August 31, 2024

The term Paper Towns refers to a specific type of copyright trap used by cartographers. Maps get plagiarized a lot, you know, because no matter who's mapping it, the state of New York looks pretty much the same, so cartographers often put fake towns or fake streets on their maps. That way, they can identify ones that have been copied from theirs.

- Mental Floss (December 25, 2017)

August 30, 2024

Spring water has a natural terroir that’s derived from the rocks and soil near its wellspring. Water absorbs minerals from underground rock deposits, and the more slowly it passes through them, the more elements it absorbs. The mineral composition of any given water is referred to as TDS (Total Dissolved Solids). This composition is responsible for the taste and feel of different waters. Saratoga's 100% spring-sourced water is synonymous with quality. Born in the foothills of the Adirondacks, each cobalt blue bottle has enriched lives well-lived since 1872.

- SaratogaWater.com

August 29, 2024

Dragonflies were some of the first winged insects to evolve, some 300 million years ago. Modern dragonflies have wingspans of only two to five inches, but fossil dragonflies have been found with wingspans of up to two feet.

- Smithsonian Magazine (October 5, 2011)

August 28, 2024

Separation anxiety is real. A trip might raise the question: does my dog think I've abandoned him? Some dogs might indeed feel left behind. They might associate your packed bags with prolonged absence. Their whining, the pacing, or even the destruction of home items is their way of coping. It's heartbreaking to think they might see our vacation as abandonment.

- Fi.com

August 27, 2024

Acute sinusitis can make it hard to breathe through the nose. The area around the eyes and the face might feel swollen. There might be throbbing face pain or a headache. The common cold is the usual cause of acute sinusitis. Most often, the condition clears up within a week to 10 days.

- Mayo Clinic

August 26, 2024

Tablets and capsules are similar but have some key differences, including price. Both are pills that you take by mouth. And, since they both pass through your digestive tract, they generally enter your system the same way. Tablets are entirely composed of medication, while capsules only contain medication inside the shell. And there’s the fact that capsules can’t be crushed or split, while tablets often can. A tablet is a pill that is entirely composed of medication.

- GoodRx.com (February 23, 2022)

August 25, 2024

Coughing can propel air and particles out of your lungs and throat at speeds close to 50 miles per hour.

- American Lung Association

August 24, 2024

Psychology Today reports on several studies that took place at several famous universities around the world. The findings of these studies showed that, depending on many factors, the number of people who walk their dogs daily ranges from between 30% and 70%. On average, they walked their dogs nine times per week, lasting around 34 minutes for each walk. That means that people who walk their dogs spend about 11 days out of the year walking them.

- dogster.com (August 6, 2024)

August 23, 2024

Keflavik International Airport (KEF), locally known as Keflavíkurflugvöllur, is the biggest airport in Iceland. Almost seven million passengers arrive here annually. It serves as the gateway and the central hub of transportation for international travelers in Iceland.

- guidetoiceland.is

August 22, 2024

The North Sea has become western Europe’s most important oil and gas production area, yielding high-quality crude oil with a low-sulfur content. The two largest producers are Norway and the United Kingdom, and until 1990 the annual yields of the two countries were comparable. By the early 21st century, however, Norway had clearly become the leader of oil and gas production in the North Sea region.

- Britannica (September 21, 2024)

August 21, 2024

Sørhaugøy lighthouse was fist lit December 1st 1846. Sørhaugøy is situated by the northern inlet to Haugesund, and was meant to serve as a leading light for the city. The lighthouse is often called Tonjer lighthouse, which is the name of the southern part of the island.

- coastlight.net

August 20, 2024

The Aurlandsfjord is a 17-kilometre arm of the world’s second longest fjord, the Sognefjord, starting at the village of Flåm and ending at Mount Beitelen, where the scenic Nærøyfjord arm takes over.

- nordicvisitor.com

August 19, 2024

A fjord is a deep, narrow and elongated sea or lakedrain, with steep land on three sides. The opening toward the sea is called the mouth of the fjord, and is often shallow. The fjord's inner part is called the sea bottom. If the geological formation is wider than it is long, it is not a fjord. Then it is a bay or cove. The fjords were formed by the giant glacier tongues that through several ice ages have shaped the landscape. A fjord is thus a U-shaped undersea valley, and on the west coast, this valley is often surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery.

- fjordnorway.com (January 29, 2024)

August 18, 2024

Sverd i fjell (Swords in Rock) is a huge monument located in Hafrsfjord just outside the city of Stavanger. The monument was created by sculptor Fritz Røed and was unveiled by King Olav V of Norway in 1983. The three bronze swords stand 10 metres (33 ft) tall and are planted into the rock of a small hill next to the fjord. They commemorate the historic Battle of Hafrsfjord which by tradition took place there in the year 872, when King Harald Fairhair (Harald Hårfagre) gathered all of Norway under one crown. The largest sword represents the victorious Harald, and the two smaller swords represent the defeated petty kings. The monument also represents peace, since the swords are planted into solid rock, so they may never be removed.

- bucketlistnorway.com

August 17, 2024

The Celebrity Apex has a max occupancy of 3,385, crew of 1,320. It has 14 guest decks and is a total length of 1,004 feet. And had her maiden voyage on May 20, 2020.

- celebritycruisespresscenter.com

August 16, 2024

Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, it has since been the home of 40 monarchs. It is the perfect example of a castle that has weathered nearly 1,000 years of use.

- Royal Collection Trust

August 15, 2024

Each dial is seven metres in diameter. The minute hands are 4.2 metres long (14ft) and weigh about 100kg (220lbs, including counterweights).

- visitlondon.com

August 14, 2024

A passenger plane reaches speeds of up to 575 mph when cruising at about 36,000 feet. When you’re flying away on vacation, you could be going about 75 to 85 percent of the speed of sound!

- Reader's Digest (September 2, 2024)

August 13, 2024

How to Calculate Dog Years to Human Years? As a general guideline, though, the American Veterinary Medical Association breaks it down like this: 15 human years equals the first year of a medium-sized dog’s life. Year two for a dog equals about nine years for a human. And after that, each human year would be approximately five years for a dog.

- The American Kennel Club (March 14, 2024 )

August 12, 2024

The Arrigoni Bridge, carrying Route 66 and Route 17 across the Connecticut River, connects Middletown and Portland. The steel through arch bridge was the longest of its kind when it opened in 1938. In the 1960s, state long-range freeway plans called for a new bridge at Middletown carrying a Route 66 freeway. However, these plans were canceled, and the Arrigoni remains an important (though overworked) transportation link in central Connecticut.

- kurumi.com

August 11, 2024

Those who supply men’s hats are called hatters while those who supply women’s hats are called milliners.

- historyofhats.net

August 10, 2024

I like to write down everything I think I’ll need — and then cut it in half. I always ask myself, “Will I use this enough to justify the weight?” Most of the time the answer is no. I take only the essentials, and if I really need something I didn’t bring, I buy it on the road. It’s not that hard to find medicine, clothes, or an umbrella overseas.

- nomadicmatt.com (June 2, 2023)

August 09, 2024

Anything that causes water to move can produce a wave: earthquakes, underwater landslides, changes in atmospheric pressure, underwater volcanic eruptions, the movement of ships, or even fish jumping. The most common cause of surface waves in the ocean is the wind blowing across the water. Once set in motion by the wind, as long as the wave is in deep water, the energy of the waves is passed from water particle to water particle without the water actually moving. The size of a wave depends on how long the wind blows, the strength of the wind, and the distance the wind blows (known as the fetch). Remember “how long, how strong, how far.”

- secoora.org

August 08, 2024

The first LEGO theme park, LEGOLAND, opened in Billund, Denmark, in 1968.

- bricksmcgee.com

August 07, 2024

The main difference between the two is that VR builds the world in which we immerse ourselves through a specific headset. It is fully immersive and everything we see is part of an environment artificially constructed through images, sounds, etc. On the other hand, in augmented reality (AR), our own world becomes the framework within which objects, images or similar are placed. Everything we see is in a real environment and it may not be strictly necessary to wear a headset. The clearest and most mainstream example of this concept is Pokémon Go.

- iberdrola.com

August 06, 2024

The Rubik's Cube has 43 quintillion (43.252.003.274.489.856.000) possible scrambles. If we'd line up that many cubes it would reach out 260 light years or it could cover the Earth with 300 layers of cubes. Each piece in this huge pile would be showing a unique pattern and only one of them would be solved.

- ruwix.com

August 05, 2024

The history of robes worn is closely tied to the robe, a loose-fitting outer garment with sleeves. The English word for robe was taken from the French meaning "a woman's dress." Bathrobes were first introduced in the early 1800s and quickly became popular as they provided warmth and convenience after bathing, unlike bath towels.

- shoplotuslinen.com( May 29, 2023)

August 04, 2024

Many think of swimming pools as big tubs of chemical water. However, the fact is that tap water can often have more chlorine than pool water because tap water is allowed to have higher levels of chlorine in it. Pool water often doesn’t have any more chlorine than ordinary tap water, given that the pool chemicals are supposed to be kept at ideal levels.

- sanchezpoolsinc.com

August 03, 2024

There is an inexplicable war on lemonade stands, as a Forbes headline so eloquently put it, and your kids are losing the battle. Giving moonshine a run for its money, many kids' lemonade stands are getting shut down. Here are five legal issues that can potentially stand in the way of your kid's lemonade stand: Permits, Public health, Local ordinances, Zoning and traffic, Labor laws

- "findlaw.com (March 21, 2019) https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/law-and-life/5-legal-issues-with-your-kids-lemonade-stand/"

August 02, 2024

Activity and Fitness Tracking: The Activity Rings on the Apple Watch make fitness fun. Kids can set daily goals, track their steps and compete with friends and family in various fitness challenges. The vibrant rings and achievement badges provide a sense of accomplishment, motivating them to stay active.

- Steve Skibba, cspire.com (June 13, 2024)

August 01, 2024

Steaming - Use seawater or salted water. In a large pot, bring about 2 inches of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Drop in the live lobsters, one at a time. Leaving rubber bands on is optional. Cover and return to a boil as quickly as possible. When water returns to a boil, cook approximately 18 minutes for a 1- to 1¼-pound hard-shell lobster and 20 minutes for a 1½-pound hard-shell lobster. If the lobster has a soft shell, reduce the cooking time by 3 minutes. Lobsters will turn bright red when cooked.

- University of Maine