers created the hot air balloon. They began experimenting with balloons after witnessing the heat of a fire raise their drying clothing. Because it was uncertain how flying at such altitudes might impact humans, the initial flight included animal passengers. The flight was a perfect success, and the animals arrived safely and largely unscathed. The sheep, however, managed to land on the rooster.

Humans have celebrated the start of each new year with parties, festivals, and religious ceremonies for millennia. However, we haven't always agreed on the beginning of the year. Four thousand years ago, the first new moon after the Vernal Equinox was regarded as the dividing line between the previous year and the new one in ancient Babylon. After Julius Caesar made major changes to the Roman calendar in 45 BCE, January 1 became the start of the new year for the first time. Ancient Romans commemorated the day with sacrifices to Janus, the Roman god of beginnings (after whom the month of January is named), as well as gift exchanges and large parties.

Many people find this assertion odd, yet eating pizza for breakfast is really healthier than eating cereal. According to famous American nutritionist Chelsey Amer, pizza includes lipids, carbs, and protein that will keep you fuller for longer than porridge with milk. Cereals, of course, include carbohydrates and sugar. Of course, this does not mean that you should only eat pizza for breakfast, but it also does not mean that you should only eat cereal in the morning.

During the Classical Period, Ancient Sparta was a colossally rich kingdom. Mostly because of their conquest and dominance over a nearby people known as the Helots. When a Spartan boy attained maturity and became a man, the Spartan state bestowed upon him a grant of public farmland. They also sent him a contingent of Helot slaves to work it. This effectively transformed every Spartan citizen into a rich member of the traditional upper class. As a result, they did not have to work for a living. Private property still existed, which is significant because...

The tides are caused by the tiny changes in gravitational pulls of the Moon and Sun, as well as centrifugal forces in opposing directions. The tides on Earth are at their greatest when the three bodies are aligned, which occurs near the full and new Moons. The Earth is then expanded along that line.

Under the sea, there are more historic artefacts than in all of the world's museums combined. There are approximately 1,000 shipwrecks off the Florida Keys alone, some of which are protected by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Other underwater museums have opened in recent years, including Christ of the Abyss, a submerged bronze statue in the Mediterranean.