Tag Archives: Facts

Pillow

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Pillow

Can you imagine sleeping on a literally rock hard pillow?

  • Pillows are objects that allow the head and neck, or limbs to rest or be kept elevated, although they are sometimes used for decorative purposes, but they are typically used on a bed.
  • Modern pillows are generally made of a fabric case with an internal stuffing of feathers, latex, foam, or synthetic or natural fibres, although inflatable ones are available and they are filled with air.
  • ‘Pillows’ are also known as ‘cushions’, although this term is more often used for similar items that are positioned on seats.
  • Although stereotypically softer today, pillows of the past where often hard, made of wood or stone among other materials.
  • Pillows are generally rectangular in shape, although they are often circular or square; while others fit around the neck, and they come in a variety of colours and patterns.

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  • In 7000 BC in Ancient Mesopotamia, pillows, said to be made of stone, were used by the wealthy, and a greater quantity of the items in one’s possession, generally signified a person of greater rank.
  • Pillows are available in many different sizes, from small travel ones to king size, and standard sizes vary depending on the country, but they are often between 40 to 48 centimetres by 60 to 73 centimetres (16 to 19 inches by 24 to 29 inches).
  • The Ancient Romans and Greeks designed some of the earliest ‘soft’ pillows, using straw, reeds or other materials as the stuffing.
  • A pillow is commonly covered with a fabric case that is easily removable for the purpose of washing, while some people also use a protector under the case to help prevent stains on the item.
  • In early times, a common reason for the use of pillows was to lessen or prevent insects disturbing or entering the body via the head while sleeping.
Bibliography:
The History of the Pillow, 2013, SleepCity, http://sleepcity.com/the-history-of-the-pillow/
Pillow, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillow

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Snakes and Ladders

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Snakes and Ladders

A bit of luck will give you fame in Snakes and Ladders!

  • Snakes and Ladders is a luck based board game with the aim to advance from the lowest square to the highest square by climbing ladders and avoiding snakes.
  • The board of Snakes and Ladders is a grid of squares, often 10 by 10, and the head and tail of snakes and the top and bottom of ladders that are typically pictured on the board, touch two separate squares per object.
  • The number of squares, ladders, and snakes, as well as their positions on the game board, each vary across different Snakes and Ladders boards, however the game is usually played with a dice or spinner, and a playing piece per person.
  • Landing on a snake head in Snakes and Ladders will usually cause the player to move to the respective snake tail, while landing at the base of a ladder will allow the player to move their piece to the top of the ladder.
  • There are numerous versions of the Snakes and Ladders game, featuring other objects to fall or slide down, or climb up, and the game is also known as ‘Chutes and Ladders’, particularly in America, where snakes were replaced with slides.

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  • Snakes and Ladders is derived from an Ancient Indian Hindu game that was possibly played as early as the 100s BC, where the game was used to illustrate the good and bad deeds of life, and was called ‘Moksha Patamu’ or similar.
  • The game of Snakes and Ladders generally features an equal or greater number of ladders than snakes, compared to the Indian game which had more snakes than ladders, and the ladders are or were, generally associated with a positive action and consequence, while the snakes were usually associated with negative actions and consequences.
  • In the late 1800s, the Indian version of the Snakes and Ladders game was introduced to England, and it has been modified over the years to exclude moral or religious perspectives, though some versions have an educational purpose.
  • Milton Bradley recreated the Snakes and Ladders game in 1943, which was popular in Europe at the time, to suit an American audience, renaming it ‘Chutes and Ladders’, with the theme of playground equipment.
  • The player that moves first in the 100-square Milton Bradley version of Snakes and Ladders has a 50.9% chance of winning the game if two players are playing, while a game is completed, on average, after 48 turns.
Bibliography:
Snakes and Ladders, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_and_Ladders
Who invented the board game Snakes and Ladders?, 2008, The Times of India, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/Who-invented-the-board-game-Snakes-and-Ladders/articleshow/3585003.cms

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Artichoke

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Artichoke

Artichokes are somewhat a misnomer, though they will certainly choke you if they are swallowed whole!

  • Artichokes are the edible flower buds of a perennial thistle plant, native to the Mediterranean region in Europe, and they are generally considered a vegetable, and eaten as such.
  • The artichoke plant, also known as ‘globe artichoke’, has the scientific name Cynara scolymus and it is from the family Asteraceae, the family of daisies and asters.
  • The rough spherical shape of artichokes is constructed with scales that somewhat resemble diamond shapes, each of which are generally armed with a thorn on the tip.
  • The diameter of artichokes varies between 6 to 14 centimetres (2.4 to 5.5 inches), while the vegetable grows on plants that can reach 1.4 to 2 metres (4.6 to 6.6 feet) in height.
  • The colour of artichokes ranges from green to purple to a mix of both, depending on the variety, and they need to be picked before they flower, because they will become inedible.

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  • Egypt was the largest producer of artichokes in 2012, with 387,704 tonnes (427,370 tons) of the world total of 1,634,219 tonnes (1.8 million tons), while Italy was not far behind with 364,871 tonnes (402,201 tons).
  • Artichokes are cooked generally by boiling or steaming, although they can also be baked, grilled and microwaved, and they are popularly eaten with other vegetables or meat, while the scales are often dipped in a sauce or butter.
  • The term ‘artichoke’ comes from the Northern Italian word ‘articiocco’, and originally from the Arabic ‘al-karšūfa’; and the vegetable has been cultivated for thousands of years.
  • Generally artichokes are prepared by snipping off the thorns, and after cooking, the flesh from the scales can be pulled off with one’s teeth, the internal ‘choke’ removed and discarded, and the stalk and internal heart can be readily eaten and are said to be the tastiest sections.
  • Artichokes are very high in fibre, antioxidants, folate and vitamin K, and they contain many other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Artichoke, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artichoke
Artichoke Nutrition Facts, 2015, Nutrition-and-You, http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/artichoke.html
Steele M, How To Use Artichoke, 2015, Jamie Oliver, http://www.jamieoliver.com/news-and-features/features/how-to-use-artichoke/#L3MgDid5A9S9Yb3t.97

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California Condor

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California Condor

California condors are birds of the past that have been rebirthed into the present.

  • California condors are a vulture species native to North America’s forest, cliff, savannah and shrub habitats.
  • The scientific name of a California condor is Gymnogyps californianus and it is from the family Cathartidae, the family of New World vultures.
  • The wingspan of a California condor reaches 2.7 to 3 metres (9 to 10 feet) in width, the largest wingspan of any North American bird, and the bird can grow to a length of 1.1 to 1.4 metres (3.5 to 4.5 feet) and generally weighs between 8 to 14 kilograms (18 to 31 pounds), making it also the largest flying bird in North America.
  • The feathers of a California condor are mostly coloured black, with some underwing feathers coloured white, while the neck and head is bare and a pink to red colour.
  • California condors are scavengers in nature, feeding on dead animals like rabbits, livestock, deer, whales and fish, among others.
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California Condor
Image courtesy of George Kathy Klinich/Flickr
  • Due to having little or no sense of smell, California condors depend on their eyesight, or their observation of eagles and other vultures, to lead them to food.
  • Habitat destruction, poisoning from dead animals containing lead bullets, poaching and electrical lines all contributed to the wild extinction of California condors in 1987, although the remaining few birds were captured for captive breeding programs; and the bird has since been reintroduced into the wild from 1992 after an extensive conservation program.
  • Female California condors produce a single blue-white egg every couple of years which is laid in a hole in a tree, or on a cliff or cave floor, however if the first egg is lost, the bird may produce another, and the egg and chick is looked after by both parents.
  • There were only 425 extant California condors in total, in the wild and captivity in late 2014, and the species is listed as critically endangered, although numbers have been increasing due to further conservation efforts and a continuing breeding program.
  • To clean themselves, California condors choose to wash in water, or scrape away dirt by rubbing their head and neck against trees or other objects, and they finish cleaning with extensive feather preening.
Bibliography:
California Condor, 2015, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/birds/california-condor/
California Condor, 2015, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/california-condor
California Condor, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_condor

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Loch Ness

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Loch Ness

Loch Ness is a placed of busted myths and mythical monsters.

  • Loch Ness is a freshwater lake, or loch as it is known in Scotland, found in the Highlands of Scotland, in the United Kingdom in Europe.
  • Loch Ness is the largest lake in Scotland by volume, at 7.5 cubic kilometres (1.8 cubic miles), and it reaches a depth of 230 metres (755 feet) and covers an area of 57 square kilometres (22 square miles).
  • The popularity of Loch Ness is caused primarily by the potential monster, named after the lake, that is believed by some to dwell there, and information about the creature was publicised in 1933.
  • Species of eels, salmon, trout, minnows and sea sturgeons, among other aquatic animals, are native to the waters of Loch Ness.
  • An artificial island in the southern area of Loch Ness was created before the 1400s AD, and while it has been called various names, it is known as Cherry Island today.
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Part of Loch Ness
Image courtesy of Dave Conner/Flickr
  • The ruins of Urquhart Castle can be found on the banks of the western side of Loch Ness, and was built from the 1200s.
  • Loch Ness is used in two hydroelectricity plants, the Glendoe Hydro Scheme and the Foyers pumped-storage scheme.
  • Tourists visiting Loch Ness can choose from a variety of cruises that travel across the lake, while hiking along tracks in the nearby woodlands, sailing, and fishing are also popular activities.
  • In July 1966, Brenda Sherratt crossed the full length of Loch Ness by swimming, and was the first to do so, accomplishing the feat at age 18.
  • River Moriston, River Oich, River Enrick, River Foyers, and River Coilte each feed into Loch Ness, while the Ness River flows out of the lake.
Bibliography:
Loch Ness, 2015, Visit Scotland, http://www.visitscotland.com/en-au/info/towns-villages/loch-ness-p868181
Loch Ness, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ness

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Rolling Pin

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Rolling Pin

Roll out the mix with a rolling pin.

  • Rolling pins are an invention of a cylindrical shape that are generally used to flatten and level out food, most often dough, although they are also commonly used to roll out icing for cake decorating purposes.
  • Sometimes rolling pins have handles attached to both ends of the pin, a long rod, although the handle can be a shaped part of the pin itself.
  • Rolling pins range from 2 to 10 centimetres (0.8 to 4 inches) in diameter, and they can be as small as 12.7 centimetres (5 inches) in length and as long as 51 cm (20 inches).
  • Thinner rolling pins are generally rolled using the palm, while wider rolling pins generally have handles and generally have a greater force behind the push.
  • Rolling pins can be made of plastic, glass, wood, ceramic, steel, marble and silicone; and some are designed to have anti-stick properties.

Rolling Pin, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Culinary, Assortment, Wooden, Plastic

  • Some rolling pins may be heated or cooled, or filled with warm or cold water, to achieve a better effect when rolling certain foods.
  • It is believed that rolling pins were first used by the Etruscan civilisation in ancient Italy from around 800 BC, and were used to flatten dough.
  • There is a popular stereotype of housewives brandishing a rolling pin as a weapon when angered.
  • One of the first rolling pins to have separately attached handles that moved independently of the pin was patented in 1879, by American Philip Cromer.
  • Some rolling pins have indents or extrusions on the pin surface that imprints designs and patterns into the food.
Bibliography:
Rolling Pin, 2015, How Products Are Made, http://www.madehow.com/Volume-7/Rolling-Pin.html
Rolling Pin, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_pin

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