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Sock

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Sock

Instead of putting socks in someone’s mouth, put some in their brain.

  • A sock is a popular article of clothing designed to fit on a human foot, and it is usually sold in a pair, that match in colour and style, so that both feet can be covered by them.
  • People wear socks for a number of reasons, including keeping feet warm; absorbing sweat; increasing foot comfort in shoes; and as a fashion accessory; and they are used in sport and hiking to protect the leg area from abrasions.
  • The English term ‘sock’ comes from ‘socc’, an Old English term, meaning ‘light shoe’ or ‘slipper’, which originates from ‘soccus’, a Latin word that has an almost identical meaning.
  • Socks are found in a wide range of lengths, including foot, ankle, shin and knee lengths, with some reaching the thigh, although these items are generally named ‘stockings’.
  • Synthetic and natural fibres are generally used to make socks, including nylon, silk, wool, linen, polyester and cotton, while thousands of years ago, leather or cloth fabric wrapped around one’s feet, or felted animal hair, were used.

Sock, Clothing, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Assortment, Pairs, Pink, Red, White, Black,

  • Socks come in a wide variety of colours, and they can be plain, patterned or feature an image, while some are host to protruding ornaments like bows and pompoms, or trimmed with items like decorative lace.
  • The use of socks made from felt in Ancient Greece around the 700s BC is evident, and a knitted pair of Egyptian ones have been found that date back to 200 to 500 AD.
  • A knitting machine was invented in 1589 by William Lee, an English clergyman, that quickened the production of socks, although the process was not widely adopted until the late 1700s and early 1800s, and eventually machines completely replaced hand knitting.
  • A sock is generally a flexible enclosed item with a small opening at the upper end where the foot is inserted, although some versions of the clothing are flat cloth wrapped around the foot, while others have separated toe pockets.
  • Between 400 and 1300 AD, socks became a popular accessory and were adopted by many Europeans, especially the wealthy; and in modern times, socks, which are generally machine knitted, have become readily available and inexpensive in the Western world.
Bibliography:
F Nancy, A Brief History of Socks and Hand-knitted Footwear, 1997, Crofters, http://www.crofters.org/personal%20essays/history%20socks.htm
Sock, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sock
Sock History, n.d, Lonely Sock, http://www.lonelysock.com/SockHistory.html

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International Space Station

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International Space Station

Can you imagine living on the International Space Station for half a year?

  • The International Space Station, also known as the ‘ISS’, is a space station that takes approximately 90 minutes to orbit the Earth; has been used or visited by individuals from 15 nations; and is continuously manned by astronauts.
  • The primary use of the International Space Station is for scientific research and tests, mainly for spatial, biological, astronomical, gravitational, physical and meteorological purposes.
  • In 2015, the International Space Station was only able to be accessed through the Russian rocket Soyuz, although American rockets had also been used up until 2011.
  • The International Space Station is roughly 72.8 metres (239 feet) in length and 108.5 metres (356 feet) in width, with an approximate height of 20 metres (66 feet).
  • In 1998, the first part of the International Space Station was placed in space, and in excess of 40 missions over the years, have enabled different modules to be added to the structure, though the station may retire between 2020 and 2024.
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The International Space Station
Image courtesy of NASA/Wikimedia Commons
  • The International Space Station is powered through solar electricity, although there is a rough 35 minute lapse that occurs when the sun is hidden from view, thus causing the station to depend on rechargeable nickel-hydrogen batteries during this period.
  • Typically, up to six people are sent to the International Space Station on a single expedition, although it has the capacity to house seven, and they generally live at the station for half a year at a time.
  • Days at the International Space Station generally begin at 6 am and end at 9.30 pm, and the astronauts, who encounter 16 sunsets and sunrises per earth day, are required to exercise to prevent body dysfunction, and to particularly keep bones and muscles in good condition.
  • The cost of building the International Space Station was around US$100 billion, and the ongoing expenses associated with the station are generally covered by the participating countries.
  • The International Space Station appears as a white dot in the sky when viewed from the Earth, and is detectable due to sunlight reflecting from the station.
Bibliography:
International Space Station, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station
International Space Station, n.d, ESA, http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/International_Space_Station/Building_the_International_Space_Station3
Sharp T, International Space Station: Facts, History & Tracking, 2015, Space.com, http://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html

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Chiton

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Chiton

You have to do some searching for chitons if you are to find one.

  • Chitons are a type of mollusc that are found primarily on rocks in a marine environment, next to, or in the ocean.
  • The scientific name of a chiton is Polyplacophora, being the class it belongs to, although it has previously been known as Amphineura.
  • ‘Chitons’ are also known as ‘polyplacophorans’, ‘sea cradles’, ‘coat-of-mail shells’ and ‘loricates’.
  • The rough ellipse shape of a chiton is covered by a shell that is divided into eight plates, that is surrounded by what is known as a ‘girdle’, that is flexible and may or may not contain spikey protrusions or scales.
  • Generally chitons can navigate from one place to another and back to the same spot again with ease, and perhaps use the Earth’s magnetic field or secreted chemicals to find their way.

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  • Chitons have a muscle, referred to as a ‘foot’, on the underside of its shell, which is used to move the mollusc along surfaces.
  • The diet of chitons consists primarily of algae, phytoplankton, marine moss animals, and bacteria, although some species eat small crustaceans.
  • The word ‘chiton’ comes from the term khitōn, a Greek word that means ‘mail coat’, ‘frock’, or ‘tunic’.
  • Chitons have the ability to firmly attach themselves to surfaces with their ‘foot’, making them almost immovable.
  • The mouth of chitons is located on the underside of its body, while microscopic optical or light sensors are thought to be located in the shell.
Bibliography:
Chiton, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiton
Davy K, Chitons, 2010, MESA, http://www.mesa.edu.au/friends/seashores/chitons.html
Nordsieck R, Chitons (Placophora), n.d, The Living Word of Molluscs, http://www.molluscs.at/polyplacophora/index.html?/polyplacophora/main.html

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Bok Choy

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Bok Choy

You can’t get a vegetable with a name much stranger than bok choy.

  • Bok choy is a leafy vegetable, dubbed as an ‘Asian green’, that generally has large leaves that clusters upwards from its base.
  • The scientific name of bok choy is Brassica rapa chinensis, previously known as Brassica chinensis, and it is from the family Brassicaceae, the family of cabbages and mustards.
  • ‘Bok choy’ is also known as ‘bok choi’, ‘buk choy’ ‘white cabbage’, ‘Chinese chard’, ‘Chinese cabbage’, ‘Chinese savoy’, ‘Chinese white cabbage’, ‘white Chinese cabbage’, ‘Chinese mustard’, ‘Chinese mustard cabbage’, ‘spoon cabbage’, ‘pak choy’ and ‘pak choi’.
  • The translation of the Cantonese words ‘bok choy’ is ‘white vegetable’ in English, and there is often great confusion over the vegetable’s numerous names, which can vary depending on country or location, while some refer to different varieties.
  • The leaves of bok choy are a green colour, and the stalks are coloured white to green, depending on the variety or type, while the term ‘pak choy’ will often refer to the green stemmed variety.
Bok Choy, Vegetable, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Green, Food, Culinary
  • Bok choy originated in China, in Asia, and have been grown there since 400 AD, and it wasn’t until the late 1700s that they were introduced to Europe.
  • Both the stems and leaves of bok choy are eaten, and they are often cooked through stir-frying, while other methods include steaming, boiling and microwaving.
  • To decrease the likelihood of leaves wilting, harvesting of bok choy is performed during cooler hours, such as morning, and they are best stored in the refrigerator.
  • The thick stalks of bok choy are firm and crunchy, while the leaves are relatively thin and pliable.
  • In addition to many other beneficial vitamins and minerals, bok choy is very high in vitamin A, C and K, and it is particularly useful in decreasing the likelihood of inflammation and cancer.
Bibliography:
Bok Choy, 2011, Fresh For Kids, http://www.freshforkids.com.au/veg_pages/bok_choy/bok_choy.html
Bok Choy, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bok_choy
Bok Choy, 2015, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=152

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Smoke Detector

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Smoke Detector

Have you checked your smoke detector for working batteries recently?

  • Smoke detectors are an invention used to detect smoke, and particularly to warn of the danger of a fire, and in 2013, approximately 93% of households in the United States had the device in their home.
  • There are three main types of smoke detectors used to sense fire dangers, including those that use photoelectric or optical sensing; ionisation which uses radioactive elements; and air sampling known as ‘aspirating’ detectors or ASD.
  • Smoke detectors sometimes have a mix of two types of sensors – photoelectric and ionisation – as different sensors perform better during different stages of a fire, with the former being best during smouldering stages, and the latter during flaming stages.
  • Smoke detectors are often installed in both commercial and domestic buildings; and they are usually found in the centre of a ceiling, in hallways, on each building level, as well as in or near sleeping quarters.
  • Approximately 30% of smoke detectors in households will fail to function during an actual fire danger, primarily due to the detector malfunctioning because of age, battery removals and dead batteries.

Smoke Detector, On, Green, Fire Alarm, Trivia, Random Facts, Ten, White, Ceiling, Domestic, House

  • The size of a common disc-shaped smoke detector is usually around 15 centimetres (6 inches) in diameter and 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) deep, and they are generally encased in a plastic, cylindrical cover.
  • Americans Francis Upton, an acquaintance of Thomas Edison, and Fernando Dibble are widely recognised as the inventors of the first portable electric fire alarm, an early smoke detector which was patented in 1890, although other fire alarms were in existence at the time.
  • A heat-based detector was invented in 1902 by George Andrew Darby from England, while the birth of the ionised smoke detector occurred during the 1930s, and was accidentally discovered by Walter Jaeger, from Switzerland, after his unsuccessful gas detector reacted to cigarette smoke.
  • After decades of development, domestic smoke detectors became more readily available and more affordable in the 1970s, while a number of countries now have laws that require the device in all public buildings and private dwellings.
  • Smoke detectors primarily alert through noise, often around 85 decibels with a piercing alarm sound, although voice, lights, and futuristic ideas like vibrations can also be utilised.
Bibliography:
Types of Smoke Alarms, 2015, Department of Fire & Emergency Services, http://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/safetyinformation/fire/fireinthehome/Pages/typesofsmokealarms.aspx
Smoke Detector, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_detector

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Curonian Spit

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Curonian Spit

Enjoy some fish on a spit at the Curonian Spit.

  • The Curonian Spit is a long, thin piece of land, known as a ‘spit’, that separates two water bodies – the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon, in Lithuania in northern Europe, and western Russia.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention designated the Curonian Spit, also known as ‘Kuršių nerija’ a World Heritage Site in the year 2000, and the area contains a number of reserves and national parks.
  • As a sand dune formation, the creation of the Curonian Spit possibly occurred through wind and water movements that piled sand at levels high enough to deter water.
  • The Curonian Spit spreads a length of 98 kilometres (61 miles) with a width ranging from 0.4 to 3.8 kilometres (0.25 to 2.4 miles), and some of the sand dunes can reach heights of up to 60 metres (197 feet).
  • Curonians, Russians, Lithuanians, Germans and Prussians have all occupied the Curonian Spit at various stages, and according to a native Balt legend, the spit was created by a child Neringa, a giantess, who enjoyed the shore as a play site.
Curonian Spit, Sand, Water, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Beach, Russia, Place
Curonian Spit
Image courtesy of Borya/Flickr
  • Around the mid 1700s, after significant deforestation caused a lack of sand dune stabilisation, 14 villages on the Curonian Spit were buried by sand.
  • Successful large scale revegetation of the Curonian Spit sand dunes has occurred over two centuries, and a sand ridge was also created during this time to impede sand movement.
  • Despite the prominence of sand dunes in the Curonian Spit vicinity, areas of the spit are rich in flora and fauna, while approximately 10 to 20 million birds migrate across the area annually.
  • A stone sundial has been constructed on the top of Parnidis dune, one of the Curonian Spit’s many dunes, located in the town of Nida.
  • The Curonian Spit is popular among tourists for bird watching, boating and fishing, although a permit to catch fish is required, and there are a number of historic villages and museums to visit in the area.
Bibliography:
Curonian Spit, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/994
Curonian Spit, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curonian_Spit
Human Impact, nd, Kuršių nerijos, http://www.nerija.lt/en/culture/human-impact

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