How did the cave men discover fire? Civilization began when man discovered how to make and use fire. Primitives used to keep a perpetual fire going as it was difficult to start a new fire. The first fire was probably started when lightning struck a...
Why is the bald eagle called so? The bald eagle is not actually bald but its head sports white feathers. In earlier days, bald meant white or ‘streaked with white’. However, today, people use it to describe those who have no hair. The fact is...
Who were the Pharaohs? The Pharaohs were ancient Egyptian kings who had the status of gods. The entire country belonged to them, including the land and the people. This made them very rich and mighty. The Pharaohs lived a life of luxury and had hundreds...
How was the moon formed? It is believed that the moon was formed when a large body smashed into earth millions of years ago. The collision caused material from Earth and the body to be flung into space. Later, this material came together and formed...
When did man begin consuming salt? Salt was unknown in America and India before the Europeans introduced it. Man started using salt when he gave up his nomadic way of life and started agriculture. The word salary comes from salt, for the Romans used to...
What were ancient villages like? Ancient villages in Europe comprised groups of houses inside a fenced enclosure. The houses were made of wood and their walls were made of mud while the roofs were thatched with dry grass. Villagers used one part of the enclosure...
Why does the planet Venus change shape? When we look from Earth it appears as though Venus changes its shape and size as time passes. The reason is that Venus orbits closer to the sun than Earth. When it is on the far side of...
Who invented shorthand? Shorthand is the technique of writing using signs instead of words. It is also called stenography, meaning little or narrow writing and tachygraphy meaning swift writing. It is around 2,000 years old. It was a Roman named Tiro who invented it in...
Did dinosaurs build nests? Some dinosaurs built nests. An example was the Maiasaura. It lived in herds and every year the females gathered at the nesting site where they had laid eggs the previous time. Nests were lined with twigs and leaves. A large nesting...
What are crystals? Crystal is the solid form of a substance. Many things that we see around us are crystals, for example, salt and sugar. A crystal has a definite shape and a definite number of faces. This is because of the way its atoms...
