Tag Archives: Facts

Son Doong Cave

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Son Doong Cave

How could a rock hold such a large cave as the Son Doong Cave?

  • Son Doong Cave is a rock cave found in Central Vietnam, in Southeast Asia, close to the border of Laos.
  • ‘Son Doong Cave’ is also known as ‘Hang Son Doong’, which is Vietnamese for ‘mountain river cave’.
  • The Son Doong Cave entrance was discovered in the early 1990s by a local Vietnamese named Ho Khanh, however the cave remained untouched and hidden for many more years, due to its relatively inaccessible location.
  • Son Doong Cave is the home of the large Rao Thuong River, that flows quite quickly underground, notably making rushing and roaring sounds audible outside the cave.
  • The entrance to Son Doong Cave was rediscovered in 2008, again by Ho Khanh, and it wasn’t until 2009 that it was first explored, with Ho Khanh’s assistance and a team of cave experts and scientists, as steep inclines and intimidating sounds caused by the hidden river, would’ve deterred locals.
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Son Doong Cave
Image courtesy of Doug Knuth/Flickr
  • As of 2015, Son Doong Cave was still listed as the largest known cave on Earth, at 200 metres (660 feet) in height, 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) in length and 150 metres (490 feet) in width, at the greatest points.
  • Limestone is the main stone type that makes up Son Doong Cave and it also has some large deposits of calcite.
  • Particularly large cave pearls and stalagmites can be found in Son Doong Cave, with the cave pearls reaching sizes of around 7.5 cm (3 inches) in diameter and stalagmites reaching up to 80 metres (262 feet) in height.
  • The first tourists to explore Son Doong Cave did so in late 2013, spending $3,000 USD per person, while only 500 permits to enter the cave were given out in 2015.
  • Son Doong Cave is located in a section of the Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.
Bibliography:
Lee J, Dive Into ‘Infinity’ With Dizzying Views of A Colossal Cave, 2015, National Geographic, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/150520-infinity-cave-son-doong-vietnam-virtual-tour-photography-conservation/
Son Doong Cave, 2015, Oxalis Travel, http://oxalis.com.vn/cave/son-doong-cave/
Sơn Đoòng Cave, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C6%A1n_%C4%90o%C3%B2ng_Cave

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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.

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  • 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 Turoff 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.
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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.
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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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