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Jacana

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Jacana

Walk on water little jacana.

  • A jacana is a wader, and is also known as a ‘Jesus bird’, ‘lily trotter’, ‘lotus bird’ and ‘jaçana’.
  • Jacanas are tropical birds found throughout the tropical regions of the world, that live in shallow lake areas, ponds and wetlands.
  • There are eight known species of jacanas that come from the family ‘Jacanidae’, and males range from 15 to 39 cm (6 to 15 inches) in length and the females are slightly larger.
  • Jacanas’ diet consists mainly of insects, molluscs and other small animals found in a lake habitat, as well as aquatic seeds.
  • Jacanas appear to walk on water, and have long legs and large feet and claws or toes up to 7 cm (2.75 inches) long, which allows the bird to walk on lily pads and other vegetation in the water.

Jacana, Water, Ten Random Facts

Image Courtsey of Val Laird

  • Jacanas are typically brown in colour with pointy beaks and are good swimmers and divers. and can stay under water for long periods of time.
  • Jacanas build nests from plant material, that sit on floating or submerged vegetation.
  • Jacana females lay approximately four glossy eggs that are camouflaged with different markings, and the male sits on them and looks after the chicks.
  • Some jacanas have spurs on their wings which they use for fighting, and their wings are sometimes used to pick up eggs or their young to move them to another location.
  • Jacanas rarely leave their lake habitat to walk on land, and they only fly short distances.
Bibliography:
Jacanas, 2013, Wikipedia, < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacana>
 Jacanas aka Lotus Birds, Lily Trotters or Jesus Birds, n.d, Avian Web, < http://www.avianweb.com/jacanas.html>

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Cardboard Box

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Cardboard Box

The amazing invention, the cardboard box.

  • Cardboard boxes are boxes made up of thick, heavy, sturdy paper known as cardboard, and types include cereal boxes, storage boxes, packaging boxes and food boxes.
  • In 1817 in England, Sir Malcolm Thornhil produced the first commercially made cardboard box although they required significant labour to produce.
  • Scotsman Robert Gair invented much more economical precut and creased cardboard boxes in Brooklyn in the United States in the late 1870s, after he saw an opportunity when someone mistakenly chopped through thousands of his paper bags, instead of creasing them in his factory.
  • Nabisco ordered cardboard boxes in 1896 for their biscuits, and Kellogs for their cereal in the early 1900s, both of which significantly impacted the future of food packaging in boxes.
  • Cardboard boxes are used by children as toys, dress ups and other imaginary items.

 Cardboard Box, Brown< white, Open, Closed, Stack, Small, Medium, Large, Ten Random Facts

  • Cardboard boxes have become a symbol of homelessness, because some homeless people have used them as shelter.
  • Numerous cardboard boxes are thrown out everyday, but most types are recyclable, although those with special coatings can make this more difficult.
  • Early in the 20th century, cardboard boxes replaced wooden crates and boxes, being lighter and more practical.
  • In 2004, the architect Peter Ryan, from Melbourne, designed and built a livable house made from cardboard boxes.
  • In France there is a museum of cardboard and printing called Musée du Cartonnage et de l’Imprimerie, which features early cardboard boxes that were made to transport silkworm moths and eggs.
Bibliography:
The History of Cardboard Boxes, 2011, Hire-a-box, < http://www.hireabox.com.au/cardboard-boxes-history/>
Knapp T, The History of Cardboard Boxes, 2007, EzineArticles, < http://ezinearticles.com/?The-History-Of-Cardboard-Boxes&id=709353>

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Paracetamol

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Paracetamol

Stop the pain with the paracetamol.

  • Paracetamol is a medical drug, also known as ‘acetaminophen’, and its chemical name is ‘N-acetyl-p-aminophenol’.
  • Paracetamol is an analgesic and antipyretic, which means it is used to relieve pain and lower fevers.
  • Paracetamol was first used by German physician, Joseph von Mering, on his patients in 1887, after it was created by Harmon Northrop Morse, an American chemist, ten years earlier.
  • Paracetamol usually comes in the form of a 500 mg tablet or capsule, but can also come in a liquid form, and is usually taken every four to eight hours to keep pain or fever reduced until symptoms subside.
  • An over dose of paracetamol can lead to liver or kidney damage or stomach problems, and nearly all drug overdoses in the main English speaking countries are from paracetamol.

 Paracetamol, White, Tablets, Full, Panadol, 12, Packet, Medication, Pain Reliever, Ten Random Facts

  • Paracetamol was not commonly used for 60 years after it was first used in 1887, because another substance, phenacetin, was more widely promoted.
  • Paracetamol is considered safe for most people of all ages, although people who have liver problems should talk to their doctor before taking any.
  • Some people may have side effects of stomach pains or skin rash after taking paracetamol, and others can be allergic to paracetamol, with symptoms of hives, swelling of the face and/or difficulty in breathing.
  • In 1947, paracetamol was fully investigated and tested for its suitability for patients, and then its use was promoted when it was first marketed in 1953 by Sterling-Winthrop Co, in the United States of America, although it wasn’t until the 1970s that it became a widely used drug.
  • Originally, paracetamol required a prescription for its purchase from pharmacies, but today prescriptions are rarely needed, and it is commonly available in supermarkets, in different branded packets.
Bibliography:

Paracetamol, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol>
Patient Information on Paracetamol, 2011, Australian Rheumatology Association, <http://arthritisnsw.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/paracetamol230811.pdf>

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Strelitzia

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Strelitzia

Brightly coloured ‘birds’, the strelitzia.

  • Strelitzia are also known as ‘bird of paradise plants’ or ‘crane flowers’.
  • The flowers of strelitzia are shaped like a spikey-headed bird, hence their common names refer to birds, and are generally bright orange or yellow and purple, although a couple of the species have white flowers.
  • Strelitzia are named after the place where Queen Charlotte was born in 1744, in the territory of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
  • Strelitzia are native to South Africa and do not like the cold as they are a tropical climate plant, however some species are frost resistant.
  • There are five or six species in the group of strelitzia, Strelitzia reginae being the most common.

Orange, Flower, Strelitzia, Pointy, Bird, Paradise, Plant, Australia, Ten Random Facts

  • Strelitzia is from the family of Strelitziaceae, which is the family of three genera of plants, Strelitzia, Ravenala and Phenakospermum.
  • The leaves on strelitzia can be quite large and are generally shaped like banana leaves or paddles.
  • Strelitzia flowers are pollinated by the feet of nectar feeding sunbirds that like to visit the flowers.
  • Strelitzia plants generally need to be 3-5 years old before they will flower, which happens mostly in late winter and spring, although they can be seen flowering at other times.
  • Strelitzia grow to a general height of 2 to 3.5 meters (6 to 11.5 feet), but some species can grow up to 10 meters (33 feet) in height.
Bibliography:
Strelitzia, 2013, Wikipedia, < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strelitzia>
VanZile J, Birds of Paradise – How to grow Strelitzia, 2013, About.com, < http://houseplants.about.com/od/foliageplants/p/BirdofParadise.htm>

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The Flash (Superhero)

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The Flash (Superhero)

Nothing is as fast as the Flash. Well, maybe except Superman.

  • The Flash is a fictional superhero, who has featured in the DC Comics ‘universe’ since 1940, and is also known as ‘Scarlet Speeder’.
  • The Flash has the powers to run lightning fast as well as have extremely quick actions, talking and thinking skills, and uses his superpowers to travel through universes or time.
  • The Flash is most popularly the name of Barry Allen, although three others, Jay Garrick (the original), Wally West and Bart Allen (who are both from the bloodline of Barry Allen), precede or succeed him with the same name of ‘the Flash’.
  • The Flash is good friends with Green Lantern, who is another superhero that has the power to control the physical world of the universe.
  • All Flashes gained superpowers by inhaling or making contact with charged chemicals, expect Bart Allen, who was born with the powers.

The Flash, Comics, Front, DC Comics, Realistic, Original, Books, Superhero, Gree Lantern

  • The Flash’s appear wearing red and/or yellow, with a lightning bolt as his trademark.
  • The comic that the Flash makes his first appearance in, the DC Comic’s ‘Flash Comics’ issue #1, is one of the most valuable comic books of all time, with one copy being sold for $450,000 in 2010.
  • The Flash was conceived by the comic story author Gardner Fox, who had worked for both DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and originally drawn by the cartoonist Harry Lampert, who helped create Popeye.
  • The Flash typically fights the villains known as The Rogues, most notably the gang leader Captain Cold, who takes a part in robberies and abides by a code that states no murdering, unless needed, or drug use.
  • The Flash and Superman sometimes have races; even while crime fighting, although the results generally finish as a tie.
Bibliography:
Flash, 2013, Ducksters, < http://www.ducksters.com/biography/flash.php>
Flash (Comics), 2013, Wikipedia, < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_(comics)>

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DC Comic’s Flash Comics Series

Iguazu Falls

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Iguazu Falls

Iguazú falls, the fall of the iguanas.

  • Iguazú falls is a collection of 275 waterfalls laid out in a ‘J’ or a horseshoe shape in the Iguazú/Iguaçu National Park that makes up part of the border of Brazil and Argentina.
  • ‘Iguazú falls’ is the Argentinian name of this group of waterfalls, while ‘Iguaçu falls’ is the Brazilian name, and they are also known as ‘Iguassu falls’ or ‘Iguazu falls’,and mean ‘great waters’ in the local indigenous language.
  • In 2011, the New Seven Wonders of the World Foundation declared Iguazú falls as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.
  • The total length of Iguazú falls measures 2.7km (1.7 miles, while the waterfalls reach anywhere from 60 to 82 meters (1097 to 269 feet) in height.
  • Argentina is the home of approximately 220 of the waterfalls of Iguazú falls, while the other 55 waterfalls can be found in Brazil.

Iguazu Falls, Iguacu, Water, Splash, Spray, Overveiw, Many, Argentina, Brazil, Waterfalls, Border, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

Iguazu Falls
Image courtesy of Patrick Nouhailler/Flickr
  • Iguazú falls has the second largest water flow of all waterfalls on Earth, second to Niagara Falls, with an average of 1,750 meters cubed (62,000 feet cubed) of water per second.
  • Iguazú falls has dry periods for a few weeks every year, where the waterflow is significantly reduced, but in the drought of 2006, the water of the waterfalls was reduced for a significantly longer period.
  • The best seasons to view Iguazú falls is during spring and autumn, which are the rainy seasons, as the waterfalls reach its greatest velocity.
  • The mist produced by Iguazú falls reaches up to 30 – 150 meters (100 – 490 feet) in height, depending on the location.
  • The power of Iguazú falls has been used to create hydroelectricity, creating 40% of the electricity need of both Argentina and Brazil.
Bibliography:
Hamre B, Iguazu Falls, 2013, About.com, <http://gosouthamerica.about.com/cs/southamerica/a/IguazuFalls.htm>
Iguazú Falls, 2013, Welcome Argentina, < http://www.welcomeargentina.com/puertoiguazu/iguazu-falls.html>
Iguazu Falls, 2013, Wikipedia, < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguazu_Falls>

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