When did fish develop? The first fish were living in the seas about 500 million years ago. They did not have jaws or fins. Fish which evolved later like dunkleosteus were large predators. It was an armoured giant about 10 m long and its jaws...
What did Roman soldiers wear? The Roman soldiers wore armour consisting of metal strips which were joined together with straps over a woollen tunic. To protect the lower part of the body they carried a shield. When they were travelling they carried their weapons and...
Were dinosaurs cannibals? Some dinosaurs may have been cannibals. In New Mexico, fossil remains of the dinosaur, Coelophysis were found. Inside them were skeletons of young ones. They did not seem to be those of unborn babies. So it is believed that the adults ate...
What is taxidermy? When we visit a natural history museum we can see exhibits of animals, birds and reptiles which are ‘stuffed’ and placed there. The art of mounting birds, animals, fish and reptiles is called taxidermy. It has been prevalent for roughly three centuries....
What is a cyclone? A cyclone is a kind of storm which can wreak havoc on land sometimes. Storms are caused when warm, moist air from the equator moves into the northern hemisphere and encounters a mass of cold, dry air moving south from the...
What is incense made of? Incense is a compound of gums and spices. When it is burnt it produces fragrance. Frankincense, a gum resin from a tree, is the base of most kinds of incense. Other materials are also used to make it. Bark, wood,...
What makes silver tarnish? Silver is a precious metal like gold and is the whitest of all the metals. It also reflects light better than other metals and hence is used as the backing material for mirrors. It reacts very strongly to sulphur and many...
Who did pins originate? The first pin was probably a thorn. Later man learnt to make pins from fish and animal bones. Neolithic man had pins of bronze. Around 1000 BC, a safety pin was in use in Europe. It was made of bronze and...
When was brick first used? Bricks were used by the Egyptians and Babylonians at least 3,000 years before Christ. Brick is made of clay or shale and baked and burned at high temperatures. In the old days, raw clay was used but there was no...
Do witches exist? Witches do not exist. But in the old days, people were ignorant and superstitious. When they had no explanation for certain things like drought, mental and physical illness, lightning, etc. they concluded that it was a witch’s handiwork. The Salem witch trials...
