Long Coastlines serve as the basis for marine life, fishing and international shipping lanes.
Such countries are -----
1. Canada
2. Norway
3. Indonesia
4. Russia
5. Philippines
6. Japan
7. Australia
8. United States
9. New Zealand
10. China
Long Coastlines serve as the basis for marine life, fishing and international shipping lanes.
Such countries are -----
1. Canada
2. Norway
3. Indonesia
4. Russia
5. Philippines
6. Japan
7. Australia
8. United States
9. New Zealand
10. China
The 90% right handed majority is an evolutionary result of brain lateralization.
Here the left hemisphere is specialized in both language and motor control of right side of body.
Evolution favoured a " division of labour " that made the right hand, the specialist for complex tasks like tool use.
Language processing and writing, throwing require high level neural coordination. Left brain handles speech, so right hand became the natural choice for detailed work.
In a community where most people use their right hand to do their work, it is easier for children to learn by using the same hand.
WHY AREN'T WE 100% RIGHT HANDED ??
Left handed ness persists through frequency dependent selection.
Left handers have surprise advantage over right handed opponents. This helped left hand minority to survive and pass on their genes !!!
This question was asked on Koun Banega Karodpati program.
Question
What kind of object is British Guiana 1c magenta, most valuable object by weight ???
1. A stamp
2. A will
3. Currency note
4. Coin
Answer
British Guiana 1c magenta is a rare and historic stamp issued in 1856 by British Guiana.
Only one copy is known to exist making it highly valuable.
This is over 165 year old stamp and is part of a limited issue.
It is remarkably well preserved and sold for 9.5 million dollor in the year 2014 !!!
My nephew Aniruddha is football fan too. ..!!!
Now FIFA World Cup matches are going on, I started to tell my limited knowledge of football game.
Me : Aniruddha, FIFA World Cup matches are going on .. ..!!!
Aniruddha : Yes , this time 48 countries are participating......
Me : That is a huge number !!!
Can you name some of the countries ????
I thought he would name 2-4 countries.
Aniruddha : OK
I will say continent wise.
European continent
Austria
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Czechia
England
France
Germany
Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
Scotland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
South American continent
Argentina
Brazil
Columbia
Ecuador
Paraguay
Uruguay
North American continent
Canada
United States of America
Mexico
Asian continent
Iran
Iraq
Japan
Jordan
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
South Korea
Uzbekistan
African continent
Algeria
Cabo Verde
Cote D'ivore
Democratic Republic of Congo
Egypt
Ghana
Morocco
Senegal
South Africa
Tunisia
Central America and Caribbean
Cuba
Panama
Haiti
Curacao
Oceania
Australia
New Zealand
By hearing the names of countries continuously without a break , I forgot to count them !!!
Still I am recovering from the shock ....!!!!
Lime and lemon look similar at first glance.
But their colours, flavours, textures and culinary uses are quite different.
1. Limes have bright green skin.
Lemons have vibrant yellow colour.
2. Limes taste sharper and slightly bitter.
Lemons have cleaner and mild sweet citrus flavour.
3. Lemons are larger and oval shaped.
Limes are smaller and rounder.
4. Lemons contain more juice compared to limes.
Lemons are ideal for baking and lemonade recipes.
5. Lemons contain more vitamin C than limes.
These make ideal immunity drink.
The M1 coach is part of Indian railway's newer planning.
These markings M1, M2, M3...... refer to AC 3 - tier economy coaches.
Difference between regular 3AC coach and M1 coach ----
Standard 3AC coach has 72 berths
M1 has 83 berths
3AC coaches offer slightly more space and features like privacy curtains.
M1 coaches are more compact and have features like charging points, reading lights, fans and air-conditioning.
Yesterday I had written an article about Slovakia's welcome tradition using food.
But Slovakia is not alone !!!
There are other countries too following the same tradition.
1. Date and Arabian coffee
In many countries across middle East, guests are traditionally welcomed with dates and Arabian coffee.
2. Aloha welcome with Poi
In Hawaiian culture, guests are traditionally welcomed with a dish made from taro root called Poi and the spirit of Aloha.
3. Milk tea welcome ceremony
In Mongolia and Tibetan plateau, guests immediately upon arrival are greeted with butter tea or milk tea.
4. Kalach Bread Welcome
In Ukraine and Russia, guests are traditionally welcomed with ceremonial bread called Kalach often accompanied with salt.
It is similar to Slovakian tradition !!!
Even in our house, we greet guests with offering coffee or buttermilk to drink.
WE DON'T MAKE IT A BIG ISSUE !!!
PM Modi became the first ever Indian Prime Minister to visit Slovakia since the country got independence in 1993.
He was received by Slovak foreign minister and accorded a symbolic, traditional Slovak greeting, offering of bread and salt.
What does it mean ??
In Slovak and traditional Slovak culture, greeting an honored guest with a loaf of freshly baked bread and a small dish of salt is the highest expression of hospitality, respect and good will.
Bread represents prosperity , sustenance and sharing of blessings.
Salt symbolizes lasting value and enduring friendship.
It is a welcome tradition where food is used !!!!
Here is the list of largest cities in the world ----
1. Qeqqata in Greenland
2. Nyingchi in China
3. Barcelos in Brazil
4. Altamira in Brazil
5. Shigatse in China
6. Jiuquan in China
7. Hulunbiur in China
8. Avannata in Greenland
Here I have listed down the strongest African currencies and their countries.
I am surprised by the country and its currency featured at no. 6.
1. Tunisia Tunisian Dinar
2. Libya Libyan Dinar
3. Morocco Moroccan Dirham
4. Ghana Ghanaian Cedi
5. Botswana Botswanan Pula
6. Seychelles Seychellois Rupee
7. Eritrea Eritrean Nakfa
8. Eswatini Swazi Lilangeni
9. Namibia Namibian Dollar
10. Lesotho Lesotho Loti
This brain teaser really tests our mental ability.
Question
I am an alphabet, you get when you take half of ten
But I am not five.
Who am I ???
Answer
Here solution is not about just logic ,
It is also about perspective.
At first glance, we think of regular math
Half of ten is five , right ???
But this brain teaser plays with symbols, not just numbers !!!
Answer is in ROMAN NUMBERS ........
In Roman numerals,
10 is written as X .
If you take half of the shape of X ,
We are left with V which is number 5 in Roman numerics !!!
So, answer is ' V ' !!!
Statue of liberty's original colour was shiny, metallic, dull brown colour as it is made of copper.
Copper exterior reacted with oxygen, water and air pollution over several decades.
This chemical reaction created a thin protective layer called " patina ".
This green patina actually protects the underlying copper from deeper corrosion and weathering.
Hence US government chose not to paint or clean the statue as this green coloured patina naturally protects the statue !!!
Monkeys and Apes both are primates.
Primary difference lies in the presence or absence of tails.
Monkeys have tails while Apes do not.
Apes are generally larger, have broader chests and shoulders are adapted for swinging.
Monkeys are smaller and built for running across branches.
Apes are more intelligent than monkeys.
Apes have upright body positions and can walk comfortably on two legs.
Monkeys are often running on tree branches.
Venus and Jupiter " meet " in the sky a lot because of their orbit work relative to Earth.
Venus orbits the Sun in 225 days. It's an inner planet and zips around faster than Earth.
Jupiter takes 11.86 Earth years to orbit around the Sun. Its an outer planet and " crawls " compared to Earth !!!
Earth is also orbiting the Sun. As Jupiter makes its slow annual trek around Sun across our point of view, fast moving Venus inevitably overtakes and passes by Jupiter !!!
Venus and Jupiter line up with each other roughly around 13 - 14 months.
All planets orbit in elliptical plane. So they naturally pass each other in the sky from time to time.
Venus and Jupiter cross paths more often than any other planets because of math of their periods.
As both Venus and Jupiter are brightest, they really stand out. Fainter planets can be in conjunction, but we don't notice !!!
Both Venus and Jupiter line up perfectly along our line of sight, they are actually never close in space.
Both of them remain seperated by millions of kms in space . The meeting of two planets is the perfect optical illusion !!!!
Arboreal animals are those that spend most of their time on trees ,
The list is alphabetical.
1. Gibbon
2. Howler monkey
3. Kinkajou
It looks like a monkey, lives like a monkey but not a monkey !!!
4. Koala
5. Opossum
6. Orangutan
7. Red Panda
8. Sloth
9. Spider monkey
10. Tree squirrel
I feel each and every stuff of hotel is much tastier !!!
Now why cold coffee at hotel is much creamier ??
It is because of higher fat content milk and mechanical aeration.
In home, we just use standard milk and quick stir !!!
Hoteliers incorporate tiny air bubbles into liquid, creating a frothy, aerated texture.
This feels thicker on tongue !!!
Many cold coffees actually contain a small scoop of vanilla icecream to give instant thickness !!!
High end hotels use Nitro cold brew which is infused with nitrogen gas. This creates tiny, non dissolving bubbles that provide a velvety creamy texture without adding diary !!!
King Cobra is one of the most feared and longest venomous snake of the world.
It is naturally shy and avoids confrontation with humans.
It is common across aouth and south east Asia.
Such countries are ---
1. India
2. Thailand
3. Indonesia
4. Malaysia
5. Myanmar
6. Bangladesh
7. Nepal
8. Vietnam
9. Cambodia
10. China
This question was asked on Koun Banega Karodpati program.
Question
In castling , how many pieces are moved at once ??
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
Answer
Castling is a move in chess.
In castling, two pieces are moved at once : the King and one of the rooks.
This is the only time we can move more than one piece during a single turn !!!
How it works :
The King moves two squares toward the rook.
The Rook jumps over the King and lands on the square immediate next to it.
Strict requirements for castling ----
1. Neither the King nor the Rook we are using , has moved yet in the game.
2. There must be no other pieces between the King and the Rook
3. We can not castle if our King is currently in check.
As we move King and the Rook simultaneously, we are moving 2 Pierce at a time !!!
If 1 1 1 1 = 5
2 2 2 2 = 10
4 4 4 4 = 20
Then 6 6 6 6 = ???
Answer
Tese type of puzzles follow a certain pattern.
Take 1 1 1 1 = 5
If we add 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 it would be 4.
Again add 1 to 4, we get 5.
Take 2 2 2 2 = 10
If we add 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 it would be 8.
Again add 2 to 8, we gwt 10.
Take 4 4 4 4 = 20
If we add 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 , we get 16
Again add 4 to 16, we get 20.
Coming back to 6 6 6 6 =??
If we add 6 + 6 + 6 + 6, we get 24
Again add 6 to 24, we get 30.
So , 6 6 6 6 = 30 !!!!
My nephew Aniruddha is a hyper active kid since childhood.
This incident I am sharing has happened when he was a master in doing all types of pranks but not old enough to join school !!!
One day my mother means Aniruddha's grandma was teaching him how to receive guests who have come to our house.
My mother was explaining him whoever come to house and ask for them, Aniruddha have to invite them inside and ask them to have a seat .
Aniruddha nodded his head !!!
That one sunny day, we two, I and Aniruddha were in the house.
As usual, I was lying down on sofa and was relaxing !!!!
Aniruddha was busy in playing with his bus toy offering free trips to imaginary passengers !!!
That time door bell rang ............
I instructed Aniruddha to have a look.
Aniruddha went near the door and opened it.
I heard him saying,
Please come inside....... Have a seat........!!!!
But whoever was outside the door, was asking Aniruddha to call other elder members of house !!!
I heard Aniruddha repeatedly saying, Please come inside.... Have a seat......
The outsider was shouting at Aniruddha to call the elder members of house ...!!!!
I thought what a manner less person.
I decided to have a look by myself.
It was our cable operator ......!!!!
He had come to collect the monthly rent.....
He is already a short tempered man !!!!
With him, Aniruddha is repeatedly telling,
Please come inside. Have a seat........!!!!!
I hurriedly went inside and fetched the money.
I gave him the monthly rent.
Aniruddha was still standimg there and was watching all these.
Cable operator was about to leave,
That time Aniruddha said ......
Ba..... Ba..... Bye ......!!!!!
We all know Gulf countries don't charge income tax.
Here is the list of countries with high income tax rates -----
1. Finland
2. Japan
3. Denmark
4. Austria
5. Sweden
6. Aruba
7. Belgium
8. Israel
9. Slovenia
10. Netherlands
Yellow bellied sea snakes are one of the most extraordinary reptiles on earth.
It spends its entire life at sea, drifting with currents and hunting in open waters.
It is found in all tropical oceans except Atlantic !!!
These are the most beautiful snakes on Earth
Once stranded, these are helpless and can not survive for long outside the sea.
It is a carnivorous reptile.
Encounter with humans are very rare as it will be always on middle of the sea !!!
To prevent bear attack, effective strategy :
1. Make loud noise
2. Eliminate food odours
3. Stay alert
4. Hike in groups
5. Secure scented items
6. Do not run
7. Talk to bear in low, calm voice !!!
8. Back away slowly.
Technically YES !!!
Headlights draw electricity from the battery, which is recharged by the alternator.
Alternator is powered by engine which runs using fuel !!!!
But the amount of fuel saved is very small....
Its better to use LEDs instead of halogens for headlights.
LED bulbs use incredibly low power. Turning these OFF virtually saves zero fuel.
More importantly,
KEEP THE HEADLIGHTS ON FOR SAFETY THAN FUEL SAVING !!!!
Godzilla El Nino is an informal term used by climate scientists to describe a ' super ' or exceptionally powerful El Nino event marked by extreme warming in tropical Pacific ocean.
Why is it called GODZILLA ??
It has got the name because of ----
1. Extreme ocean warming
2. Amplified heat release
This messes with global weather.
It brings heavy rains and flood in Peru /Ecuador
Brings drought in Australia and South Eastern Asia
Wider storms worldwide
Dizziness happens when brain gets confused signals about where the body is !!!
It also happens when body is not getting enough oxygen or blood.
1. When balance system gets mixed signals
We have fluid filled canals inside ear which tells the brain whether the head is rotating or not.
Eyes track where the horizon is and what is moving around.
Nerves in muscles and joints tell whether body is sitting, leaning or standing.
When these 3 disagree with each other, we get dizziness !!!
Example : Reading in moving car .
Let's see what happens.
Eyes say, We are stationary.
Inner ear : We are turning and accelerating !!!
Body muscles : We feel the motion
Brain : ERROR !!!!
Other reasons are ----
1. Blood flow drops to brain
2. Direct hit to inner ear / brain
3. Anxiety and fatigue
Most dizziness is brief and harmless......
It is worth checking if dizziness is frequent, comes with hearing loss, severe headache or fainting.
Ants are abundant everywhere
There are 20 quadrillion ants in the world !!!
We can practically found them everywhere.
Ants are abundant in Australia
With almost 5000 ant species, tropical Australia is one of the ant rich locations of the world !!!
Ant colonies are very well organized
Ants work as a group without leaders.
Ants communicate via pheromone trails.
Ants enter home in search of food and water.
Ants are skilled climbers.
Ants can be prevented by using insecticides.
We often feel trip was shorter when coming back. Here are the reasons ----
1. Familiarity of the route
When we are heading bavk, our brain already knows the turns, roads and landmarks.
Now our mind is not as alert to every detail, journey feels smoother and quicker..
2. Less mental anticipation
3. Relaxed mindset
4. Psychological trickery
This phenomenon is quirk of human perception. Our brain naturally compress time when revisiting familiar places.
What felt long and exhausting on the way, suddenly seems effortless on way back !!!!
Some creatures in animal kingdom don't need fangs or claws to be dangerous. They carry something more dangerous.
Toxins so powerful they can kill with a tiny dose !!!
Such animals are ----
1. Golden poison frog
2. Blue ringed octopus
3. Puffer fish
4. Cone snail
5. Box jellyfish
6. Brazilian wandering spider
7. Deathstalker scorpion
8. Stonefish
Sulphuric acid ( H2SO4 ) stands out as the most essential and widely used chemical in the world.
Sulphuric acid is the strong mineral acid, highly corrosive, dense and oily in texture.
It is colourless, soluble in water and is known for its strong dehydrating and oxidising properties.
Major properties that make sulphuric acid so important ------
1. Strong acidic nature, reacts with both acids and bases.
2. Powerful dehydrating agent.
3. Good oxidising agent especially in high temperature.
4. High reactivity.
Applications of sulphuric acid -------
1. Agriculture and fertilizers.
2. Petroleum refining
3. Mining and metallurgy
4. Pharmaceuticals
5. Manufacturing of detergents, plastics and dyes
6. Automobiles
Here is the best passport in each of world's seven major regions ---
1. Asia , Singapore
2. Europe , Ireland
3. Latin America and Caribbean , Chile
4. North America, Canada
5. Middle East and North Africa , United Arab Emirates
6. Africa , Mauritius
7. Oceania and the Pacific , New Zealand
This question was asked on Koun Banega Karodpati program.
Question
Which country besides France had a protectorate in Morocco ??
1. Switzerland
2. Russia
3. Denmark
4. Spain
Answer
Before answering this question, we will understand what is protectorate ??!!
Protectorate is a state or territory that is under the protection and control of a more powerful country.
In this case, powerful country is Britain.
Protectorate was Spain !!!
Protecting power mainly handles defense and foreign affairs.
Protectorate manages internal affairs.
Britain was most powerful naval force at that time and was deeply concerned about control of strait of Gibraltar.
They did not want France to control Moroccan coast. Spain was seen as a " weaker power " that would not pose a threat to Britain.
So, answer SPAIN !!!!
This Bheja Fry question I came across when searching Internet.
Question
If 1111 = R
2222 = T
3333 = E
Then 4444 = ???
Answer
I didn't know the answer !!!
Some reader used his brain and solved the puzzle.
After looking at solution, I thought it was easy.
Let's have a look at 1111.
When we add all the digits,
1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4 = fou ' R '
Now 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8 = eigh ' T '
Now 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12 = twelv ' E '
Finally, 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = sixtee ' N ' !!!!!
We must have noticed animals found in polar regions are comparatively larger to their southern counterparts.
There is a scientific reason for this.
It is BERGMANN'S RULE
It States that " warm blooded animals in colder climate tend to be larger than those in warmer climates "
It is the simple allometric relationship between body size and surface area.
Larger animals have proportionately smaller surface area compared to smaller amimals.
Because all warm blooded animals lose their internal heat generated by their metabolism to their environment through their body surface.
Larger bodied animals lose their heat at a lower rate compared to smaller body animals .......
Hence, animals in colder regions have larger body so that they can conserve energy for a long time !!!!
This list has been prepared by taking into consideration these facts ----
1. Share of population with internet access
2. Share of population with 4G access
3. Research and development spending
Such countries are ----
1. South Korea
2. United States
3. Taiwan
4. Denmark
5. Switzerland
6. Israel
7. Finland
8. Netherlands
9. Sweden
10. Norway
11. Singapore
12. United Kingdom
When we are riding a bike or a car, it will come to a halt after moving a little distance. Suddenly it will not stop !!!
Approximately 50 to 60 meters, vehicle travels after applying break.
How much time will a train take to completely stop ???
The distance taken by a train to come to stand still depends on ----
1. It's speed
2. Capacity of breaks
3. Condition of railway track
Usually a train will come to halt after travelling 800 to 1200 meters.
The time taken and the distance covered to come to stand still position depends on its speed.
More speed the train travels,more time it needs to stop.
Not only this, it will cover more distance before coming to stop.
Capacity of breaking system as well as type of terrain on which it is moving also matters !!!
Though both centipede and millipedes are anthropods with segmented body and jointed legs, their form diet and environmental roles are quite different.
1. Centipedes have flatter bodies with segments that each bear a pair of legs.
Millipedes have cylindrical body with each segment bearing two pairs of legs.
2. Centipedes are carnivorous. They hunt insects, spiders and small cockroaches.
Millipedes are detritivores, feeding on decaying plant material , microbial decomposition.
3. Centipedes are often seen indoors. They prefer humid environments like bathrooms and pavements.
Millipedes are often seen outdoors. They thrive in moist habitable rich in organic matter.
4. When threatened, centipedes may bite. Though their venom is not lethal to humans, it feel like bee sting.
When threatened, lacking venom, millipedes roll into tight coils.
Humans have eyebrows for ===
1. Protecting our vision from physical irritants
2. As a tool for social communication
The arched shape and outward direction of eyebrow hair keeps sweat and rain away from eyes.
They help catch dust and dirt before it can fall into eyes.
They help to reduce the glare from bright light.
Eyebrows are critical to identify people.
Eyebrows allow us to signal complex emotions such as skepticism, sympathy and surprise.
It is very common practice to knead dough in advance to save time and energy.
This extra dough is generally stored in refrigerator. Over time, it turns black or grey.
It happens in summer. WHY ??
The primary reason behind this discoloration is oxidation.
When we knead the wheat flour with water, it is exposed to air and oxygen reacts with compounds in flour, leading to darker colour.
The enzymes present in wheat flour, remain active even in cooler temperature of refrigerator. They continue to react over time.
Fermentation is also a reason for discoloration..
During summer, dough begin to ferment even though it is refrigerated !!!
It causes a mild sour smell along with darker appearance.
SO HOW TO STORE ???
Always apply a thin layer of oil over the dough.
Refrigerating in small portions immediately after kneading is a smart trick to avoid spoilage.
The Danyong - Kunshan grand bridge in China is the largest bridge in the world.
It is 164.8 km long.
The bridge was made to connect cities.
It goes over fields, rivers, lakes and small towns.
It is built to survive storms, floods and even earthquakes !!!
It is part of a train line.
It is often advised to place peacock feathers to get rid of lizards in the house.
But why lizards flee by seeing peacock feathers ??
The crucial element behind the aversion shown by the lizards is the existence of eye spots o peacock feathers !!!
The spots take the form of a larger animal and provide the visual illusion that the nearby predator is peering at the lizard.
Since the lizards belong to reptilian category and take the visual cues from the spots on peacock feathers for granted as a threat.
That's why they flee upon spotting the feathers !!!
This fleeing behaviour is a form of survival strategy......