Ophiocordyceps, a tropical fungus, infects the central nerve systems of ants. After nine days in the insect bodies, the fungus gain total control over the host's motions. They drive the ants to climb trees before convulsing and falling into the cold, wet earth below, where fungus thrive. When the fungus arrives, it waits until exactly solar noon to induce the ant to bite a leaf and kill it.

The most common mode of transportation for citizens in Paris is the city's subterranean rail system, which is used by over 5 million people every day. It is Europe's busiest subterranean network after Moscow. Count your stations when using the subway - you never know where you'll wind up if you don't, as the Paris Metro system, unlike other big cities, does not announce its stops.

The Terracotta Warriors were built between 246 BC when Qin Shi Huang assumed the Qin State throne, and 206 BC, when the Han Dynasty began, four years after Qin's death. Over 700,000 laborers worked nonstop for 40 years to complete the terracotta army and tomb complex.

This consumption rate of 163 litres per individual per year is unheard of in any other country in the globe. It is unsurprising that such misuse in Coca-Cola drinking may be noticed in people's health, given diabetes and obesity rates in Mexico are above normal. Other causes include a lack of exercise and an excessive intake of junk food. As a response to widespread health concerns, punitive tariffs on foods with excessive fat or sugar content were implemented in 2013.

Another shocking fact about Russia is that it has 12 active volcanoes! Because of its convenient position, Kamchatka is one of the most visited of these volcanoes. If you enjoy nature and stunning scenery, you should go to Kamchatka. This active volcano is home to approximately 1,000 plant species. Brown bears, lambs, and wolves also live there. You may explore Kamchatka on your own or as part of a guided excursion. If you are not fluent in Russian, an organised trip is the better alternative.

Technically, it is a degree in "Viticulture and Enology" (a.k.a. grape cultivation and the science of winemaking), but we're still applying.

Although the now-retro rainbow design is undoubtedly Apple's most well-known, the very first Apple logo depicted Sir Isaac Newton seated under a tree with an apple ready to fall on his head. The Newton logo was created by Apple's lesser-known creator Ronald Wayne and was only used briefly in 1976. Its high degree of detail didn't show up well when scaled down and put on a device.

Mount Hoverla is Ukraine's highest peak, standing at 2061 meters. Mount Hoverla is a Carpathian mountain range. Mount Hoverla has been a popular tourist destination since the late 1800s. Mountain has grown in popularity as an extreme sports destination throughout the years.

Plenty of Japanese celebrate Christmas, but the festive fare isn’t what you might expect. In Japan, it’s traditional to head to your local KFC on Christmas Eve. An estimated 3.6 million Japanese feast on the KFC Christmas Dinner and hours of queuing and ordering weeks in advance is expected. Some say turkey and chicken wasn’t widely available for the Christmas-curious Japanese, so Colonel Sanders stepped in to answer the demand…

Uzbekistan is the world's 56th biggest sovereign state, with an area of around 172,700 square miles, and is almost the same size in geographical area as Spain or the state of California in the United States. The length of the nation from east to west is 885 miles, while the length from south to north is 580 miles.

Paris is the fashion capital, and the majority of well-known fashion brands are French (Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Jacquemus, you name it). Of course, they were the ones who came up with the military uniforms as well. The French were the first to deploy camouflage clothes in the military; the name "camouflage" loosely translates to "make up for the stage."

Susami is home to the world's deepest underwater mailbox, a fascinating Japan fact. Susami is a popular fishing village in Wakayama Province. In 2002, the town's deepest underwater mailbox was certified by Guinness World Records. Since 1999, the mailbox has gathered over 32,000 pieces of mail at a depth of 30 feet.

You probably don’t know this, but the calendar that we use today was invented by ancient Egyptians. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the first calendar known to humankind was invented in Egypt. In fact, it is the year 6264 in the Egyptian calendar.

The ancient Egyptians used the 12-month calendar like we do today. However, each month was always 30 days which meant that their years were only 360 days in total causing the years to fall out of sync with the seasons. So to make up for the lost time, they held a 5-day festival at the end of each year.

As of July 2019, Spain had 47 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the third-highest number in the world. These include old cities, massive churches, and other structures. Only Italy and China have more UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with each having 55.

In a 2014 interview, Haikyuu!! designer Haruichi Furudate stated that he wants people to see volleyball as 'fun and cool.' He undoubtedly accomplished his purpose, since the number of high school students joining volleyball clubs increased considerably after Haikyuu aired.

Coffee is also one of the most addictive substances. It's a stimulant, similar to cocaine. When someone says they need a cup of coffee or that they are grouchy in the morning before coffee, they aren't joking. They might be experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Caffeine is a stimulant, which means it speeds up the transmission of signals between the brain and the body. It may be found in the seeds, nuts, and leaves of a variety of plants.

Geocaching is an international game in which players use GPS and a geocaching app to decipher clues and go on stash-seeking adventures, similar to a digital/analog scavenger hunt. There is even a geocache target on the International Space Station as of 2008.

Mesopotamia, along with the Nile Valley Civilization in Egypt, the Indus Valley Civilization in the Indian subcontinent, and the Yellow River in China, was one of the four riverine civilizations where writing was invented. Around 3400 BC, the Sumerian civilization of Mesopotamia invented the cuneiform script. Cuneiform is a Latin word that means "wedge-shaped." Sumerian writing evolved from pictograms to become a full-fledged writing system capable of producing works of literature as well as prayers and laws. Despite not being the oldest example of writing, cuneiform script is regarded as a significant milestone in human history.

Einstein was not a participant in the Manhattan Project, although he was essential in its inception. German scientists discovered nuclear fission of uranium in the late 1930s, which was a crucial step toward the construction of the atomic bomb. Much of the world's uranium was stored in the Congo, which was then a Belgian territory, so two Hungarian-American physicists called Leo Szilard and Eugene Wigner persuaded Einstein to send a letter to his friend, the Queen of Belgium. Instead, Einstein advised writing a letter to a Belgian minister, but a chance meeting with an economist who knew President Roosevelt resulted in a change of heart and a letter that pushed America to begin its own tests.

Chocolate bars were not the first chocolate treat, but hot chocolate was. And that hot chocolate was nothing like we get today. It was just a bitter concoction that was often enjoyed during weddings and other occasions. Isn't this interesting?.

If you go shopping at the Christmas Market in Nuremberg, Germany, you'll be participating in a tradition that dates back hundreds of years. Proof of this can be discovered in a little box kept safe by the Germanisches Nationalmuseum. The modest gift is inscribed, "Sent to Regina Susanna Harßdörfferin by Miss Susanna Eleonora Erbsin (or Elbsin) on the occasion of the Christmas Market of 1628."

Have you ever visited a salt mine? When you travel to Poland with Trafalgar, we will take you to the 800-year-old Wieliczka Salt Mine, one of the world's oldest. It's known as the Underneath Salt Cathedral of Poland, and when you go 135 metres (440 feet) underground with your guide, you'll witness chambers, sculptures, salt chandeliers, and an entire church sculpted from rock salt. The UNESCO World Heritage Site has been producing salt continuously since the 13th century until 2007, and the history and unique carvings of this salt mine will leave you speechless.

According to the Pizza Hall of Fame, the first pizzeria in the United States opened in New York City in 1905. Lombardi’s Pizza on 32 Spring Street is still going strong and it is now one of around 1,600 pizzerias in the city. New Yorkers have noticed that when the price of subway tickets rises, so does the price of pizza. It's known as "the pizza principle."