1 Apple is made of 25% air, that is why they float.
2 Avocado has the highest protein and oil content of all fruits.
3 Carrots were originally purple in color, changing in the 17th Century to orange with newer varieties.
4 Cherries are a member of the rose family.
5 Corn always has an even number of ears. It only makes up about 8% of the weight in a box of corn flakes.
6 Honey is the only edible food for humans that will never go bad.
7 Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries.
8 Peanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite.
9 Pear is a fruit that ripens from the inside out.
May 25, 2010
Copies of Antique Manuscripts
A remarkable archive of antique manuscripts which opens a window on to the experiences, hopes, fears and interests of people who lived during the 15th to 18th centuries has been put online.
The University of Cambridge Scriptorium Project features thousands of pages taken from 20 different handwritten "miscellanies", some of which date back as far as the Wars of the Roses.
The books were used to record snippets of information that people had read, been told, or overheard, at a time when paper was a scarce and expensive commodity.
The collection includes a notebook in which Edward VI wrote down various Biblical passages and a miscellany kept by William Rawley, chaplain to Francis Bacon, in which he recorded Bacon's sayings and a number of his (rather bad) jokes.
Perhaps more significantly, however, it features copious amounts of material reflecting the day-to-day lives of other people. Recipes, accounts, sonnets, quotations, prayers, sermons, legal tips and medical instructions were all added to the compendia as they were passed down through the generations.
Over a period of decades, their owners recorded everything from poems by Shakespeare and Milton, to plague remedies, laundry lists, or, in one case, the contents of their fish pond. As a result, the books provide an insight into sections of the population of whom we would know far less without them, not least the women of the era.
The website also includes a complete and interactive online course in deciphering medieval and early modern handwriting as well as further resources for manuscript studies.
"The idea is to enable other researchers to decipher their own manuscripts even if they have not encountered early modern handwriting before," Dr. Beadle added. "Hopefully this project will help to open up the literature, history, theology and philosophy of this period to a new generation of students and scholars all over the world."
http://scriptorium.english.cam.ac.uk/manuscripts/
The University of Cambridge Scriptorium Project features thousands of pages taken from 20 different handwritten "miscellanies", some of which date back as far as the Wars of the Roses.
The books were used to record snippets of information that people had read, been told, or overheard, at a time when paper was a scarce and expensive commodity.
The collection includes a notebook in which Edward VI wrote down various Biblical passages and a miscellany kept by William Rawley, chaplain to Francis Bacon, in which he recorded Bacon's sayings and a number of his (rather bad) jokes.
Perhaps more significantly, however, it features copious amounts of material reflecting the day-to-day lives of other people. Recipes, accounts, sonnets, quotations, prayers, sermons, legal tips and medical instructions were all added to the compendia as they were passed down through the generations.
Over a period of decades, their owners recorded everything from poems by Shakespeare and Milton, to plague remedies, laundry lists, or, in one case, the contents of their fish pond. As a result, the books provide an insight into sections of the population of whom we would know far less without them, not least the women of the era.
The website also includes a complete and interactive online course in deciphering medieval and early modern handwriting as well as further resources for manuscript studies.
"The idea is to enable other researchers to decipher their own manuscripts even if they have not encountered early modern handwriting before," Dr. Beadle added. "Hopefully this project will help to open up the literature, history, theology and philosophy of this period to a new generation of students and scholars all over the world."
http://scriptorium.english.cam.ac.uk/manuscripts/
May 21, 2010
Melting Icebergs
We read a lot about melting icebergs and rising ocean levels, but what is the real story. This has nothing to do with global warming or cooling. That is another argument for another day. This is about the facts regarding ice and water.
Archimedes' principal states that a floating object displaces its own weight of fluid and should not add more water when it melts. Also, the weight of the displaced fluid is directly proportional to the volume of the displaced fluid. Of course there is some land based ice that is also melting, and it would raise the level of water if it is not absorbed by the land on which it sits.
Melting icebergs cause sea levels spread evenly across the globe to rise by just 49 micrometers a year, about the width of a human hair. At that rate, it would take 200 years for the oceans to rise by a centimeter (an inch is 2.54 centimeters).
If all the floating ice was to melt, sea levels would rise by only 4cm (less than 2 inches), according to scientists published in the journal of Geophysical Research Letter, April 2010. So, if the climate folks are correct, it will take a bit less than 800 years to raise the sea levels by a bit less than two inches. Hmmm. . .
Archimedes' principal states that a floating object displaces its own weight of fluid and should not add more water when it melts. Also, the weight of the displaced fluid is directly proportional to the volume of the displaced fluid. Of course there is some land based ice that is also melting, and it would raise the level of water if it is not absorbed by the land on which it sits.
Melting icebergs cause sea levels spread evenly across the globe to rise by just 49 micrometers a year, about the width of a human hair. At that rate, it would take 200 years for the oceans to rise by a centimeter (an inch is 2.54 centimeters).
If all the floating ice was to melt, sea levels would rise by only 4cm (less than 2 inches), according to scientists published in the journal of Geophysical Research Letter, April 2010. So, if the climate folks are correct, it will take a bit less than 800 years to raise the sea levels by a bit less than two inches. Hmmm. . .
Speaking of Ice
When you are making your favorite summer drinks for the pool party, make it ahead of time and freeze some of it in trays or small containers. Put the drink-ice in just before taking that pitcher outside. That way, when the ice melts in the drink, it does not dilute it.
Better Marriage Blanket
I can't even make this stuff up. Here is a blanket that is billed to make your marriage better. LINK There go all those cheesy fart jokes.
Speaking of Marriage
Here is a great video of a marriage ceremony guaranteed to make you laugh. LINK
Sausage vs. Steak
A recent study suggests that eating processed meat such as sausages increases the likelihood of heart disease, while red meat does not seem to be as harmful.
A Harvard University team which looked at studies involving over one million people found just 50g of processed meat a day also raised the risk of diabetes, but there was no such risk from eating even twice as much meat, such as beef, lamb, or pork, even though the two forms of meat have a similar fat content.
The researchers speculated that given the similar quantities of cholesterol and saturated fats, the difference may be explained by the salt and preservatives added to processed meats. This is defined as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting and includes bacon, sausages, salami and other luncheon meats.
The team from Harvard School of Public Health looked at 20 studies involving more than one million participants from 10 countries. On average, each equivalent of a sausage or a couple of rashers of bacon was associated with a 42% higher chance of developing coronary heart disease and a 19% higher risk of diabetes.
Go for lean cuts and aim to cook from scratch using healthier cooking methods like grilling or baking.
"Although cause-and-effect cannot be proven by these types of long-term observational studies, all of these studies adjusted for other risk factors," said Renata Micha, lead author. I love the disclaimer - the results of these studies can't be proven. Hmmm. Maybe I will put a bit less salt on my bacon and sausage, just in case. . .
A Harvard University team which looked at studies involving over one million people found just 50g of processed meat a day also raised the risk of diabetes, but there was no such risk from eating even twice as much meat, such as beef, lamb, or pork, even though the two forms of meat have a similar fat content.
The researchers speculated that given the similar quantities of cholesterol and saturated fats, the difference may be explained by the salt and preservatives added to processed meats. This is defined as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting and includes bacon, sausages, salami and other luncheon meats.
The team from Harvard School of Public Health looked at 20 studies involving more than one million participants from 10 countries. On average, each equivalent of a sausage or a couple of rashers of bacon was associated with a 42% higher chance of developing coronary heart disease and a 19% higher risk of diabetes.
Go for lean cuts and aim to cook from scratch using healthier cooking methods like grilling or baking.
"Although cause-and-effect cannot be proven by these types of long-term observational studies, all of these studies adjusted for other risk factors," said Renata Micha, lead author. I love the disclaimer - the results of these studies can't be proven. Hmmm. Maybe I will put a bit less salt on my bacon and sausage, just in case. . .
Song Stuck in Your Head
I am sure you have had a song in your head for hours, but can't remember the title, or artist. There are a few web sites that can help. Midomi lets you sing or hum the song into your computer or phone mike and it gives you the name and artist. It also plays a clip of the song, just to verify. The best part is that it is free. Wow, there is something that Google doesn't do.
May 19, 2010
How Tall is. . .
Jeff Flanagan challenged me to find the height of an actor, and I got carried away. Although there is some discussion on the web, with varying heights (especially for the shortest actors), and I did a bunch of digging and these are the best estimates I can find. The heights listed are without shoe lifts, which many of the men wear.
Michael 'Sylvester' Gardenzio Stallone 5'7, Halle Berry 5'5, Gary Coleman 4'8, Tom Cruise 5'7, Dame Judi Dench 5'1, Nicole Kidman 5'10, Carlos Ray 'Chuck' Norris 5'9 (born 1940), Angelina Jolie 5'7, Dustin Hoffman 5'5, Mel Gibson 5'8, Salma Hayek 5'1, Walter 'Bruce' Willis 5'11, Mike Meyers 5'6, Jack Nicholson 5'9, Regis Philbin 5'4, John Travolta 6'0, Ray Van Damme 5'8, Tina Turner 5'4, Rene Zellweger, 5'4 Jon Stewart 5'7, Dolly Parton 5'0. That is the tall and short of it.
Michael 'Sylvester' Gardenzio Stallone 5'7, Halle Berry 5'5, Gary Coleman 4'8, Tom Cruise 5'7, Dame Judi Dench 5'1, Nicole Kidman 5'10, Carlos Ray 'Chuck' Norris 5'9 (born 1940), Angelina Jolie 5'7, Dustin Hoffman 5'5, Mel Gibson 5'8, Salma Hayek 5'1, Walter 'Bruce' Willis 5'11, Mike Meyers 5'6, Jack Nicholson 5'9, Regis Philbin 5'4, John Travolta 6'0, Ray Van Damme 5'8, Tina Turner 5'4, Rene Zellweger, 5'4 Jon Stewart 5'7, Dolly Parton 5'0. That is the tall and short of it.
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