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Boggle

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Boggle

Boggle your mind with this wordy game!

  • Boggle is a game involving the creation of as many words as possible from special dice in a specified time limit, and involves two players or more.
  • Boggle generally features sixteen cubes or dice that have a single letter on each face, with the exception of ‘Q’, which is combined with the letter ‘U’ as ‘Qu’; as well as a container and lid, designed to hold the dice in place.
  • The typical aim of Boggle is to find words within the letter arrangements that sit next to each other on the dice, which are randomised each round by shaking the container.
  • Each Boggle player writes the words they find on their own piece of paper, and they are read aloud when time is up, which is usually three minutes on the timer.
  • Points are scored in Boggle according to the word length – generally those three to four letters in length score one point, with words eight or more letters in length scoring eleven points, while words found by multiple players are generally considered null and have a point value of zero.

Boggle, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Blue, Travel, Mini, Game, Invention

  • The longest possible words that can be made in a standard Boggle setup are ‘inconsequentially’, ‘sesquicentennials’ and ‘quadricentennials’.
  • A Boggle set’s letter dice may vary depending on the version, with some using a greater amount of less frequently used letters rather than common ones, or more challengingly arranged letters.
  • Boggle was invented by American Allan Turnoff and it was originally published in 1972 as part of a three game pack by Parker Brothers, however it was later sold individually due to its increasing popularity, even though the game was initially turned down.
  • A number of variations of Boggle exist, with some having more or less cubes; others feature an electronic timer; and yet others are designed for younger children, or are compact for travelling purposes.
  • Due to the simple computer programming required, there are many electronic versions of Boggle, including servers that host the game online.
Bibliography:
Boggle, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boggle
Murphey M, Toy Designer’s Creations Boggle the Mind, 1978, The Milwaukee Sentinel, https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19781209&id=sYRQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-RIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5118,2546867&hl=en
What is Boggle?, 2015, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-boggle.htm

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Swimming Goggles

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Swimming Goggles

Swimming goggles are an example of underwater fashion.

  • Swimming goggles are a pair of lenses that assist in clear visibility underwater and prevent water contact with the eye, by providing a small, portable air bubble around the eye.
  • When swimming in water, swimming goggles are generally preferred as they protect eyes from chlorine and salt, that can cause irritation.
  • The Persians are believed to have been the first to use crude swimming goggles, around the 1300s, and the lenses were made of polished turtle shell, and were used by those who dived for pearls.
  • Motorcycle goggles were used as swimming goggles by competitive swimmer Thomas Burgess in 1911, to assist in swimming across the English Channel.
  • Various goggle inventions were patented from the late 1800s and into the early 1900s, and while American Charles Troppman was one of those inventors, contrary to popular belief, he was not the first to invent and patent goggles, nor swimming goggles.

Swimming Goggles, Invention, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Head, Water,

  • Patents of swimming goggles were filed in the 1920s, with one of the earliest designed as part of a swimming cap in 1923, while Michael O’Flanagan from Ireland filed one of the earliest patents for stand alone goggles designed specifically for underwater use, in 1926.
  • Swimming goggles became more commonly used in the 1960s, though they were originally reserved for training and were usually painful to wear, and they were not used in competitive swimming until 1972.
  • Plastic is the material typically used to make swimming goggles though wood and bamboo have been used in the past, while the lenses were made of glass, though polycarbonate plastic is commonly used today.
  • As a result of water pressure, swimming goggles become increasingly tight around the head and eyes, from water depths over 90 centimetres (3 feet).
  • The lens of swimming goggles are often clear, although reflective or tinted lens are becoming increasingly common due to their effectiveness in blocking out harmful UV rays, and they usually have a silicone, foam, or rubber rim around each lens as a seal to keep water out.
Bibliography:
The History of Swimming Goggles, 2013, LoneSwimmer, http://loneswimmer.com/2013/07/01/the-history-of-swimming-goggles/
History of Swimming Goggles, 2014, Swimming Science, http://www.swimmingscience.net/2014/03/history-of-swimming-goggles.html
Williams C, What Material Are Swimming Goggles Made Of?, 2015, eHow, http://www.ehow.com/about_4672384_what-material-swimming-goggles-made.html
Zorn M, When Were Swimming Goggles Invented, 2014, Vision Launch, http://www.visionlaunch.com/when-were-swimming-goggles-invented/

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Red Wolf

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Red Wolf

At such small numbers, red wolves can easily be lost among similar relatives.

  • A red wolf is a mammal of medium size, native primarily to the marshes in the eastern areas of the United States.
  • ‘Red wolves’ are also known as ‘Florida wolves’ and ‘Mississippi Valley wolves’.
  • The scientific name of a red wolf is Canis rufus or Canis lupus rufus, and it is from the family Canidae, the family of dogs.
  • The length of a red wolf, including the tail, is typically between 121 and 160 centimetres (48 and 63 inches) and it generally weighs between 23 and 39 kilograms (50 and 85 pounds).
  • The fur of a red wolf is generally a combination of red, brown, black, grey and white in colour, although it is most notably red on parts of the face, ears, and legs.
Red Wolf, Photo, Orange, Mammal, Capture, Grassy, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, Scavenging, Sniffing
A Red Wolf
Image courtesy of Brandon Trentler/Flickr
  • The carnivorous diet of red wolves consists primarily of rodents, rabbits, raccoons and deer, and they have an average lifespan of 10 to 12 years.
  • A female red wolf has approximately five to seven pups at a time, in dens in hollow trees, on river banks or in those that have been made by other animals but deserted.
  • By 1980, red wolves had become extinct in the wild as a result of coyote cross-breeding and hunting by humans, as well as possible habitat destruction.
  • Red wolves live in packs that can consist of two to ten wolves, and they are most often closely related to each other.
  • In 2015, red wolves were listed as critically endangered, due to captive breeding programs that allowed them to be reintroduced into the wild from 1987 in North Carolina, and as such, they are a protected species.
Bibliography:
Canis rufus, 2015, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/3747/0
Red Wolf, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/red-wolf/
Red Wolf, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_wolf

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Papadum

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Papadum

The number of papadum spelling variations is enough to cover the actual recipe variations!

  • Papadums are a thin, cracker or bread-like food made primarily of water and a type of flour, sometimes with the addition of oil and salt.
  • A ‘papadum’ is also known as a ‘papad’, ‘pappadum’, ‘poppodum’, ‘pappadam’, ‘papari’ and ‘pāpar’, and there are countless other spelling variations.
  • The flour used to make papadums varies and can include rice, black gram, lentil, potato or chickpea flour.
  • In general, papadums are made by making a dough, and then cooking it by either toasting, deep frying, microwaving or roasting.
  • Papadums are often eaten as an accompaniment to a main meal, such as a curry, or eaten as a snack; while condiments, vegetables, spices and/or curries may be placed on the cooked version before serving.

Pappadum, Papadum, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Indian, Cuisine, Food, Culinary, Cracker, Bread, Pink, Cooked

  • Occasionally papadum dough is flavoured with spices, and they can be made in a wide variety of sizes.
  • Papadums originated in India, Asia, where it is a particularly popular appetiser, and they are commonly used as a scoop in the process of eating Indian food, especially curry, and can be used to dull the spiciness of the food.
  • Due to its inexpensive ingredients and ease in making, papadums are commonly made and sold by Indian females in their country, as a way to support their family.
  • The texture of cooked papadums should be crispy, rough and somewhat bumpy; the bumpiness depending on the cooking style, though sometimes they are served soft like flat bread.
  • Papadums are commonly available in supermarkets, and are sold cooked and ready to eat, or in a dried form ready to cook.
Bibliography:
Papadum, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papadum
Papadum Bread, 2015, Recipe Tips, http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t–37535/papadum-bread.asp
What is Papadum Bread?, 2015, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-papadum-bread.htm

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Stoclet Palace

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Stoclet Palace

Stoclet Palace really ventured into a new design space.

  • Stoclet Palace is a private mansion considered a masterpiece of architecture, found in Belgium’s Brussels, in Europe and it features well landscaped gardens, paintings, artworks, mosaics and sculptures, and has marble as a primary building material.
  • ‘Stoclet Palace’ is also known as ‘Stoclet House’, ‘Palais Stoclet’ in French and ‘Stocletpaleis’ in Dutch.
  • Adolphe Stoclet, a Belgian art enthusiast and banker, commissioned the construction of Stoclet Palace as his private home, and building took place from 1905 to 1911.
  • The architect of Stoclet Palace was Josef Hoffmann from Austria, who was given free reign in his design of the property, with an open budget and architectural opportunity.
  • Stoclet Palace is considered a ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’, a German term meaning ‘total work of art’, of the Wiener Werkstätte company, translated as ‘Vienna Workshops’, and the project included the artists Koloman Moser, Gustav Klimt, Frantz Metzner, Richard Luksch, and Michael Powolny, and others.
Stoclet Palace, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Belgium, Construction, Building, Art, Blue, Street
Stocet Palace
Image courtesy of Stephane Mignon/Flickr
  • As an Art Nouveau building, Stoclet Palace was intentionally designed differently to the typical styles of the time, and featured simple, geometrical block design that helped revolutionise architecture of the era.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention designated Stoclet Palace a World Heritage Site in 2009, partly due to it being the work of ‘human creative genius’.
  • The area of the Stoclet Palace property is roughly 8600 square metres (10,285 square yards), which includes gardens, that were also carefully designed along with the mansion.
  • In 2012, Stoclet Palace was owned by the granddaughters of Adolphe Stoclet, but not occupied by any, and as a private residence it has remained closed to the public throughout its history, and as of 2015, the property was still closed to visitors.
  • Stoclet Palace was subject to a court battle, ending in 2011, when its owners could not agree on the property’s future, as most of the four heiresses (sisters) were keen to separate the contents from the building, and then sell them off, however, they were unsuccessful.
Bibliography:
Stoclet Palace, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1298
Stoclet Palace, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoclet_Palace
Wise M, An Enchanted House Becomes a Family’s Curse, 2012, The Wall Street Journal, http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204616504577172941334034970

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Teapot

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Teapot

A teapot is a signature of the early modern society.

  • A teapot is a container used to make and serve beverages, most commonly tea, and they are generally made of steel, ceramic or glass, while bronze and other metals have been commonly used in the past.
  • There are three main parts to a teapot – the body, which contains the beverage; the handle, to hold the pot; and the spout, to pour the beverage; and most have a lid to contain the liquid, keep the heat in, and stop other particles contaminating the tea, while some have an inbuilt strainer to prevent tea leaves from entering the cup.
  • Tea made using a teapot is often done by inserting dried tea leaves, or sometimes teabags, into the pot, and boiling water is added to make the beverage, which is then steeped for a few minutes, and then poured into a drinking vessel, typically a teacup.
  • In the history of the Yixing area in China, tea was commonly made and drunk, and it is believed that in the early to mid 1300s, a Chinese potter from the area was the first to have invented the teapot.
  • Teapots were exported from China to Europe by the late 1600s; and in the 1700s, Europeans were successful in creating their own pots after much trial and error with inferior porcelain.

Teapots, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Assorted, Ceramics, Steel, Glass, Variations,

  • Teapots may have separate fabric coverings that serve the purpose of trapping the heat of the liquid to keep the brew hot, and they have been used since the 1800s and are named ‘tea cosies’ or ‘tea warmers’.
  • Most modern teapots have a body of either a rounded shape or a pear-shape, however, there are numerous shapes and styles available, and some are more ornamental or decorative in nature, while others are simple and practical.
  • The colour of teapots can vary greatly, and they can feature patterns, intricate artwork and other decorative elements.
  • Even though using a teapot is the traditional method of making tea and is often used for formal occasions, teabags placed in a mug or teacup have made the pot somewhat redundant, as they are more easily transportable, less bulky and more convenient.
  • Interesting and decorative teapots are often collected by enthusiasts, and it is said that the largest collection in the world in 2007 was owned by Tang Yu, from Quanzhou in China, with a total of 30,000.
Bibliography:
Everage L, Teapots Through The Ages, 2006, Fresh Cup, https://theteaspot.com/media/wysiwyg/news/storyId-16.pdf
Kuei-Hsiang Lo (1986). The Stonewares of Yixing: From the Ming Period to the Present Day. Hong Kong University Press
McLeod M, When Was – The Teapot Invented, 2015, Southeastern Antiquing and Collecting Magazine, http://www.go-star.com/antiquing/when_was0208.htm
Teapot, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teapot

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