"The sediments underneath Earth's seas are home to roughly 2.9 x 1029 microorganisms, which survive at depths of up to 2.5 km below the seafloor." The bulk of this deep subseafloor biosphere develops incredibly slowly in comparison to life on the top, with cell division estimated to occur once every 10-1000 years or so. Scientists are discovering new microscopic life sources further and deeper beneath the ocean than ever before. In March, a team of scientists announced that they had discovered remnants of bacteria (about 10 billion bacterial cells) in rocks 400 feet below the bottom, which was the deepest ever discovered.

You definitely wouldn't recognise Greece if someone called it by its official name at first, but that's part of what makes it so fascinating! Hellas or Hellada is how the Greeks refer to their country, and the Hellenic Republic is the official name.

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.

While Walt Disney invented Mickey Mouse and gave the voice, the visual was developed by animator Ub Iwerks, who designed all of the famous characteristics. You'll never look at the adorable mouse the same way again.

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.

Christian Dior technically invented designer sunglasses when, in the early 1960s, they licenced their brand to be used to produce luxury sunglasses for discerning fashionistas. Using Optyl, his own lightweight thermo-hardening material, he converted expensive sunglasses into more wearable everyday items. The properties of this material also allowed for a wider choice of models, from broad and original lines to previously discovered hues and delicate degradé of translucent, brown, green, and grey colours that still mark Dior's beautiful and refined style.

Alexander the Great died at the age of 32, having conquered and established the world's biggest land-based empire. It spanned the Balkans to Pakistan. Alexander became sick in 323 BC and appeared to die after 12 days of intense torment. His corpse, on the other hand, showed no indications of decay or decomposition for a whole six days. Alexander was thought to have suffered from the neurological illness Guillain-Barré Syndrome, according to modern experts. They believe he was just paralysed and intellectually aware when he "died." In other words, he was horrifyingly buried alive!

An ultra-luxurious lodge has been opened on Nosy Ankao, the biggest of five islands off Madagascar's northeast coast. Miavana (only accessible by helicopter) is a destination for "blue safaris," which include opportunities to see turtles, whales, and dolphins, as well as scuba diving and fishing. There's also a fantastic spa. But start saving now - doubles start at £3,220 per night.

In the United Arab Emirates, the week begins on a Sunday! Sunday in the UAE is just like any other day, with children going to school and adults going to work. Weekends are Friday and Saturday for them. Because Friday is a special religious day in Islam for afternoon prayers, many Middle Eastern countries follow this timetable.

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.

The Water Festival, also known as Thingyan, is one of the country's largest celebrations. Thousands of people come to the streets in April to celebrate the Burmese New Year with a massive water battle. Everyone enjoys a good time, and it's one of the most significant aspects about Myanmar culture that every traveller should be aware of. Participating is most likely the finest vacation experience you can have here.

Most people are unaware of how biodiverse Papua New Guinea is; the magnificent wildlife underwater has made it one of the world's best scuba diving destinations. Despite having only 1% of the Earth's total surface area, Papua New Guinea includes 20,000 plant species, 800 coral species, and over 650 fish species. Do you have your PADI scuba diving certification? If you don't have one, you should obtain one before going to Papua New Guinea to make the most of this unique underwater world.

Malaysia is home to the world's biggest cave chamber. The Sarawak Chamber at Gunung Mulu National Park is enormous, with enough capacity for 40-50 Boeing 747s. It's another matter if you could actually park these jets in the Sarawak Chamber...

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...

It is frequently debated among professionals which era is regarded as the "best" in modern game history. Chess, like modern sports, has gone through several eras in which the perspective of how the players competed changed. For example, in chess, the Romantical approach favoured quick tactical moves over long-term strategy. When players changed their playing styles, valuing one thing over another, new "ages" of chess would emerge.

USA's present 50-star flag was created by 17-year-old Robert Heff as part of a high school project. It was 1958, and there were only 48 states at the moment, but Heft had a feeling Hawaii and Alaska would get statehood shortly. His teacher gave him a B- but later raised the mark to an A after Heft submitted his design to the White House, resulting in a call from President Eisenhower announcing that it had been chosen as the official U.S. flag.

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.

Dubai claims to have the world's largest picture frame. The 492-foot-tall Dubai Frame soars above the city's skyline and is a popular tourist attraction.

McDonald's in Vokzalna Square in Kyiv is claimed to be the world's third most visited McDonald's restaurant. The restaurant is located just near to the train station. This restaurant will be extremely crowded. This is because McDonald's in Kyiv is now the greatest fast food alternative available.

What could be better than dedicating one day of the year to yourself? Having two of them! Many Greek names are derived from religious saints, each of whom is commemorated by the church on a particular day. People with the same name as the saint are wished a happy name day on that day, and a party is thrown with family, friends, and even neighbours. Marios and Marias, for example, have two name days each year!

Though it was not the first film ever made, "The Great Train Robbery" (1903) was the first to tell a story and is widely regarded as the first narrative fiction film. It was produced by Thomas Edison's Edison Studios and was only about 12 minutes long. The filming took place in New Jersey. 

If you look closely at your zipper, you'll notice the letters YKK, which stand for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha. This business, founded in Tokyo in 1934, is believed to create 7 billion zippers every year.

Something frowned upon in most other nations is quite acceptable in China. In China, spitting, yawning, grunting, and burping is normal eating behaviours, just as they are in Vietnam. It was repulsive to us, and we couldn't get used to it. We would bear it better if we stayed in this nation for a little longer.

It is clear in Ukraine that the majority of the population speaks both Russian and Ukrainian. However, if you truly want to be a local, Ukrainian, which is also the official language, would be preferable. And, much to your dismay, English is not generally spoken here.