Tag Archives: Facts

The Wave

By | |
4 Comments
The Wave

You cannot ride the Wave!

  • The Wave is a natural rock formation made of eroded sandstone, with the formation reaching 1,593 metres (5,275 feet) above sea level.
  • The Wave can be found on the borders of Arizona and Utah, in the United States, found in the Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness in the Coyote Buttes area.
  • The Wave is sloped ditches and ‘waves’ of sandstone.
  • The Wave has edges that break easily when a person steps on them so care must be taken to avoid damage to the rock edges.
  • The Wave is one of the most popular destinations of hikers and photographers, with the best photos at dawn, dusk and noon.

The Wave, Orange, Stunning, Sandstone, Coyote Buttes, America, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

A Wave
Image courtesy of Frank Kovalcheck/Flickr
  • The Wave has patterned lines of colours ranging from red, orange, yellow, pink, green and white.
  • Only 20 permits for entry to the Wave are given out for each day, with the receivers being decided by lottery.
  • After storms, the road to the Wave can become impassable, and puddles of water gather in the wave, attracting numerous tadpoles and fairy shrimps.
  • Erosion of the Wave has caused interesting structures, with some that appear to be castles or chutes.
  • The Wave can be a fatal hike without proper equipment, particularly a GPS and sometimes a tour guide.
Bibliography:
The Wave – Coyote Buttes, 2013, Utah.com, <http://www.utah.com/playgrounds/the_wave.htm>
The Wave, Arizona, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wave,_Arizona>

Amazon:   

Rhinoceros

By | |
Leave a comment
Rhinoceros

Watch those poachers, big rhinoceros.

  • Rhinoceros are herbivorous mammals from the family Rhinocerotidae and is a group of five species.
  • The word ‘Rhinoceros’ can be shortened to ‘rhinos’, and ‘rhinoceroses’ can also be used as a plural.
  • Two rhinoceros, the ‘black’ and the ‘white’, are native to Africa and three, the ‘Indian’, the ‘Javan’ and the ‘Sumatran’ are native to Asia.
  • Rhinoceros have chunky skin, 1.5 to 5 centimetre (0.6 to 2 inches) thick, and one or two horns up to 1.5 metres (5 feet) in length that are made of keratin.
  • Rhinoceros are common targets for poachers, humans being their only predators, as their horns are considered as valuable as gold on the black market, and are used for ornamental and traditional medicine purposes.

Two Black Rhinoceros, Kenya, Solio, Africa, Forward, Ten Random Facts, National Geographic

Rhinos
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • ‘Rhinoceros’ is derived from the Ancient Greek words ‘rhino’ and ‘keras’, which mean ‘nose’ and ‘horn’ respectively.
  • Rhinoceros can weigh up to and beyond 3,500 kilograms (7,700 pounds) and can run at speeds of 48 kilometres/hour (30 miles/hour).
  • Rhinoceros have bad sight but have good hearing and smelling senses and can live up to 35 to 40 years in the wild.
  • Rhinoceros range from being ‘near threatened’ to ‘critically endangered’, with less than 70 of the Javan species of rhino alive.
  • Rhinoceros are the second largest land mammals alive and range from 2.4 – 4.6 metres (7 ft 10 in – 15 ft) in length and can be as tall as a human, depending on the species.
Bibliography:
Rhinoceros, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros Rhincerotidae, n.d, Kids Planet, http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/rhinoceros.html

Amazon:     

Woolly Nightshade

By | |
Leave a comment
Woolly Nightshade

Woolly nightshades may look harmless, but they can be deadly.

  • Woolly nightshades are shrubs or small trees that generally grow up to 4 metres (33 feet) in height, however they can sometimes grow much taller than this.
  • Woolly nightshades are native to South America and can live up to 30 years.
  • Woolly nightshades have become an invasive weed where they were introduced as ornamental vegetation in New Zealand, and are also a significant problem in Australia, India, some countries of southern Africa, and many islands, particularly in the Pacific.
  • ‘Woolly nightshades’ are also known as ‘ear-leaved nightshades’, ‘flannel weeds’, ‘bugweeds’, ‘tobacco weeds’, ‘wild tobacco trees’, and ‘kerosene plants’.
  • The scientific name for woolly nightshade is Solanum mauritianum, and it comes from the Solanaceae family, which is the family of tomatoes, potatoes and nightshades.

Woolly Nightshade, green, plant, pest, weed, Ten Random Facts, Australia, Flower

  • Woolly nightshades have a hairy green stem, or trunk, with large leaves covered in very fine hairs  and smell like herbicide, especially when torn or scrunched.
  • Woolly nightshades have purple coloured flowers with yellow middles, which flower mostly in early spring, although they can flower throughout the year.
  • All parts of woolly nightshades are highly poisonous and can cause fatalities, particularly if the yellow berries are consumed, and the hairs can cause irritation to the skin.
  • Woolly nightshades can produce at least 2,000 seeds a year, which come from the yellow berries the plant produces, that are often dispersed by birds.
  • Woolly nightshades is a fast growing plant, and can be killed by cutting or uprooting the plant, and spraying with herbicide.

 

Bibliography:
Solanum mauritianum, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_mauritianum
Woolly Nightshade (Solanum mauritianum), n.d, Vegetation Specialists, http://www.vegetationspecialists.co.nz/woolly-nightshade.html

Amazon: 

Human Ear

By | |
Leave a comment
Human Ear

Your ear helps you hear.

  • Ears are located in the middle of either side of a human’s head.
  • Ears are the only hearing organs in the human body, functioning mainly to receive sound, but also help maintain balance.
  • The visible portion of an ear is part of the outer ear, and is called an ‘ear flap’, ‘auricle’ or ‘pinna’.
  • The ear flap or pinna provides protection for the internal parts of the ear, and it also collects and helps to transport sound to the inner ear.
  • Ears consist of three main sections – the inner ear, middle ear, and outer ear.

Ear, Pink, White, One, Girl, Child, Blond, Ten Random Facts, Organ, Body

  • Human’s hear due to sounds being channeled through the ear to the eardrum, which vibrates three small bones that cause vibrations into a fluid in the cochlea, where 20,000 nerve cells send messages to the brain.
  • Earaches and sometimes other pains in the ears, are caused when the tube that removes mucus and helps control pressure, the Eustachian tube, is blocked by cold.
  • Rough treatment of the visible ear can cause deformation, or a ‘cauliflower’ appearance, due to blood cutting off nutrients, killing parts of the organ.
  • Glands in the ear create earwax or cerumen, which is a yellow substance that helps clean and protect the organ.
  • Piercing the earlobe, visible at the bottom of the ear flap, is and has been a common practise in the past millenniums, although too much pressure on the earlobe can cause it to tear.

 

Bibliography:
Ear, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear
The Human Ear, 2013, The Physics Classroom, http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/sound/u11l2d.cfm

Amazon: 

Baking Paper

By | |
1 Comment
Baking Paper

Rip off the baking paper and put it on the tray.

  • ‘Baking paper’ is also known as ‘parchment paper’, ‘bakery release paper’, ‘silicone paper’, silicone baking paper’ and ‘butter paper’.
  • Baking paper is a non-stick paper used in baking, often to line tins, pans and trays, to prevent food from sticking to the pans.
  • Baking paper is typically made by submerging paper pulp in chemicals, such as sulphuric acid or zinc chloride, or paper is covered with an agent such as silicone.
  • Baking paper is also often reusable, although can wear after a number of uses, and it can be disposed of easily.
  • Baking paper is made from vegetable or plant based materials, specifically cellulose.

Baking paper, white, parchment paper, Woolworths Select, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • A French tradition, called ‘en papillote’ (in parchment) involves wrapping food with baking paper.
  • Baking paper is a practical replacement of cooking grease and wax paper.
  • Baking paper can be used as a stencil or template, an icing cone or a bag.
  • Parchment, which is made in a similar way to baking paper, was first invented in the Ptolemaic Dynasty, in Egypt, during 305 to 283BC.
  • Baking paper is heat resistant, and generally a partially transparent white colour.
Bibliography: Parchment Paper (Baking), 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parchment_paper_(baking)
What is Parchment Paper, 2013, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-parchment-paper.htm

Amazon:     

Broccoli

By | |
Leave a comment
Broccoli

Don’t let the broccoli grow too high!

  • Broccoli is an edible flower head and colours rang from green to purple-green.
  • Broccoli is native to the Mediterranean region and is also known as ‘Italian asparagus’, due to the popularity of the vegetable in Italy.
  • Broccoli is from the family Brassicaceae, which is the family of cabbages, and its scientific name is Brassica oleracea italica.
  • Broccoli is often cooked, steamed or boiled, but can be eaten raw, with leaves of the plant sometimes included.
  • ‘Broccoli’ is named after the plural of ‘broccolo’, an Italian word, meaning the flower head of a cabbage, which comes from ‘brocco’ meaning ‘branch’ or ‘shoot’.

Broccoli, Green, Stalk, Woolworths, Vegetable, Ten Random Facts, Single, Australia

  • Broccoli is very high in vitamin C and vitamin K, and has significant cancer preventing and DNA cell repairing properties.
  • Broccoli likes growing in cool weather, being at best supply during winter and preferring temperatures from 18 to 23°C (64 to 73°F) during the day.
  • There are three types of broccoli typically grown, and the most common type, Calabrese, has large heads that are 10 to 20 centimetres (4 to 8 inches) in diameter.
  • In 2008, China produced over two fifths of the total world production of 19,000,000 tonnes (21,000,000 tons).
  • Bitter, yellow flower heads grow from broccoli, so they are best stored in temperatures less than 2°C (35.6°F) to prevent their onset.

 

Bibliography:
Broccoli, 2011, Fresh for Kids, http://www.freshforkids.com.au/veg_pages/broccoli/broccoli.html
Broccoli, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broccoli

Amazon:     

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...