Facts About All: general facts

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12 interesting Facts About Microbes

Microbes, by weight, represent 60 percent of the biomass of all life on Earth!
Microbes outnumber all other species and make up most living matter.
Microbes first appeared on earth about 3.5 billion years ago.
Microbes generate at least half the oxygen we breathe.
1,000: number of microbial species that normally live on the surface of our skin.
Microbes drive the chemistry of life and affect the global climate.
A single gram of soil can contain more than a billion microbes!
Until birth, the digestive tract is sterile by 48 hours. After birth, microbial colonization is quantitatively similar to that of the adult.
Most microbes do not cause disease.
0.000004: diameter in inches of the smallest bacteria.
Microbes comprise ~60% of the earths biomass.
Pathogen microbes are of three types: viruses, bacteria and protozoans.

What was the first spy plane?

In the late 1950s, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) sent U2 spy planes to photograph secret locations in the former Soviet Union. The Lockheed U2 were flying at an altitude of 70,000 ft, out of the reach of whole fire and radar.

These extraordinary devices were more than reaction gliders built with plastic and triplay. After takeoff, the wheels were detached from the end of the wings. They landed with the main landing gear, integrated in their fuselage.

It wasn't until May 1960, after more than four years of flights, that the Russians shot down a U2, using modern radar equipment used in SA-2 anti-aircraft missiles. Even so, the U2 did not receive the impact directly: a projectile exploded very close and launched it in an uncontrollable dive. The pilot, Gary Powers, had to jump off the ship.

The success of U2 prompted the United States to undertake an ultra-secret investigation called Stealth, with the aim of manufacturing military devices that were undetectable to radar.

The U2 spent so much time unnoticed because it was made of non-metallic materials that absorbed radar waves, rather than reflecting them to the ground station, as is often the case.

The Stealth programme aimed to design high-performance military aircraft, made of a minimum of metal and with the exterior coated with a radar wave-absorbing layer. This would outwit most anti-aircraft systems.

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How does an earthquake happen?

An earthquake is a sudden shake of the earth's crust that occurs unexpectedly. The earthquake, has its origin in a point inside the Earth called a hypocentre or focus, which is normally located less than 50 km deep, because if it is below that level, the earthquake does not usually reflect on the outside.

The point corresponding to the perpendicular of the hypocentre on the surface is the epicentre, where the earthquake registers its maximum intensity. The hypocentre generates waves, the seismic waves, which propagate on the surface, losing intensity as they move away from the epicentre.

The magnitude of an earthquake values the amount of energy released in the focus at the time it occurs. To measure the magnitude of earthquakes is used a scale of ten degrees developed by the American seismologist C. F. Richter. The intensity of an earthquake is based on the evaluation of the effects produced by seismic waves in the affected area. The intensity was measured using a twelve-degree scale created by the Italian G. Mercalli, which was slightly modified in 1964. These and other important characteristics of earthquakes (amplitude, duration, time, etc.) are reflected in the seismograph, which is a device that records seismic waves.

seismograph

Who discovered Victoria Falls?

The natives called the waterfalls of the Zambezi the "thundering smokes". In 1855, the English explorer Livingstone named them "Victoria Falls" in homage to the Queen of England.

David Livingstone, an English Protestant pastor, missionary and doctor, visited unknown territories in South Africa for the purpose of evangelizing and caring for indigenous people. After crossing the Kalahari Desert, Livingstone discovered the sources of the Zambezi. Exploring the upper reaches of the river, he was able to contemplate an extraordinary spectacle: a 110-meter waterfall. The river, which in that area is 1700 meters wide, falls down a gorge only 80 meters wide. The din of the waters is perceptible from afar and a curtain of mist rises constantly from the tumultuous and impressive liquid wall, curtain that when crossed by the rays of the sun produces magnificent rainbows.

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What is the legend of the Buddha's birth?

Who was the Buddha?

Buddhism is one of the most important religions in the world; and a curiosity about it is that its followers believe that the founder's conception occurred when his mother dreamed that a celestial elephant with six tusks came down to her, and entered from the side of her belly.

Then, according to the same legend, the exact birth of Siddhartha occurred when his mother walked through Lumbini's garden and looked up at Heaven. At birth the child took seven steps in each direction from Heaven, growing a lotus flower at each step he took; then he prophesied that he would not be born again (this because Buddhists, as in the Brahmanic religion, believe in reincarnation).

Then, in a vision, the father of the young prince was told that he would be a mighty king walking in time, or instead, a man of holiness (the Buddha).

The father, fearing for his succession, removed the child from all that was religion or from knowing what human suffering was, depriving him of the outside world; he hoped that his son, Gautama Siddharta, would become the great king of whom the vision spoke.

However, the fate of the child was already marked as the future Buddha.

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How did Brandon Lee die?

When did Bruce Lee's son die?

In 1965 Brandon Bruce Lee was born, son of the legendary martial artist and film star Bruce Lee. He learned from his father the Jeet Kune Do. Brandon debuted at the age of twenty in the film ''Kung Fu: The Movie'' where he played the missing son of the character played by the actor John Carradine. Another outstanding performance was obtained in the series O'Hara with Pat Morita where he worked a single chapter.

Its first stellar one in cinema obtained it in "Legacy Of Rage" (1988, Hong Kong). Other cinematographic interventions were ''Laser Mission'', ''Showdown in Little Tokyo'' and ''Rapid Fire''.

Brandon Lee died in 1993 when he was filming ''The Crow''. A real bullet fired in a scene was embedded in the spine. He was taken immediately to a hospital but unfortunately he died when he was treated. So far, no satisfactory explanations have been given about such a serious error in the confusion of bullets.

Brandon's grave is next to his father's.

What were Julius Caesar's last words?

How did Julius Caesar die?

"Even you, my son?" are the words, according to Suetonius, who spoke Julius Caesar to his protégé Brutus, when he and other senators assassinated him in the Curia Pompeii.

Mark June Brutus was unhappy with Julius Caesar because of some measures he had implemented in Rome, which increased his power as a dictator.

Brutus' brother-in-law, Gaius Cassius Longinus and some senators also took part in the conspiracy.

Not everything went well for the murderers, as Rome held Julius Caesar in high esteem, so they had to flee to the East.

Some time later, in the Battle of Philippi, Brutus committed suicide to avoid being captured by the armies of Octavian and Mark Antony.

What does the term Mach mean?

Mach facts for kids

The sound spreads through the air very quickly. When an airplane reaches a speed equal to that of sound, its speed is said to be equal to Mach 1.

The sound moves through the air at a speed of 340 meters per second. In an hour it travels, then. 1 200 kilometers. Mach 1 is a unit of speed equivalent to that of sound. Consequently, Mach 2 will correspond to a speed of 2 400 kilometers per hour. In the latter case, the rocket or plane reaches a certain point before the noise produced by its engine. Then you hear a "concentration" of noises, called a "double bang". Ernst Mach is the name of an Austrian professor of physics and philosophy, born in 1838 and died in 1916.

FA 18 Hornet breaking sound barrier

What is a prototype?

Facts about prototypes for kids

Before a new machine or appliance is mass-produced, it is necessary to build a model with which all the safety and solidity tests are carried out; this model is the prototype.

Industrialists carry out their projects in several stages: drawing up plans, building experimental models, checking on test benches and modifying successive prototypes. Finally, mass production is undertaken. The purpose of the tests is to determine the possibilities of the manufactured apparatus and to increase to the maximum the safety in its use. Generally, test pilots deal with terrestrial, aerial and even interplanetary prototypes.

What is a test pilot?

Test pilot facts for kids - What is the role of a test pilot?

Test pilots risk their lives piloting new aircraft, racing cars, airplanes, rockets for the first time... The test pilot must be very brave and never lose cold blood.

Every time a new vehicle is invented (hovercraft, gyroplane, rocket, monorail or supersonic plane), it is necessary to check its possibilities. Specialists, the test pilots, are in charge of handling the prototypes to highlight their qualities and defects and to know their maximum degree of manageability. The first pilots are revealing. The reactions and observations of the test pilot allow the necessary improvements to be made to the prototype, before it is mass-produced.

Chuck Yeager test pilot

Facts about echoes (acoustics)

If a person shouts at a solid stone wall, his words often come back to him. He hears them as an echo.
Echoes occur when sound waves strike a hard, smooth surface and are bent back. Sound can be reflected from a wall just as light can be reflected from a mirror. A rough surface breaks up the sound waves.
In a valley where mountains are all around, a sound may be echoed many times.
Some places are famous for their echoes. In one place in Ireland 100 echoes of a bugle note have been counted.
To experiment with echoes, a person should be at least 60 feet away from the wall he is sending the sound against. If he is any closer, the echo comes back so soon that it gets mixed up with the original sound.
"A duck's quack doesn't echo" is a much-quoted scientific myth. The truth is that a duck's quack does, in fact, echo; however, it may be difficult to hear.

Some facts about nails (fasteners)

A nail is a stick of stout metal which is broadened into a head at one end and tapered at the other.
Nails are usually driven into the workpiece by a hammer, a pneumatic nail gun, or a small explosive charge or primer.
Before 1786 all nails were made by hand. In 1786 a nail-making machine was invented.
Wire is fed into modern machines. It is cut into pieces of the right length for the nails to be made. The pieces are heated. When hot, the head end of each piece is struck a hard blow to flatten it. The other end is tapered. The nails are then polished. They roll out of the machines into kegs.
Handmade nails were made mostly of wrought iron. Machine-made nails are made mostly of steel, but there are iron, copper, brass, and aluminum nails, too.
There are nails of many different shapes and sizes. Some are tiny and have very small heads. Others are several inches long. For every use of nails there is one kind of nail that is best.
The most common is a wire nail. Other types of nails include pins, tacks, brads, and spikes.
The word "penny" is used in telling the size of some nails. A 3-penny nail is 1¼ inches long. A 4-penny nail is 1½ inches long. A 60-penny nail is six inches long.
All nails longer than that are called spikes. Tacks and brads are less than an inch.
Nails are usually sold by weight. The smaller ones are more expensive per pound than the big ones. It is easy to see why. There are more to the pound if the nails are small, and it is as much work to make a one-inch nail as a six-inch one.

Some facts about lactation

Lactation is the giving of milk by mammals.
In humans the process of feeding milk is called breastfeeding or nursing.
Before pregnant mammals give birth to their young, milk begins to form in the mother's mammary glands.
Certain chemicals called hormones stimulate cells in the mammary glands to produce milk.
Lactation begins as soon as the infant is born. Young mammals feed on milk until they are able to get food by themselves.
Milk contains substances necessary for growth, such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. After a while, other hormones stop the milk production.
The lactation period varies in different species (kinds) of mammals. For example, the lactation period lasts about 10 months in cows, and about 2 years in walruses. When the mammal becomes pregnant again, the lactation period begins once more.
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) releases milk through ducts in its abdomen. The platypus is a non-placental mammal).
Galactorrhea is the spontaneous flow of milk from the breast, unassociated with childbirth or nursing.

Some facts about Green Soap

Green soap also and more correctly called Medicinal Soft Soap, is prepared by the saponification of vegetable oils, particularly linseed or olive oils, with caustic potash.
The name green soap dates back to a period when impure linseed and other vegetable oils contained the green plant pigment, chlorophyll, which imparted its color to the final product.
The modern "green soaps" are of yellowish-white to brownish-yellow colors.
Green soap is a useful detergent antiseptic and cleansing agent, removing fats from the skin together with dirt, foreign matter, some bacteria, and scales of the epiderm.
Green soap is useful in the treatment of various skin diseases such as disturbances of sebaceous secretion, the presence of crusts and scales of chronic eczema, and other skin conditions.
Taken by mouth green soap is an old antidote in poisoning with mineral acids, because its alkalinity neutralizes the excess acid.
Liniment of green soap, a mixture of green soap, cedar oil, and alcohol, is not only a germicidal agent, but also used for cleansing the skin prior to surgical operations.

One fact about Idi Amin

Did you know?

Ugandan dictator Idi Amin was national heavyweight boxing champion from 1951 to 1960.

Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac

Did you know?

The Cadillac Car Company is named after the founder of Detroit, Antoine Laumet de la Mothe, sieur de Cadillac.

Red Blood cells

Did you know that

There are more red blood cells in the body than any other kind of cell? Some 25 trillion of the plump, round dimpled cells course through the bloodstream. The sole task of these tiny cells is to bring oxygen to all of the body's tissue and remove carbon dioxide.
Each of the cells travels approximately 173,000 times between the lungs and other tissues before it dies. The red blood cell has a life span of about 120 days. At that time, the aging cell is caught by a macrophage and digested.

Facts About All