Tag Archives: Facts

Pacific Black Duck

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Pacific Black Duck

Have you seen a pacific black duck’s speculum?

  • Pacific black ducks are dabbling ducks, which are ducks that generally feed on the surface of the water, and poke their head into the water for food, while the back half of the duck remains out of the water.
  • Pacific black ducks are native to most of Australasia and the Pacific islands and parts of Southeast Asia.
  • ‘Pacific black ducks’ are also known as ‘grey ducks’, ‘black ducks’, ‘brown ducks’, ‘wild ducks’, ‘blackies’, ‘Australian wild ducks’ and ‘Parera’, a New Zealand Maori term.
  • Pacific black ducks live in or near ponds, wetlands, lakes or marshes and nest in woven grass, leaves and other foliage, laying 7-13 white eggs.
  • Pacific black ducks are typically dark brown in colour, with a paler head and neck, with distinctive stripes on their face.

Pacific black ducks, Brown, lake, swimming, group, adult, water, lake, Ten Random Facts

  • Pacific black ducks are generally between 50 to 60 centimetres (1.6 to 2 feet) in length, with males generally larger than females.
  • The scientific name of pacific black ducks is Anas superciliosa and they are from the family Anatidae, which is the family of ducks, swans and geese.
  • Pacific black ducks are similar to their introduced cousins, mallards, that the ducks can and do breed with.
  • Pacific black ducks are covered with waterproof oil that the ducks produce, and have a magnificent green speculum (patch on their feathers), which is best seen when the ducks are in flight.
  • Pacific black ducks feed on seeds of aquatic vegetation, shrimps, yabbies, crustaceans and insects, and they will sometimes forage for food on the ground.
Bibliography:
Davis D, Pacific Black Duck, 2013, Wires Northern Rivers, <http://www.wiresnr.org/pacificblackduck.html>
Pacific Black Duck, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Black_Duck>

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Yo-yo

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Yo-yo

Spin, spin… Can you do tricks on a yo-yo?

  • Yo-yos are essentially toys, generally composed of  two cylindrical discs connected by an axle, with an attached string.
  • Terracotta examples of yo-yos have been found in Ancient Greek art dating between 400 – 500 BC.
  • The first modern patent of a yo-yo was in 1866 by James Haven and Charles Hettrich, and it was named a ‘whirligig’ and a ‘bandalore’.
  • International yo-yo competitions, where performance is judged, are held all over the world every year, with contestants from many backgrounds.
  • The term ‘yo-yo’ possibly came from one of the languages spoken in the Philippines, from a word meaning ‘come back’ or ‘spring’, although its origins are uncertain.

Easing rebound, Yo-yo, Ned Boomerang, Brand, Trick, Special, Ten Random Facts

  • A yo-yo has also been called a ‘bandalore’ (a French term) and a ‘quiz’, and was named a ‘yo-yo’ in 1928 in the United States, by Pedro Flores, who was a Filipino immigrant.
  • Japan has some of the best yo-yo masters, most notably world champion Shinji Saito.
  • One of the most common yo-yo tricks is ‘walk the dog’, which is when the toy appears to be spinning along the ground in front of your feet.
  • Cheap yo-yos can spin approximately 10-20 seconds, with a record of nearly 4 minutes, while professional ball bearing yo-yos can spin for 1-4 minutes, with a record of just over 21 minutes.
  • Yo-yos are generally symmetrical, with weight distributed more on the edges of the discs, although this can vary.
Bibliography:
Behar, S & Yarham, R 2008, Great Inventions, Igloo Books Ltd, Cottage Farm, Sywell
Yo-yo, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo-yo>

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Stomach

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Stomach

Don’t upset your stomach!

  • The stomach is an organ that is hollow and consists of muscle, and is used in the process of digesting food by breaking it down and destroying any bacteria.
  • The stomach is located in the middle of a human, above the small intestine and below the esophagus, and when empty, it is shaped like a letter ‘J’, and is approximately 25 cm (10 inch) long.
  • The stomach creates protein enzymes, named protease, and acid to help break down and digest food.
  • The job of the stomach is to send partially digested food to the intestines so nutrients can be extracted, and it also holds food, ready to be received by the intestines.
  • A typical adult stomach has an empty volume of 45 to 75 millilitres (1.5 to 2.5 fluid ounces) which enlarges to generally contain 1 litre (0.25 gallon) of food, however it can hold up to 2-3 litres (0.5 – 0.8 gallon) of food.

Stomach, pink, digital, art, human, organ, digestive, Ten Random Facts, Flickr,

Stomach
Image courtesy of Dream Designs/ Free Digital Photos
  • Some stomach related diseases include gastric ulcers, peptic ulcers, gastritis and stomach cancer.
  • The ‘stomach’ is also known as the ‘gaster’ which is a Greek word, hence the stomach related words ‘gastro’ and ‘gastric’.
  • Some deadly stomach cancers require those patients to have a total gastrectomy (stomach removal) to prevent loss of life, however, even though they face challenges with what and how they eat, and have to change the regularity and quantity of food intake, patients can live quite successfully without a stomach.
  • The capacity of a newborn baby’s stomach is approximately 30 ml (1 fl oz).
  • Muscles in the stomach move every 2 seconds to break down the food, and it takes 40 minutes to a few hours to process the food.
Bibliography:
Hill K, What does your Stomach do?, 2013, The Big Site of Amazing Facts, <http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com/what-does-your-stomach-do>
Stomach, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stomach>

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Soap

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Soap

Scrub-a-dub dub with the soap.

  • Soap is a solid bar or liquid solution that is used to wash, bathe or clean and is used widely in the textile industry for various tasks.
  • Soap is typically made using animal or vegetable fats or oils which is mixed with an alkaline formula like caustic soda.
  • Soap cleans by causing things that are insoluble, like small bacteria, chemicals, dirt or the like, to become soluble, and wash away with water.
  • Soap was used and possibly invented in 2800 BC by Ancient Babylonians, and later by the Ancient Egyptians, who used animal and vegetable oils.
  • ‘Soap’ is derived from the Latin word ‘sapo’, which is the name of a fictitious mountain in the area of Rome which is said to be associated with soap.

Soap, soft, homemade, white, pink, blue, orange, Ten Random Facts, Australia, Bars

  • Industrial soap production occurred in the 1450s to 1500s, in France and as early as the 1200s the process was industrialised in the Middle East.
  • Liquid soap started being produced in the 1800s, and was patented in 1865 by William Shepphard, the use of which became more practical than typical bars.
  • Soap is typically made by heating up particular oils or fats, pouring off waste liquid and setting the mixture into moulds.
  • Throughout history, soap has been used to treat skin conditions and with the addition of other plant materials, to dye hair.
  • Soap is one of the main ingredients in grease that is used for lubrication purposes.
Bibliography:
Soap, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap>
Soap Facts: Interesting and Fun Facts, n.d, Soap History, <http://www.soaphistory.net/soap-facts/>

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Strawberry

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Strawberry

Sweet, juicy, mouth-watering strawberries.

  • Strawberries are also called ‘garden strawberries’ and are from the family Rosaceae, which is the family of roses, and are not proper berries.
  • There are more than 20 species of Fragaria, or strawberries as they are known, with Fragaria × ananassa being the most commonly grown hybrid.
  • Strawberries are typically sweet, heart shaped red, juicy fruits, and generally grow on a 15 cm (6 inches) high plant that spread out on the ground to about 50–100 cm (20 – 40 inches).
  • Strawberries can be made into jam, juice, milkshakes or made into cakes or desserts, or eaten with or added to ice cream, yoghurt, chocolate, pancakes and so on.
  • Strawberries have approximately 200 small yellow achenes, that look like seeds and are actually the ‘fruit’ of the strawberry, on the outside of the flesh, which contain a seed inside each.

Strawberry, punnet, group, bunch, red, many, bowl, whole, picked, supermarket, Aldi, Ten Random Facts

  • Cultivated strawberries are generally sweeter than the wild species, with the garden type becoming very popular due to its sweetness, and they should be eaten within two or three days from purchasing or picking, as they can easily become bruised, mouldy or decayed.
  • Strawberries only ripen on the plant, and are green or white if not ripe, although some varieties of strawberries are white when ripe.
  • In 2011, USA, was by far the world’s top producer of strawberries, producing over one quarter of the total world production of 4,200,000 tonnes (4,600,000 tons) with Spain ranking second.
  • Some people are allergic to strawberries with reactions similar to hay fever, hives and possibly breathing problems and can cause anaphylaxis, although some of the white strawberry cultivars may not cause a reaction.
  • Strawberries are a good source of antioxidants and are very high in vitamin C, with one serve providing close to your daily recommended intake.
Bibliography: Strawberry, 2011, Fresh for Kids, <http://www.freshforkids.com.au/fruit_pages/strawberry/strawberry.html>
Strawberry, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry>

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Keukenhof

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Keukenhof

Keukenhof is breathtaking.

  • Keukenhof is also known as the ‘Garden of Europe’, and the word ‘Keukenhof’ can be translated to ‘kitchen garden’ in Dutch, in reference to the herbs that used to be gathered in the area for the castle kitchen.
  • Keukenhof is the largest flower garden on Earth, with approximately seven million bulbs covering an area of 32 hectares (79 acres).
  • Keukenhof is located in Lisse, in the Netherlands in an area known as ‘Duin- en Bollenstreek’ which translates to ‘Dune and Bulb Region’, known for its floral industry.
  • Keukenhof is only ever open to the public for  8 weeks in a year from mid-March to mid-May, with the flower-viewing peak in mid-April.
  • Keukenhof was originally a place for hunting in the 1400s, and the Mayor of Lisse organised the first Keukenhof exhibit in 1949.
Keukenhof, garden, flower, tulip, Holland, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
Keukenhof
Image courtesy of Bertknot/Flickr
  •  The Keukenhof gardens are directly opposite a building known as ‘Keukenhof Castle’, which was built in 1642.
  • Keukenhof was designed in the 1800s, by the landscaper Jan David Zocher and his son, for the Baron and Baroness van Pallandt the owners of the property and the castle at the time, all of which is now owned by a charitable foundation.
  • Keukenhof has competitions for the best flowers grown by exhibitors, with awards like tulip awards and rose awards.
  • Many visitors to Keukenhof search for large rows of a certain flower, which can be see in some of the surrounding areas, which they do not find in the garden, but instead find patterns and pictures created with flower bulbs.
  • The flowers and bulbs featured in Keukenhof can be bought, with much of the garden dug up and replanted yearly.
Bibliography:
Garrison L, Keukenhof Gardens – Dutch Spring Gardens near Amsterdam, 2013, About.com, <http://cruises.about.com/cs/europe/a/keukenhof.htm>
Keukenhof, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keukenhof>
History of Keukenhof, 2013, Keukenhof Holland, <http://www.keukenhof.nl/en/5/history-of-keukenhof.html>

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