Category: Interesting

What happens to bad kids at Christmas? In central Europe, including Austria, Bavaria and the Czech Republic, the companion of St Nicholas is the sinister Krampus, a terrifying creature with fangs, horns and fur, who punishes naughty children by whipping them with sticks, called “ruten bundles”. These whippings are intended to make bad children good….

Why are insects so important to life on Earth? Every insect plays a role in the ecosystem in which it is found. Therefore, the continuation of most plant species is dependent on these insects. Not only is this important for wildlife habitats, but also for humans, who rely on effective pollination for food. Are there…

Can the Internet be destroyed forever? “I think a massive attack to bring down the whole internet is actually possible,” he says. He points out that physical attacks on the internet’s infrastructure are unlikely to do much permanent damage. Destroying one node in a 1,000 node network won’t take the whole network down, of course….

Should you text your girlfriend goodnight every night? If so, there’s nothing wrong with sending a good night message every night. If you don’t rely on texting as much, then a good night text every single evening may be overbearing. However, it’s possible that your partner looks forward to receiving those good night texts, even…

Can doctors invent medical devices? Some physicians have made the leap and have developed their own medical technology, rather than waiting for products to appear on the market. Often, doctors whose work is heavily procedural are the ones who develop devices, but primary care physicians have created their own devices as well. Can doctors invent…

What is quarks flavor? Flavor is the name scientists give to different versions of the same type of particle. For instance, quarks (which make up the protons and neutrons inside atoms) come in six flavors: up, down, top, bottom, strange and charm. Why are they called flavors of quarks? The names given to the different…

What is the meaning of time direction? The arrow of time, also called time’s arrow, is the concept positing the “one-way direction” or “asymmetry” of time. It was developed in 1927 by the British astrophysicist Arthur Eddington, and is an unsolved general physics question. Why do we experience time in one direction? Originally Answered: Why…

Can ebooks be read on a tablet? You can use the OverDrive app to download and read borrowed ebooks on your Android device or Fire tablet. Note: If you’d rather read ebooks in your browser, you can use OverDrive Read instead. Once you’ve borrowed and downloaded an ebook in the app, go to your app…

Is Nancy Drew better than Hardy Boys? While The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew are both detective shows based on popular books, the execution of the former is better. While Nancy Drew is an entertaining show, The Hardy Boys is clearly the better teen detective story of 2020. Are the Nancy Drew books worth reading?…

Do people trust 5-star reviews? Interestingly, only 10\% of consumers use a 5-star rating filter. Most people think it’s too good to be true. According to research by Northwestern, purchases are most influenced by reviews with an average rating of 4.2 to 4.5 stars out of 5 — making this the ideal average star rating…