1. OCEANS
The oceans cover most of the surface and make the Earth appear blue from space. Oceans are crucial for climate control as water evaporates into vapor, which condenses into clouds to pour rain or release precipitation. While most of the ocean floor remains unexplored, it contains so much salt to bury tall buildings easily. Being a home to supply several critical minerals, humans also drill wells to extract and pump petroleum. The global average temperature spikes increase coastal hazards like flooding and soil erosion.
2. PYRAMID
The pyramids are one of the seven man-made wonders of the world, located next to the river Nile. It features four triangular sides facing each direction perfectly. Besides being a tomb, a pyramid signifies the display of power and wealth of the Pharaohs. Pyramids also contain tomb art and texts about the Egyptian language and culture. Most Egyptologists believe Egyptians used a ramp system to build a pyramid. However, scientists and engineers still wonder what ramp system Egyptians used to construct a pyramid.
3. SOLAR FLARES
Solar flares occur when magnetic field lines get twisted to release the pent-up electromagnetic energy related to sunspots. These magnetic fields consist of electrically charged gasses that generate an electric current, which helps the sun act as a magnetic dynamo. They accelerate the emission of subatomic particles such as protons, electrons, and other particles and other energy forms such as radio waves, microwaves, gamma rays, and light. Solar flares can’t hurt humans on Earth but can disrupt satellites, interrupt GPS, knockout power grids, or risk astronaut health.
4. CRUISE CONTROL
Cruise Control effectively maintains the constant speed of a vehicle without engaging with the acceleration or brake pedals. So, the vehicle moves at the set speed, which can increase and decrease only when the driver uses the cruise control system. It benefits during long drives on straighter roads and can help reduce fuel usage and vehicle carbon emissions. Modern automatic cars rely on small-chip powered computer and a bunch of sensors to adjust the vehicle’s throttle position. Cruise control works great with automatic cars, not manual ones.
5. DEATH VALLEY
The scary-sounding Death Valley is a desert valley in the Southeastern part of California in the United States. The Death Valley lies at the border between the northern part of the Mojave Desert and the Great Basin. Famously regarded as North America’s hottest and driest part, its extreme environment fascinates scientists and tourists. Death Valley embeds mountain peaks, volcanic craters, canyons, salt pans, and sand dunes. It’s also home to several species of birds, animals, reptiles, fish, and even insects. Many of these species are nocturnal by nature.
6. SPICES
A pinch of spices for seasoning can elevate the aromatic distinctive flavor of a recipe besides the main ingredients. Typically, they are the dried part of a plant and can come from fruits, flowers, seeds, bark, leaves, and even roots. Whole dry spices are difficult to procure but can last up to four years if stored correctly from light and air. Whole spices lose flavor when you grind them, but they can last up to three years if stored properly. It’s best to grind before using them.
7. WATER ON EARTH
The oceans hold the majority of water on Earth. Most of that ocean water is saline and not safe to drink. The rest of the water on Earth in liquid form is found in rivers and lakes and below the ground. The air has water stored as vapor in gaseous form, while the ice caps and glaciers store it in the solid state. Surface water on Earth is easy to acquire but not fit for drinking, washing, or other usage. A large volume of the freshwater on Earth is locked below the ground and in the ice.
8. VEGETABLE GARDENING
Vegetable gardening requires a suitable soil for your plants and keep them healthy. The first step is to determine whether it is permanent or temporary planting. Next, you can choose the type of seeds and nutrition-rich soil. Vegetable gardening is possible even in your backyard and doesn’t necessarily need acres of land. However, the vegetable plants need ample sunlight, water, and proper drainage so the soil doesn’t remain wet. Before planting, it’s advisable to determine the suitable growth season, temperature, and height of the plants.
9. HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
Over three decades old, the Hubble Space Telescope continues to gather terabytes of space data to understand the cosmos. Besides, it takes spell-binding images of the stars, astronomical objects, and galaxies. It’s been pivotal in furthering the cosmos’ knowledge on various aspects, from interstellar objects to determining the size and mass of our Milky Way galaxy. Hubble helped us peek into galaxies merging and supermassive black holes lurking in the depths of galaxies and helped us understand the history of the expanding universe.
10/ NORTHERN LIGHTS
Northern Lights shimmering in the sky are like the light show of dancing ribbons that appear in the night sky. These lights occur when the assault of the Sun’s energized particles takes place with the Earth’s magnetic field deflecting them in the north pole area. The atoms and molecules of gasses in the Earth’s atmosphere collide with the particles from the Sun to emit different colors of wavy light curtains at night. The Northern Lights are visible in countries closer to the North Pole.
11. JEWELRY
Jewelry is one of the items worn for adornment by women and men since the early days of civilization. What started with natural resources transpired into working with different metals to craft specimens worn as a mark of status and rank. Gold, Silver, and precious gems signified royalty and nobility in the jewelry. Over time, the appraisal of the value of jewelry as a payment and a reserve of value occurred gradually. That’s why costume jewelry fabricated from inexpensive metals and materials helps match current trends.
12. LONGSHIPS
Longships are fast, versatile, and durable warships that carry warriors to conduct raids across Europe. Built by the Norsemen, also called Vikings, the Longships were suitable for turbulent seas and narrow rivers. Cleverly constructed longships could use the sail to harness wind and rowing power. A typical model was double-ended, so moving in reverse direction was easy without turning around. A typical longship had timber or oak nailed together and stuffed the gaps with tar blended with wool, animal hair, or moss.
13. PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography is the art and science of capturing lighting using a camera. It’s an essential tool to record memories of important moments and preserve them. It’s a medium to document events, express ideas, tell a story, and communicate emotions. Today, a smartphone or modern camera can capture images, download them on computers, and share images online in less than a minute. A darkroom to process films is no longer necessary, but the image treatment is modifiable using different lenses and filters.
14. RHINOS
The nose of the rhinos has a horn built with special skin cells, calcium, melanin, and keratin. These elements work together to make it sharp. While the rhinos are massive and heavy, they are herbivores and graze on select plants to conserve the habitat for other species and animals. Rolling in mud is their favorite activity to protect themselves from heat, insects, and parasites. Male rhinos, referred to as bulls, are more territorial and solitary. Female rhinos are called more social cows. A group of rhinos is called a crash, and they communicate with growls, sneezes, honks, and poop.
15. SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
Sedimentary rocks are formed on the surface of the Earth due to erosion, weathering, and lithification. Typically carrying multiple layers of sediments, the role of water in their formation is the differentiating factor between types of sedimentary rocks like limestone, coal, sandstone, etc. You can find them on or under land, below lakes, and in oceans. The sediments can include pieces of dead plants, dead animals, minerals, and other organic matter. These sediments, including other existing rocks, get compressed over time to form strata visible from exposed cliffs.
16. CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
Children’s literature consists of written works with illustrations to educate and entertain young people. This genre of literature encompasses broad scopes of texts that include fairy tales, illustrated books, stories, lullabies, rhymes, and plays for younger audiences, but adults often partake. Various forms of storytelling are undertaken to influence the personal and language development of young readers. Innovation in presentation with illustrations and even book types like pop-up books have taken place besides making the text easy to read for children.
17. MOUNTAIN BIKING
Riding a bicycle on uneven, rocky, and different angles leading roads of mountains is challenging. This adventurous sport demands endurance, balance, speed, and technical skills to navigate through off-road trails on a cycle. Unlike the monotony of straight or flat roads, your body muscles get challenged with mountain biking. There are cycles specially constructed for upright posture, a comfortable cycling position, and suspension systems to ride through difficult and rugged terrains. So muscles get challenged, the heart gets pumped, and total focus helps relieve stress.
18. MELONS
Melons are fragrant, sweet, and juicy and are excellent sources of antioxidants. A cup of melon is a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, fiber, folate, fatty acids, and potassium. While most melons are to be eaten fresh, some varieties are often pickled or cooked. A melon typically has a hard skin outside to protect the water-rich pulp inside. Its raw pulp is white, while the ripe one is orange. Melon seeds are dried to be eaten as snacks or used in cooking.
19. LEMONGRASS AND SAGE SCENTS
Lemongrass and sage scents can uplift mood, reduce anxiety and stress, and quash mental fatigue. The lemongrass emits fresh and lemony with earthy or sweet and floral notes. Meanwhile, the sage scent is earthy, minty, and herbaceous. While it has a unique fragrance, there is a hint of lavender notes. Sage works well with the Lemongrass scent to bring in floral notes. Lemongrass and sage scents are often found in essential oils, soaps, roll-ons, candles, perfumes, and other cosmetic products.
20. CRAYONS
Crayons are the first drawing tools for kids and are available in two types – wax-based and chalk-based. These coloring sticks of pigmented wax or oiled chalks with colors are ideal for drawing, scribbling, and doodling. Children enjoy them since crayons are usually soft, blunt, and comfortable in their tiny hands. Wax-based crayons are popular and usually meant for the kids. Meanwhile, professional artists prefer oil-based pastel crayons because of the color variety and unique texture created after smudging them.
21. ROBOTICS
Robotics involves the design, construction, operation, and use of robots to perform tasks traditionally undertaken by humans. The idea is to ease off the load of repetitive tasks of various complexity. It happens with the intersection of science, engineering, and technology to produce robots to replicate or replace human actions. Modern robotics involving artificial intelligence also allows the machines to make decisions autonomously and move around without restrictions. Robotics can program these machines for various tasks, from companions at home to soldiers on the battlefield.
22. MINING IN DEATH VALLEY
Mining in Death Valley stopped decades ago, but its long history of mining for precious metals and minerals remains fresh. Today, thousands of abandoned mines were once hotbeds for gold and silver mining. The Death Valley’s harsh weather, vandalism, and flash floods disrupted these operations. Some abandoned mines are now tourist sites to explore the older, primitive mining methods and systems to transport equipment and people. A few require a high level of clearance to visit in a four-wheel drive, and entering those deserted mines is not advisable.
23. GECKOS
Contrary to popular belief, geckos are not similar to house lizards. Though both are reptiles, geckos are nocturnal reptiles with soft skin and some bumps. Scaling smooth walls comes easy to geckos with their well-developed feet that have toes with adhesive pads. Their tail serves multiple purposes like storing fat as fuel, balancing weight while climbing, and shedding if a predator grabs it. Most geckos don’t have moving eyelids, and they lick clean a thin, transparent one. They nibble on insects and lay single eggs or in pairs.
24. GAMMA-RAY BURSTS
Gamma-ray bursts are powerful, violent energy explosions of the gamma-ray photons. These bursts can last up to several minutes to release high-energy light, which is a hundred times brighter than a supernova. Shorter gamma-ray bursts lasting two seconds happen when two neutron stars merge to form a black hole or a black hole merges with a neutron star. Large ones occur when a massive star collapses to birth a new black hole. They don’t originate from a particular direction but from galaxies at an enormous distance.
25. TITANIC
Known as ‘Ship of Dreams,’ the Titanic makers claimed it to be the safest ship ever. The collision of the Titanic with an iceberg caused the ocean liner to sink in the Atlantic Ocean. Many believed that collision with the iceberg caused a long scrape on the ship’s hull. Scientists who checked the ship’s wreck revealed several thin scrapes that caused the hull’s seam to open and water to flood inside. The American-French-led team took over seven decades to find the ship’s ruins.
26. WHY DOES BLOWING ON A FLAME MAKE IT GO OUT
Blowing out the flame of a candle puts it out quickly, like on a birthday cake, but the same doesn’t happen with fire. That’s because the wax reacts differently with the oxygen to create hot wax vapor. When you blow air, it contains a mixture of gases, which causes displacement of oxygen near the flame. Since it’s faster than the speed of the burning flame, the wax vapor spreads and dilutes to cool down. The flame can’t sustain or continue to burn without oxygen and fuel.
27. AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY
The classic proverb ‘an Apple a day keeps the doctor away’ may not work in modern times. There’s no scientific evidence of reducing doctor visits after eating a lot of apples daily. However, the nutrition-rich properties of an apple are undeniable. Besides being an excellent antioxidant source, it also packs dietary fibers, minerals, and vitamins. Regular consumption of apples may help mitigate heart disease, reduce blood pressure, and lower cholesterol levels and other cancer-fighting compounds. Hence, the benefits of having a whole apple outweigh drinking its juice.
28. PAINTBALL
Paintball is a great sport that involves strategy, tactics, and communication for a team to win. Several social and corporate setups use paintball to strengthen teamwork and have fun in natural or artificial terrain. Wearing protective gear of vests, helmets, gloves, and overalls, the players use a CO2 system to shoot the bio-degradable color pellets on the opposing team. A few essential rules like not shooting blindly, not taking off protective gear in sessions, not double-shooting the eliminated, and fair play are standard in paintball game types.
29. VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS
Volcanic eruptions spew out Earth’s crust. That crust consists of molten rocks, hot rock fragments, ash, lava, and hot gases, which can destroy life and property in surrounding areas. Besides, volcanic eruptions also trigger secondary events like landslides, mudslides, and floods. Hot ashes and embers can also start wildfires. An eruption occurs when heat moves beneath the Earth’s surface, and magma fluid moves closer to the surface through a volcano’s chamber. When the chamber fills up, the magma’s pressure pushes itself upward and turns itself into lava with eruption.
30. CARBON DIOXIDE
Carbon dioxide is tasteless and odorless. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that traps heat to keep the atmosphere warm for everyone. Humans add a lot of carbon dioxide daily through deforestation and burning of fossil fuels, besides respiration and other ways. Nature balances out its emissions through carbon sinks and the carbon cycle. However, enormous carbon dioxide levels propel global climate change and raise severe health risks. Besides global warming, the high concentrations of carbon dioxide trapped indoors can cause headaches and drowsiness, impact cognitive capabilities, and cause difficulty sleeping.
31. JAPAN’S VENDING MACHINES
Japan has the world’s highest vending machine density. Besides the volume of availability, the variety of products available through the vending machines makes them special. Japan’s vending machines symbolize the culture of convenience and contribute majorly to the country’s economy. Many of the newer vending machines that offer touchscreen interaction are powered by solar energy. The latest models allow selection and payment via phones and are equipped with AI to recommend products based on a person’s age, gender, and the weather.