What is will-o’-the-wisp? Sometimes a pale bluish flame floats above swamps and marshes, appearing and vanishing at will. Superstitious people believed that it was an evil spirit which lured people to their death. But the flame is actually caused when a compound of phosphorus and...
Why are some people afraid of heights? Some people have phobias or fears about something which are often irrational. It is a way of dealing with emotional stress or pain by associating it with a particular object or situation. Common phobias are fear of crowds...
What kind of gods did the earliest human beings worship? Ancient people who were city-dwellers were known to have built religious shrines but there is not much information about the gods they worshipped. Animism, nature worship and the cult of the mother goddess were very...
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...
