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Chichen Itza

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Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is positively ancient, but these facts are not.

  • Chichen Itza is an ancient capital city that was built by the Mayan Mexicans, and is now an archaeological site, located in Mexico’s Yucatán state, in America.
  • Chichen Itza sees approximately 1.2 million tourists annually, making it the second most popular site of archaeology in Mexico.
  • Chichen Itza was among the biggest cities in the Mayan empire, and it also had a high population rate.
  • The literal meaning of ‘Chichen Itza’ is ‘at the mouth of the well of the Itza’ in the Mayan language; known as ‘Chichén Itzá’ in Spanish.
  • Chichen Itza was settled in the early to mid 5th century AD and became the capital of the area in the 10th century.

Chichen Itza pyramid El Castillo seen through ruin, Mexico, Maya, Civilsation, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

El Castillo seen through the ruins
Image courtesy of Avery Studio/Flickr
  • Chichen Itza’s power started to decrease from 1250 AD, and by the end of 15th century the city was abandoned.
  • The main structures of the city of Chichen Itza are located on an area of five square kilometres (two square miles) or more, and other residential buildings spread out from this boundary.
  • Chichen Itza is the home of a large temple pyramid, named ‘El Castillo’, which depicts a snake shadow twice a year, and the city has many ancient ball courts, including the largest in the region, originally used for an ancient Mayan ball game.
  • Chichen Itza became one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.
  • Chichen Itza’s major water source came from two water-collecting sinkholes, natural wells, known as ‘cenotes’.
Bibliography:
Chichén Itzá, 2014, National Geographic, http://travel.nationalgeographic.com.au/travel/world-heritage/chichen-itza/
Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza, 2014, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/483
Chichen Itza, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichen_Itza

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Dianthus

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Dianthus

Smell the sweet fragrance of dianthus.

  • ‘Dianthus’ are also known as ‘carnations’, ‘pinks’ or ‘sweet williams’, although these terms are more specific to certain species.
  • The dianthus genus, includes 300 species of perennial plants with beautiful flowers.
  • Dianthus comes from the family Caryophyllaceae, the pink or carnation family.
  • Dianthus are native to Europe or Asia, but a select quantity of species can be found in either North America or Africa.
  • Dianthus flowers are five-petalled, and they are generally frilled or serrated on the edge, hence the common name ‘pink’ (not a reference to the colour).

Dianthus, Pink, White, Single, Dead, Prim, Frilled, Ten Random Facts, Flower, Australia

  • Dianthus flowers are typically patterned in shades of pink but can also be white, purple, yellow, orange or red in colour.
  • Dianthus flower from spring through to autumn, and some species have a sweet smell of spice.
  • ‘Dianthus’ comes from the Greek words for ‘of Zeus’ (a god in Greek mythology) and ‘flower’, ‘dios’ and ‘anthos’ respectively.
  • Dianthus plants grow between 10 cm (4 inches) and 1.5 metres (5 feet) in height, and often have grey or blue-green foliage
  • Dianthus are often used for cut or decorative purposes, and more than 100 species have earned the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in the United Kingdom.
Bibliography:
Dianthus, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianthus
Mackey B, Dianthus, Carnations, Pinks, 2014, HowStuffWorks, http://home.howstuffworks.com/define-dianthus-carnation-pinks.htm

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Granny’s Cloak Moth

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Granny’s Cloak Moth

Do not be fooled by a granny’s cloak moth.

  • The scientific name for a granny’s cloak moth is Speiredonia spectans, and they are from the family Noctuidae, the family of owlet moths.
  • Granny’s cloak moths are native to Australia, typically found in the north eastern areas, but some have been randomly seen in New Zealand and Norfolk Island.
  • Granny’s cloak moth caterpillars have long, flat bodies that have brown coats spotted with spots that are black or black and white.
  • Granny’s cloak moths can generally be found in dark habitats, including caves, and also in or near human settlements.
  • Adult Granny’s cloak moths appear to have brown coloured wings with scalloped edges, with eye spots on each wing and streaks of dark colours, however, in the right lighting situation (especially with flash photography), purple coloured wings are visible.

Granny's cloak Moth, Pipe, Laundry, Four, Two Spots, Purple, Orange, Ten Random Facts, Bug, Insect, Spread, rest, Ten Random Facts

  • The wingspan of a Granny’s cloak moth can be up to 7 to 7.5 centimetre (2.8 to 3 inches).
  • Granny’s cloak moths can appear in an eclipse (group of moths) of twelve or more, commonly grouping by the particular plant the bug hatched on.
  • Granny’s cloak moths’ diet mainly consists of plants from the family Acacia, the family of wattles.
  • Granny’s cloak moths are generally active during the night, when their main natural predators, the birds, are asleep, although bats pose a threat.
  • Granny’s cloak moths have super sensitive ears, and can pick up the echolocation calls from some species of bats, who are their predators, and in response, they can dart around to avoid being the bats’ next meal.
Bibliography:
Granny’s Cloak Moth – Speiredonia Spectans, 2011, Brisbane Insects, http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_owlmoths/CloakMoth.htm
Herbison-Evans D, Crossley S & Shaw P, Speiredonia spectans (Guenée, 1852), 2013, Butterfly House, http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/cato/spectan.html

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The Wiggles

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The Wiggles

Let’s ‘Hot Potato’ along with the Wiggles!

  • ‘The Wiggles’, named from the song ‘Get ready to wriggle’ by John Field, is a band that performs music and tours internationally, and has a target audience of preschool children, from ages 2 to 6.
  • The Wiggles originally wore colourful but ‘messy’ costumes, but soon turned to the simple coloured skivvies of yellow, red, purple and blue, the latter originally green.
  • In 2013, the members of the Wiggles were Anthony Field (Blue), Lachlan Gillespie (Purple), Simon Pryce (Red) and Emma Watkins (Yellow).
  • The original and main members of the Wiggles were Murray Cook (Red), Jeff Fatt (Purple), Greg Page (Yellow) and Anthony Field (Blue), as well as Phillip Wilcher, who featured only on the first album, and later, Sam Moran (Yellow), who eventually replaced Greg.
  • The Wiggles are well known for entertaining children around the world, having performed at more than 6,000 shows, and were the highest earning entertainers in Australia over four consecutive years, from 2004 to 2008, as well as earning AUD $45 million in 2009, and they continue to be among the top earning entertainers.

The Wiggles, Sam, Jeff, Anthony, Murry, Ten Random Facts, Big Red Car, Show, Peformance, Entertainment

(From left to right) Anthony, Jeff, Murry, Sam
Image courtesy of Meandertail/Flickr
  • The Wiggles were formed for the production of the first album in 1991, due to Anthony Field wanting a recorded album of children’s music, to present to his future employers to help him obtain a job as a preschool teacher.
  • The group produced a film called ‘The Wiggles Movie’ (in Australia) in 1997, and started a television series broadcasting in Australia and the United States, in 1998.
  • The Wiggles were featured in their first mini theme park in Dreamworld, Australia, in 2005, which increased the fun at theme parks for young children.
  • The Wiggles generally produce new music every year and by 2014, had released approximately 50 albums and videos, and sold over 30 million copies.
  • The Wiggles have won many awards, including eleven Best Children’s Album awards at the ARIAs, have been included in the ARIA Hall of Fame, and the original members were appointed Members in the Order of Australia in 2010.
Bibliography:
About us, 2013, The Wiggles, http://web.archive.org/web/20130924110739/http://www.thewiggles.com.au/au/about/
The Wiggles, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wiggles

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Pencil Sharpener

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Pencil Sharpener

Sharpen your brain with these pencil sharpener facts.

  • Pencil sharpeners are stationery items that are used to sharpen pencils, and are also known as ‘parers’, ‘toppers’, ‘pointers’ and ‘sharpeners’.
  • Pencil sharpeners are available in electric, mechanical, or manual designs, and small manual sharpeners are the most common type used.
  • Pencil sharpeners replaced knives, which were historically used to shave or whittle pencils into a point.
  • Pencil sharpeners were first patented in 1828 by Bernand Lassimonne, a mathematician from France, and in 1847, they were made more practical by Therry des Estwaux, who is sometimes credited with the invention.
  • Pencil sharpeners are commonly fixed in a container that tidies and stores the pencil shavings, until the shavings are emptied in the garbage.

Sharpener, Green, Blue, Red, Silver, Grey, Metal, Plastic, Smiggle, Ten Random Facts,

  • The most common type of pencil sharpener is typically manufactured in the form of a rectangular prism made from plastic, metal, or wood, with a sharp metal blade that shaves the pencil as the pencil is revolved in the hole.
  • Electric powered pencil sharpeners were used as early as 1910, and were more commonly available from the 1940s.
  • Pencil sharpeners have been adapted to sharpen different sizes and shapes of pencil.
  • Pencil sharpener housings are manufactured into many different designs such as automobiles or animals, and are sometimes available as souvenirs or collectibles.
  • Some pencil sharpeners have disk cutters or cylindrical cutters, which are often bulkier, and usually have a crank handle.
Bibliography:
History, n.d, Sacapuntas Maquinetes Sharpeners, http://www.agirones.com/web/docs/4/2/carpeta,historia/hotel,/History.html
Inventor of the Pencil Sharpener, 2014, Lifetips, http://penpencils.lifetips.com/tip/93989/pencil-sharpeners/pencil-sharpener/inventor-of-the-pencil-sharpener.html
Pencil sharpener, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pencil_sharpener

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Liquorice

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Liquorice

Liquorice… love it or hate it?

  • Liquorice is a sweet that is traditionally flavoured with the plant of the same name, and it is believed that this type of sweet was first made in Holland in the early 1600s.
  • ‘Liquorice’ sometimes has a different spelling – ‘licorice’, and is also known as ‘black licorice’.
  • Licorice is often moulded in the shape of large straps, rope, or cylindrical shapes, although many other shapes are also available.
  • Liquorice, and is sometimes combined with other ingredients like chocolate or sweet candy to make confectionery like liquorice allsorts and chocolate bullets,
  • The main ingredients of liquorice is sugar, flavouring and wheat flour, and often molasses is used, as well as a shiny glaze such as bee wax, while Dutch licorice has a significant quantity of salt added to give it a salty flavour.

Black, Licorice, Liquorice, Rope, Twisted, Black, Shiny, Cut, Ten Random Facts, Sweet,

  • Liquorice is generally made by melting and cooking the ingredients, then pouring the mixture into a mould, or hand shaping the mixture, and then cooled.
  • Liquorice traditionally contains a sweetener, glycyrrhizin, found in the flavouring extract, which has potentially significant negative side effects if too much is eaten at once, including rises in blood pressure, heart failure and swelling, although some positive effects can also be experienced, including the removal of mucous from the respiratory system.
  • Although liquorice is typically black, red and other coloured versions are also manufactured, and they mostly come in different flavours.
  • Some liquorice products contain anise or aniseed, instead of, or in addition to licorice root extract, due to the similar flavour it has.
  • Liquorice is generally low in fat, and it also has a lower sugar and carbohydrate content compared to other confectionery.
Bibliography:
Liquorice (Confectionary), 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquorice_(confectionery)
Ross A, Liquorice: All sorts of Health Benefits, The Sydney Morning Herald, http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/liquorice-all-sorts-of-health-benefits-20120605-1zts1.html

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