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Neil Armstrong

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Neil Armstrong

“That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” – Neil Armstrong; spoken after the first step on the moon.

  • Neil Armstrong (born ‘Neil Alden Armstrong’) was born on 5 August, 1930 in Ohio, United States, and his parents were Stephen Koenig Armstrong and Viola Louise Engel.
  • Neil Armstrong was a NASA astronaut, who was famous for being the first person to set foot on the moon, where he moved around for approximately two and a half hours, on 21 July, 1969.
  • Neil Armstrong died at 82 years of age on 25 August, 2012, in Ohio, due to cardiovascular surgery complications; and his ashes were scattered at sea.
  • Neil Armstrong journeyed through many careers including engineering, aircraft, test piloting, university education and business.
  • Among other awards and honous, Neil Armstrong was awarded three significant medals: the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1969), Congressional Space Medal of Honour (1978), and Congressional Gold Medal (2009).

Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11, Space, Spacesuit, Moon, Astronaut, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, NASA

Armstrong in Apollo 11
Image courtesy of Recuerdos de Pandora/Flickr
  • Neil Armstrong married Janet Shearon in 1956, whom he met while she was studying, and subsequently had three children (one died at a young age), and then he married Carol Knight in 1994, after he divorced Janet.
  • Neil Armstrong was appointed to aircraft training in the navy, in 1949, performed 78 tasks in the Korean war, and retired in 1960.
  • Neil Armstrong participated in two major space projects of NASA’s: Project Gemini, for advancements in space travel, and Project Apollo, for the first person on the moon.
  • Neil Armstrong was involved in a few legal issues, which included Hallmark’s illegal use of his quotes and other information, and his barber selling his hair for $3,000.
  • In his whole life, Neil Armstrong spent only a little more than eight and a half days in space.
Bibliography:
Bibliography, 2012, NASA, http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/about/bios/neilabio.html
Neil Armstrong, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Armstrong

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Hydrangea

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Hydrangea

Hydrangeas may look like mops, but will not work like one.

  • Hydrangeas are generally flowering shrubs that grow from 1 to 3 metres (3 to 10 feet) in height, but some species are trees or climbers, with some climbing up tall trees.
  • Hydrangeas are mostly hardy plants that are also known as ‘hortensia’, and are from the family Hydrangeaceae.
  • There are over 70 species of hydrangeas, that either deciduous or evergreen, with the most commonly grown type, Hydrangea macrophylla, being deciduous.
  • Hydrangeas are native to east and south Asia, as well as north and south America.
  • Hydrangeas have flowers that are either pom-pom shaped or flat-headed, known as ‘Mopheads’ and ‘Lacecaps’ respectively.

Hydrangea, pom-pom, bloom, purple, pink, flower, plant, Australia, Ten Random Facts

  • The flowers of hydrangeas can be white, blue, and pink, purple or red in colour, which are often determined by the soil the plant is planted in, with acidic soils producing blue flowers and alkaline soils bearing flowers in pink or red shades.
  • Hydrangeas are popular decorative and ornamental plants in the garden, and usually bloom in spring and summer.
  • Certain hydrangea species are poisonous, and can cause severe sickness or fatalities if consumed, and despite this, some parts are sometimes smoked.
  • Hydrangeas are mostly hardy plants and prefer semi-shaded areas.
  • Some species of hydrangeas have leaves that are used to make a sweet tea.
Bibliography:
Hydrangea, 2011, Gardening Australia, http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1866625.htm
Hydrangea, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrangea

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Alligator Snapping Turtle

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Alligator Snapping Turtle

Do not get caught by the alligator snapping turtle!

  • Alligator snapping turtles are the heaviest freshwater turtles, weighing on average 68 to 80 kilograms (150 to 180 pounds).
  • ‘Alligator snapping turtles’ are also known as ‘alligator snappers’ and are from the family Chelydridae, a family of turtles.
  • The scientific name of alligator snapping turtles is Macrochelys temminckii, named after the zoologist Coenraad Temminck.
  • Alligator snapping turtles are native to the United States in the south-eastern areas, and they live in lakes, rivers and other aquatic habitats.
  • Alligator snapping turtles have heads that are large and heavy, and a ridged-scaled shell that grows to between 40 to 80 centimetres (16 to 32 inches).

Alligator Snapping Turtle, Bench, Alive, Wet, Mouth open, Ten Random Facts, United States, Reptile, Flickr

Alligator Snapper
Image courtesy of Gary J. Wood/ Flickr
  • When ‘hunting’ for food, an alligator snapping turtle lies still and camouflages itself with its mouth open, and the worm shaped part on its tongue attracts its prey.
  • Alligator snapping turtles eat fish and other aquatic animals or shore mammals, and they have strong jaws, and can bite a human finger off.
  • Alligator snapping turtles can live from 20 to 70 years while in captive, and some believe that the turtles can live over 100 years in the wild.
  • Alligator snapping turtles are sometimes kept as pets, but must be kept cautiously as well as being fed and held correctly.
  • Alligator snapping turtles are commonly poached for its exotic meat and shell.
Bibliography:
Alligator Snapping Turtle, 2013, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/reptiles/alligator-snapping-turtle/
Alligator Snapping Turtle, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator_snapping_turtle

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Salt

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Salt

Can you pass the salt, please?

  • ‘Salt’ is also known as ‘table salt’, ‘common salt’, and ‘sodium chloride’, and depending on where it was sourced, ‘rock salt’  or ‘sea salt’.
  • Salt is a chemical mineral that is produced in saltwater lakes, rivers and seas (sea salt), and it can also be found in the sedimentary layers of dried-up lakes, or ‘halite’ as the mineral is called (rock salt), from where it is mined.
  • Salt is made of the elements sodium and chlorine, and when combined they make ‘sodium chloride’ or ‘NaCl’.
  • Salt is an important ingredient in a balanced diet and in human health, although the recommended daily intake is no more than a teaspoonful, or 4 g (0.14 oz), but most people who eat processed food, will consume much more than that each day.
  • Too much salt can increase the risk of heart disease or the risk of stroke, as well as increase blood pressure and can cause other health issues.

Salt, cubic, ground, white, three types, medium, large, Ten Random facts, Seasoning, Australia

  • Salt can be used as a food preserver, and was commonly used for this purpose before refrigerators were invented and before canning became popular.
  • Salt is typically small, white or clear coloured cubes, that may be tinted purple, blue or other colours due to contaminants.
  • In history, salt was a vital commodity, and essential to many communities’ survival, due to the need to preserve food to get through winter and bad seasons, and for this reason it has been used as money, and at one stage, was worth as much as gold.
  • Table salt is a popular addition to processed foods and is a popular seasoning.
  • Out of the total salt production on earth, only 6% is consumed by humans, while 68% is used in manufacturing processes, which includes the making of plastics, detergents and soaps, and numerous other products.

 

Bibliography:
Salt, 2011, Better Health Channel, http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Salt
Salt, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt

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Vegetable Peeler

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Vegetable Peeler

What would you do without a vegetable peeler?

  • ‘Vegetable peelers’ are also known as ‘potato peelers’ and ‘peelers’.
  • Vegetable peelers are a kitchen utensil, typically used to peel the skin off fruit and vegetables.
  • A vegetable peeler is typically a steel blade with a handle, that is usually made from wood, steel or plastic, some of which have ergonomic features.
  • The handles of vegetable peelers generally are straight, ‘C-shaped’,  ‘U-shaped’ or ‘Y-shaped’, with the straight peeler more like a knife, the C-shaped is like the letter C with a handle, the Y-shaped like a safety razor, and the U-shaped similar but shaped like a ‘U’ rather than a ‘Y’.
  • A vegetable peeler blade usually has a slot, that has one side that is sharp to peel the food, and the other side stops the blade digging into the food as you peel it.

Vegetable Peeler, Potato, Y-Shaped, Swivel, Stick, Long, Blade, Blunt, Steel, Plastic, Green, Yellow, Blue, Ten Random Facts

  • Vegetable peelers have been reinvented hundreds of times in history with numerous patents taken out for various styles, and in the 1800s alone, 500 peeler inventions were patented.
  • Some industrial vegetable peelers have rubber bumps that peel the skin off potatoes or other round foods.
  • Most vegetable peelers have a sharp point or other feature to remove the eyes from potatoes or gouge out other unwanted parts of the food.
  • Many vegetable peelers has a swivel blade, which allows more flexibility for following the curves of the food, making it easier to use.
  • Blunt vegetable peeler blades are more dangerous as they slip easier than sharp blades.
Bibliography:
How do I choose the best vegetable peeler?, 2013, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-i-choose-the-best-vegetable-peeler.htm
Peeler, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peeler

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The Hobbit

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The Hobbit

Always remember to return from your quest with The Hobbit, or There and back Again.

  • The Hobbit is a fantasy novel for children and precedes the famous sequel, The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
  • The full title of The Hobbit is ‘The Hobbit, or There and Back Again’.
  • The Hobbit was written by J.R.R Tolkien, who was a profound English author of the 1900s.
  • The Hobbit follows the journey of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, who was on a quest to reclaim treasure from Smaug, a dragon.
  • The Hobbit was first published in 1937 illustrated with original art by Tolkien himself, and a number of editions were also produced.

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, Book, J.R.R Tolkien, Illustrated by the author, 1993, Paperback edition, Ten Random Facts, Lord of the Rings,

  • The Hobbit is often classified as fantasy in genre, but is officially a children’s novel.
  • The Hobbit is being adapted into a film production, a trilogy released in late 2012, late 2013 and 2014: ‘The Unexpected Journey’, ‘The Desolation of Smaug’ and ‘There and Back Again’ respectively.
  • Since it was first published, The Hobbit is loosely estimated to have sold 35 to 100 million copies, and been translated into more than 40 languages.
  • Original editions of The Hobbit are worth thousands of dollars, with signed first editions selling for US$120,000 (BS£60,000).
  • Tolkien came up with some initial ideas for the story of The Hobbit in 1914, starting with the realm of Middle Earth, although the realm was never mentioned in the novel.

 

Bibliography:
The Hobbit, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, 2013, Shmoop, http://www.shmoop.com/hobbit/

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