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...
Why do some people become midgets? This is due to a disorder in the endocrine glands. Some dwarfs have short arms and legs but a normal sized head and trunk. This is due to diseases of the cartilage. A lack of hormones in the pituitary...
Can planes land on water? Seaplanes do not have wheels. Instead they have floats which enable them to land on water. In the 1930s there were flying boats which were very large and luxurious. These took off and landed at sea, taxiing in and out...
Where does digestion begin? The moment we put food in our mouths, the digestive process begins. When we chew food, saliva digests the carbohydrates. The chewed food passes down the oesophagus and enters the stomach where acids digest proteins and kill harmful bacteria. The walls...
How was Hawaii formed? The Hawaiian Islands are actually the tops of big volcanoes which have been pushed upwards from the bottom of the ocean. The island of Hawaii or the ‘big island’ is the result of a pile-up of five volcanoes whose eruptions overlapped...
What is a four-wheel drive? In many of the modern cars, the engine makes the front wheels of the car move. In rear wheel drive cars, the back axle moves. In four wheel drives, the engine drives both the axles. So both the front wheels...
What is sepia? We often hear people talking of sepia tones. Sepia is actually a reddish-brown pigment made from a fluid. This fluid is secreted by cuttlefish. The pigment was used to create drawings and paintings before artificial colouring pigments were created.
What is inflation? Inflation means a rise in prices. During inflation people spend money more quickly than goods can be made. We get less for each rupee or dollar spent. There are many reasons for inflation like government spending, problems with labour unions and even...
