My Science School

When danger threatens, the squid, like the octopus and the cuttlefish, can squirt dark ink fluid to conceal themselves. The ink clouds the water and confuses their enemy.

Squid are aggressive hunters, but some species are worse than others. The Humboldt squid is of particular danger to divers because it's large -- about the size of a man -- and shows little fear or hesitation when hunting prey. Colossal squid are just as aggressive and fast hunters, and they top out at 2,000 pounds. Thankfully, these giant sea creatures tend to stay in deeper water away from where humans typically dive.

When trying to avoid squid, divers might look for the telltale oblong shape and colors such as red or white. What makes squid dangerous is that their colors aren't constant. They have the ability to change color almost instantaneously to match their environment. If you spot a squid while diving, you could lose sight of him quickly as he morphs to blend in with the background. He can hit you from what seems like out of nowhere.

Many squid have more than suction cups on their tentacles -- they have sharp teeth or claws to grab prey. When a Humboldt squid grabs a diver, for example, he engages teeth that ring each suction cup. Each squid can have up to 35,000 teeth. These sharp teeth bite through protective swim gear to grasp and tear flesh. Squid with claws can rip and tear through your suit and skin. Squid also have sharp beaks designed to pierce the hard flesh and exoskeletons of sea creatures; your skin isn't a match for this strong mouthpiece.

Credit : Pets on Mom

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In Mexico all through the Christmas festival, children have great fun when they are blind-folded and hit a pinata with a stick. The hollow clay pinata jars are hung above the childern's heads. They hit them with sticks, and when at last the jar splits, Sweet and treats spill all over the floor!

Decide on what you would like to fill up the pinata with. Candies are the obvious choice, but you can fill it up with other things that are lightweight – confetti, wrapped gum, chocolate coins, small trinkets, and candies. The amount of candies you’ll fill up in the pinata depends on the number of guests you’re expecting for the party and also the size of your pinata.

A typical pinata that you buy in the store can hold a maximum of two pounds of candy – that is about 100. Some pinatas can hold only confetti and candies and nothing else. But there are sturdier and larger pinatas that you can buy or make that you can also fill up with a variety of things.

If you’re buying a pinata, you have the option of getting the regular kind that the kids will try hitting and breaking with a stick. The other kind, which comes with a pull string is more suitable for smaller kids since it’s safer and easier for young children.

If it’s a party for kids and adults, you can get both types of pinata and hang them in two different locations for fun for all.

Credit : Express Party Supplies 

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These were the tough men who blazed the trails across America. Bearded and dressed in skins they were mainly beaver trappers. Because of their knowledge of the country, many became guides for the wagon trains.

In the early 19th century, St. Louis was an important base for them for trading groups and trading-company caravans. Mingling extensively with the Indians, the mountain men adopted many of their manners of life and their beliefs as well as their love of adornment. Summer rendezvous, especially at Green River (in present-day Wyoming), became an institution of the mountain men, combining trade with recreation. As permanent settlers arrived, many mountain men served as scouts and guides, but their way of life was gradually eliminated by advancing civilization.

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They were the doctors of the tribe, but their main purpose was to deal with the spirits which the Indians believed were all around.

Traditionally, medicine people are called upon to prevent or heal the physical and mental illnesses of individuals as well as the social ruptures that occur when murders and other calamitous events take place within a community. Some medicine men and women undergo rigorous initiation to gain supernormal powers, while others become experts through apprenticeships; many complete a combination of these processes.

The medicine person commonly carries a kit of objects—feathers of particular birds, suggestively shaped or marked stones, pollen, hallucinogenic or medicinal plants, and other items—that are associated with healing. In some cases these materials are considered to have been drawn out of the body of the practitioner at his or her initiation to the healer’s arts. Correspondingly, the work of healing often involves the extraction of offending substances from the patient’s body by sucking, pulling, or other means. In some cases an object must be physically removed from the patient (e.g., the healer removes a projectile from a wound); in cases where the nature of the offending substance is metaphysical, however, the healing ritual focuses on achieving mental and spiritual health. In such cases a symbolic object may be “removed” from the patient by sleight of hand.

Credit :  Britannica 

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Many Chinese live all their lives on floating flat bottomed wooden boats called sampans.

In some cities where space is limited, people live crowded together on sampans in big harbours. Some boats sell goods, other are used for fishing by day, and sleeping on by night.

The word "sampan" comes from the original Cantonese term for the boats, literally meaning "three planks". The name referred to the hull design, which consists of a flat bottom (made from one plank) joined to two sides (the other two planks). The design closely resembles Western hard chine boats like the scow or punt. Pierre-Yves Manguin has pointed out possible Austronesian origin of the word, attested in a Malay inscription from 684 CE.

Sampans may be propelled by poles, oars (particularly a single, long sculling oar called a yuloh) or may be fitted with outboard motors.

Sampans are still in use by rural residents of Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

In the Malay community in Southeast Asia, they also use the term sampan for their boats. Large boats such as sampan panjang, kolek and perahu panjang are used and built by the Malays and Orang Laut living in their coastal villages.

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It is the official residence of the President of the United States of America. It is in Washington, the capital.

The White House was designed by an Irish architect and the foundation stone was laid in 1792. President John Adams was its first occupant in 1880.

The house was originally built of grey Virginian sandstone, but in August 1814 it was burned by British troops. After the war it was painted white to hide the marks made by the smoke.

The white nineteenth-century house at Number One Observatory Circle in northwestern Washington, D.C. was built in 1893. Originally intended for the superintendent of the USNO, the house was so lovely that in 1923, the chief of naval operations kicked out the superintendent so he could move in himself. Historically, Vice Presidents and their families lived in their own homes, but the cost of securing these private residences grew substantially over the years. Finally, in 1974, Congress agreed to refurbish the house at the Naval Observatory as a home for the Vice President.

Three years passed before any Vice President actually lived at Number One Observatory Circle. Vice President Gerald Ford acceded to the Presidency before he could use the home, and his Vice President, Nelson Rockefeller, only used it for entertaining. Walter Mondale was the first Vice President to move into the home. It has since been home to the families of Vice Presidents Bush, Quayle, Gore, Cheney, Biden, and Pence. 

Vice Presidents have welcomed countless guests to the residence, including foreign leaders and dignitaries. Still, the Naval Observatory has continued to operate. Scientists observe the sun, moon, planets, and selected stars, determine and precisely measure the time, and publish astronomical data needed for accurate navigation.

Credit : The White House

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The official residence of British Prime Ministers is number 10 Downing Street. It is in a sidestreet off Whitehall, near the Houses of Parliament.

It was built by Sir George Downing in 1680, and in 1738 George Il offered it to Sir Robert Walpole, who was Britain's first Prime Minister.

Next door, at number 11, lives the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The building is much larger than it appears from its frontage. The hall with the chequered floor immediately behind the front door lets on to a warren of rooms and staircases. The house in Downing Street was joined to a more spacious and elegant building behind it in the early 18th century. Number 10 has also spread itself out to the left of the front door, and has taken over much of 12 Downing Street, which is accessed by a corridor that runs through 11 Downing Street – the official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The area around Downing Street was home to ancient Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Norman settlements, and was already a prestigious centre of government 1,000 years ago.

The Romans first came to Britain under the command of Julius Caesar in 55 BC. Making their capital at Londinium downriver, the Romans chose Thorney Island – a marshy piece of land lying between two branches of the river Tyburn that flowed from Hampstead Heath to the Thames – as the site for their early settlement.

These Roman settlements, and those of the Anglo-Saxons and Normans who supplanted them, were not very successful. The area was prone to plague and its inhabitants were very poor. A charter granted by the Mercian King Offa in the year 785 refers to “the terrible place called Thorney Island”. It took royal patronage to give the area prestige. King Canute (reigned 1017 to 1035) built a palace in the area, and Edward the Confessor (reigned 1042 to 1066) and William the Conqueror (reigned 1066 to 1087) maintained a royal presence there. The position of Westminster (as the area became known) as the centre of government and the church was solidified following the construction of the great abbey nearby, on Edward's orders.

Credit : Gov.UK

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Heart Reef was discovered in 1975 by a local pilot and is now an internationally-recognised attraction of The Whitsundays. This incredible coral formation features on many postcards and brochures promoting The Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef.

Amateur photographers have been amazed to see that their photos look exactly like the professionals! Get your selfie sticks ready; you are about to visit one of the most Instagrammable locations in the world.

Heart Reef in The Whitsundays is a stunning natural composition of coral in the perfect shape of a heart. It is located in Hardy Reef, part of The Whitsundays stretch of Great Barrier Reef.

Heart Reef has been the site of many proposals and declarations of love over the years. If planning on making the ultimate romantic gesture during a scenic flight over this iconic landmark, let your pilot know your plans and they’ll be able to help combine this memorable experience with your momentous occasion.

Credit : The Whitesundays

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Everest tends to hog all the fame, but actually, the entire continent of Asia is full of huge mountains. The top 100 tallest mountains in the world are all in Asia. None of the seven summits - the highest mountains on each continent - are on this list except Everest.

Of the mountains of the world, no other stands taller than Mount Everest. At its highest peak, it reaches into the sky 8,848 meters (29,029 ft) above sea level. The mountain is reported to add to its height by 6 mm (0.25”) every year. In Nepal, Earth’s largest mountain is called “Sagarmatha” and “Chomolungma” in Tibet. Mount Everest borders both nations. Mount Everest is part of the Mahalangur mountain range in Nepal which is home to four of the 6 highest peaks on planet Earth. Mount Everest is part of the continent of Asia and is estimated to be more than 60 million years old.

Mount Everest, the highest mountain in Asia and the world, stands on the crest of the Great Himalayas of southern Asia that lies on the border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Reaching an elevation of 29,035 feet (8,850 meters), it was first recognized as the highest point on the Earth’s surface by the governmental Survey of India in 1852. Major expeditions up Everest began in the 1920s, but it was not until 1953 that Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay—members of an expedition sponsored by the Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club—unquestionably reached its summit. Mystery still surrounds the disappearance in 1924 of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, who may have reached the summit before vanishing. Mallory’s body was found at 26,760 feet (8,156 meters) in 1975; Irvine remains missing.

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Scotland has played a part in the development of many sports, such as golf, curling, water polo, and shinty. The modern game of golf originated in 15th century Scotland, and curling existed in Scotland in the early 16th century. The Highland Games is a multi-sport event which predates athletics events. Events in the Highland Games include throwing a wheat sheaf over a 17-meter bar, tug-o-war, tossing the caber and shifting the stones. In addition to the physical events, there is also dancing and music.

Rugby union is a popular sport in Scotland. The first ever international rugby match was also between England and Scotland which took place on March 27, 1871. Scotland also participated in the first-ever international football match where they played against England on November 30, 1872.

Scotland has a national cricket team, though it is not as popular as it is further south of the border in England. Scotland does not play Test matches, but it is now allowed to play full One Day Internationals, and takes part in the Cricket World Cup, and reached the final tournament in 2007.

Credit : Topend sports 

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Neuschwanstein Castle, German Schloss Neuschwanstein, elaborate castle near Füssen, Germany, built atop a rock ledge over the Pöllat Gorge in the Bavarian Alps by order of Bavaria’s King Louis II (“Mad King Ludwig”). Construction began in 1868 and was never completed.

Louis II spent much of his childhood at Hohenschwangau Castle, a neo-Gothic, medieval-inspired castle elaborately decorated with scenes from legend and poetry. After his accession to the throne in 1864, Louis set out to build a “New Hohenschwangau Castle”—as Neuschwanstein was called until after his death—which he intended to be an even better reproduction of a medieval-style castle in line with his fairy-tale vision of monarchy. The Romanesque designs were drawn by scene painter Christian Jank, and these were translated into architectural plans by Eduard Riedel. In 1874 Riedel was succeeded as chief architect by Georg von Dollmann, who in turn was succeeded by Julius Hofmann in 1886.

In keeping with its romantic design, the castle’s two-story throne room—which still did not contain a throne at the time of Louis’s death—is modeled after a Byzantine basilica; stars decorate its blue vaulted ceiling, which is supported by red porphyry columns. Louis was a patron of Richard Wagner, and wall paintings throughout the castle depict the legends that inspired the composer: the life of Parsifal in the fourth-floor Singers’ Hall; the Tannhäuser saga in the study; and Lohengrin in the great parlour. Despite remaining unfinished, Neuschwanstein Castle became one of the most popular tourist attractions in Europe, receiving about 1.3 million visitors each year. It also served as inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Credit : Britannica

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New York state is America’s top apple grower, after the state of Washington, but New York City’s nickname has nothing to do with fruit production. In fact, the Big Apple moniker first gained popularity in connection with horseracing. Around 1920, New York City newspaper reporter John Fitz Gerald, whose beat was the track, heard African-American stable hands in New Orleans say they were going to “the big apple,” a reference to New York City, whose race tracks were considered big-time venues. Fitz Gerald soon began making mention of the Big Apple in his newspaper columns. In the 1930s, jazz musicians adopted the term to indicate New York City was home to big-league music clubs.

The nickname later faded from use and wasn’t revived until the early 1970s, as part of a tourism campaign to spiff up New York’s image. At the time, the country’s most populous city was experiencing economic woes and high crime rates. The man credited with creating the ad campaign, Charles Gillett, president of the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau, was a jazz enthusiast who knew that the Big Apple had once been a sobriquet bestowing respect on the city. Pins, T-shirts and other promotional items featuring apples soon proliferated, and visitors were invited to take a bite out of the Big Apple; this time around, the name stuck.

As it happens, long before New York City was nicknamed the Big Apple, it was known briefly as New Orange. In 1673, the Dutch captured New York from the English and dubbed it New Orange in honor of William III of Orange. However, the following year, the city reverted to English control and its former name.

Credit :  History 

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Peaking at the height of 2717 feet, Burj Khalifa stands as the tallest building in the world. Originally, the skyscraper was named Burj Dubai. However, the developers went broke mid-project and were assisted by the ruler of Abu Dhabi, which resulted in the change in name to honour the king. The building contains office space, retail space, residential quarters, and Armani Hotel. The 163-storeyed Burj Khalifa was inaugurated in 2012.

Construction of the Burj Khalifa began in 2004, with the exterior completed five years later in 2009. The primary structure is reinforced concrete and some of the structural steel for the building originated from the Palace of the Republic in East Berlin, the former East German parliament. The building was opened in 2010 as part of a new development called Downtown Dubai. It is designed to be the centrepiece of large-scale, mixed-use development. The decision to construct the building is based on the government's decision to diversify from an oil-based economy, and for Dubai to gain international recognition. The building was originally named Burj Dubai but was renamed in honour of the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Abu Dhabi and the UAE government lent Dubai money to pay its debts. The building broke numerous height records, including its designation as the tallest building in the world.

Burj Khalifa was designed by Adrian Smith, of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, whose firm designed the Willis Tower and One World Trade Center. Hyder Consulting was chosen to be the supervising engineer with NORR Group Consultants International Limited chosen to supervise the architecture of the project. The design is derived from the Islamic architecture of the region, such as in the Great Mosque of Samarra. The Y-shaped tripartite floor geometry is designed to optimize residential and hotel space. A buttressed central core and wings are used to support the height of the building. Although this design was derived from Tower Palace III, the Burj Khalifa's central core houses all vertical transportation with the exception of egress stairs within each of the wings. The structure also features a cladding system which is designed to withstand Dubai's hot summer temperatures. It contains a total of 57 elevators and 8 escalators.

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The running of the bulls (In Spanish encierro or los toros de san Fermin[e]) involves hundreds of people running in front of six bulls and another six steers down an 825-meter (0.51 mile) stretch of narrow streets of a section of the old town of Pamplona.

The runs start with the release of a rocket, after which the bulls and steers are released onto the streets, and the "mozos" or runners start running. The run is a total of 900 yards (2,700 feet) and is only supposed to take about two minutes. The route is clearly marked by barricades that keep the animals from escaping into other parts of the city.

The run leads both the mozos and bulls into a bullring, the site where bull fights take place later in the day. The bulls that run through Pamplona's streets are the same ones that are later killed in the fights.

It's a risky event - 15 people have been killed during the event since 1910 and hundreds are usually injured. So far, three men have been gored by bulls and 1o have been hospitalized in this year's festival.

Mozos who have fallen during the run are not supposed to get up, since there's a higher chance they'll be gored if they do. If the mozos are feeling too threatened by the bulls, they have the option of jumping behind one of the barricades placed along the street for the run.

Credit : Business Insider

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For most of us in the U.S., corned beef and cabbage is synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day. But its association with the holiday isn’t an Irish tradition.  It is a uniquely American tradition, a blending of both history and opportunity.

Corned beef has been around for centuries and has been a staple in many cultures, including most of Europe and the Middle East.  It gets its name from the “corns” or large grains of salt used to cure the meat. Ireland became known for exporting corned beef in the 17th century after British land owners brought cattle into Ireland.  But the Irish people couldn’t afford to eat it themselves.  Their traditional dishes used corned pork instead, and they relied heavily on nutrient-dense potatoes to survive.

In the 18th century, when large numbers of Irish immigrants came to the U.S., they brought with them the idea of beef as a luxury.  So when they found salted beef brisket was cheap in the States, they were quick to replace their traditional “Irish bacon.”  Nutrient-dense cabbage was also readily available and affordable, and a dish combining the two became a staple for working classes across the country.

As St. Patrick’s day evolved into a celebration of Irish heritage and nationality for Irish-Americans, corned beef and cabbage became a holiday tradition for consumers across the nation.

According to USDA’s Market News, part of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), St. Patrick’s Day was the the single largest promotional period for beef brisket cuts in 2012.   Prices were 21% lower, on average, than they were during the rest of the year.  A full third of supermarket ads promoting corned beef were in the Northeast, with the Southeast (primarily Florida) coming in second.

St. Patrick’s Day is also the biggest holiday for fresh, green cabbage consumption in the U.S., with New Year’s Day running a distant second.  In 2012, St. Patrick’s Day supermarket ads had cabbage for 47% less than the average price for the rest of the year.  By comparison, at New Year’s, the price was only 22% less than the yearly average.

Whether you’re one of the 34.5 million Americans who claim Irish ancestry or not, as you celebrate the holiday this weekend, you may be honoring two traditions from those early Irish immigrants: corned beef and cabbage... and good, affordable ingredients.

Credit : USDA

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