DO YOU KNOW? -1

DO YOU KNOW? -1

     There are about 10 million good bacteria (not harmful) in a glass of drinking water, which may help purify water and keep it safe. These bacteria grow in the drinking water treatment plant and on the inside of our water pipes. Formerly one could hardly see any bacteria at all and now, thanks to the techniques such as massive D N A sequencing and flow cytometry, we could suddenly see bacteria in drinking water. Hence this is a recent discovery.

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     Cockroaches take bath in water soon after they come in contact with human body.

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     World’s largest leaf is about 20 m long. It belongs to raffia palm. Tallest grass is bamboo and is about 25 m height.

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     . Over five trillion plastic pieces are floating in world’s oceans.

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     Scientists grow sperm, egg in lab. This may help treat age-related diseases and fertility problems.

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     The tropical pea tree known as Albizia Falcate is the world’s fastest growing tree. It grows up to 10 m in a single year.

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     The green blooded skink is the only vertebrate to have green pigment in its blood. Its function is not yet known to the scientists.

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     Girls’ brains mature faster.

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     Anti-aging drug may be just five years away.

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     Venus fly-traps sometimes catch small frogs; and rajah pitcher plant is said to eat mice.

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     A snake may accidentally be eaten by another snake when both try to devour the same prey.

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     A giant tortoise can support a one tonne weight.

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     D N A could be used to build future computers. D N A is the next big thing in data storage.

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     Sex offenders are influenced by genes.

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     Scientists turn blood cells into neurons. It paves way for pain drugs sans numbness.

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     A star war-like planet is discovered. It also orbits two stars.

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     Our universe is dying, but not for 100 billion years.

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     The Mozombique spitting cobra can accurately spit its venom into the eyes of an approaching person up to 3 m away.

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     After eating a huge meal such as a leopard, a python may not need to eat again for up to 12 months.

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     In many salamander species, if the animal loses one eye, a limb or its tail, the body part will regrow within few months.

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The Duelist

Henri Tragne of Marscille, France, fought five duels between 1861 and 1878. In the first four his opponents fell dead before a single shot had been fired; in the fifth Tragne himself had died – again before shots had been exchanged. (Max Jouvenot, Champs d'Honneur, p.113)

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Similar Assassins

An assassin named Claude Volbonne murdered Baron Rodemire de Tarazone, of France, in 1872. Twenty one years earlier Baron’s father had also been murdered – by Claude Volbonne. The two assassins were not related. (Repley’s Giant Book of Believe It or Not)

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Franz Ritchter Times Two

Franz Richter, a 19 years old volunteer in the Austrian Transport corps was admitted in the hospital suffering from pneumonia. In the same hospital was another patient named Franz Richter, also 19 years old, also suffering from pneumonia, and also a volunteer in the Transport Corporation. Both men were born in Silesia. (Scientific American, October 19, 1972, p.110)

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Deadly Kimono

A  kimono successively owned by three teenage girls, each of whom died before she had a chance to wear it, was believed to be so unluckly that it was cremated by a Japanese priest in February 1657. As the garment was being burned, a violent wind sprang up, fanning the flames and spreading them beyond control. The ensuing fire destroyed three quarters of Tokyo, leveling 300 temples, 500 palaces, 9000 shops, 61 bridges, and killing 100,000 people. (Noel Nouet , Historic de Tokyo, p.98)

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Clocking Out

An ornate clock belonging to King Louis XIV of France stopped at the precise moment of his death, 7:45 A. M. on September 1, 1715, and has never run since. (Ripley’s Giant Book of Believe It or Not)

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Three Men on a Train

Three Englishmen travelling by train in Peru, one day in the 1920’s, found themselves to be the only occupants of their passenger car. Introducing themselves, they discovered that the first man’s surname was Bingham, and the second man’s, powell, the third man was Bingham-Powell. (A first hand report to the Editors)

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     Soon solid state batteries are likely that can last forever.

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     New ‘velco’ tissue could help repair damaged hearts. It can be built disassembled as per need easily.

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     Li-fi internet is 100 times faster than wi-fi. It transmits data @1GBps via visible light, but it cannot pass through walls.

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     New substance harder than diamond is created. New technique helps to develop Q-Carbon at room temperature; can also make a carat of gems in just 15 minutes.

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     There are more than 100 billion wild birds in the world.

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     The sooty tern (bird) can spend three years or more in the air without needing to land.

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     The Australian pelican has the largest beak of any bird measuring up to 50cm long.

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     The eyes of birds of prey are five times more densely packed with light sensitive cells than humans. A peregrine can spot a pigeon flying up to 8 k m away.

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     An ostrich egg – the largest laid by any bird – is 24 times greater than farmyard chicken egg.

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     Albatrrosses can soar high over the waves for hours on end without flopping their wings, covering great distances with little effort.

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     Horror films do make the blood curdle. This is proved by scientists recently.

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     By 2100, global temperatures may rise by 8 degrees C, if significant efforts are not made to counteract climate changes. It would place billions of people at risk from extreme temperatures, flooding, draught, and food shortages. The finding breaches the UN’s safe limit of 2 degrees C, beyond which dangerous climate change can be expected.

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     Pollution making bacteria is antibiotic resistant. In samples from contaminated river, 95% microbes are found immune to drugs.

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     Midnight munchies may impair memory, learning. It reduces protein in brain which might lead to onset ofAlzheimer’s.

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     Graphene could be used to detoxify N-waste. It can act as a super sieve and separate different atomic isotopes of hydrogen, and create expensive heavy water.
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     The speediest mammal in the water is killer whale, moving at about 55 k m per hour.

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     Mammals might have lived on earth for about 200 million years, whereas microscopic bacteria have been around 3.5 billion years.

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     Tiger cubs depend entirely on their mothers to bring them food until they are 18 months old.

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     Mexican free tailed bats form the largest colonies to accommodate as many as 10 millions together in a single cove.

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     With feet up to 15 cm long, hares can reach speeds of 60 k m per hour when running flat out.

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     The sea otter has the densest fur of any mammal in the world, approximately 150000 hairs per sq. cm. of the sea otters’ skin.

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     Rino horns are not made of real horn, but very tightly packed hairs.

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     An adult male lion can eat up to 30 kg of meat in one go, and will not need to eat again for several days.

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     Domestic dogs are one million times better of smelling sweat than humans.

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     The world’s largest mammal herd consists of up to 1.5 million northern fur seals.

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