Seniman China Liu Bolin dapat
dapat melukis dirinya seperti latar background tempatnya berada
sehingga bisa membuatnya tidak terlihat dan Seperti Bunglon . Gimana
aksinya, Ini dia Manusia Paling Transparan di Dunia, Liu Bolin :
Kamis, 14 Februari 2013
7 Kota Paling Sehat
Banyak
kota di seluruh dunia adalah tempat yang bagus untuk hidup karena
ketersediaan rekreasi dan tingkat harapan hidup yang tinggi.
Negara-negara yang memiliki tinggi rasio pasien penyakit fisik yang
cenderung lebih sehat dan jumlah dokter yang lebih sedikit.Tingkat
kematian bayi dan tingkat penyakit yang rendah adalah penting bagi
kesehatan kota, tetapi ada banyak faktor yang membuat kota-kota ini
masuk dalam daftar kota-kota paling sehat sedunia.Berolahraga, makan
dengan baik dan gaya hidup sehat merupakan faktor yang berkontribusi
terhadap kesehatan warga negara mana pun di dunia.
Berjalan - jalan di waktu malam hari di kota Wina adalah pengalaman yang tak terlupakan.
Austria mempunyai tingkat kematian bayi hanya 4 kematian per 1.000 kelahiran hidup.
Mereka juga memiliki kepadatan dokter tinggi 3,38 dokter per 1.000 warga.Orang yang tinggal di Austria tercakup dalam asuransi pemerintah segera setelah mereka mendapatkan pekerjaan atau masuk universitas.
Pensiunan juga dijamin secara otomatis oleh hukum.Wina menawarkan ski di musim dingin dan kegiatan rekreasi yang banyak pada bulan-bulan musim panas.
Kota tuan rumah Wina berbagai acara olahraga termasuk Marathon.
marathon ini menarik lebih dari 10.000 peserta per tahun.Pada tahun 2005, Kejuaraan Dunia Hoki Es yang diselenggarakan oleh Austria dan pertandingan final dimainkan di Wina.
Sangat menakjubkan melihat Sydney dengan langit merah sebagai latar belakang.
Sistem perawatan kesehatan Australia adalah salah satu terbaik di dunia.perusahaan asuransi Australia diharuskan oleh hukum untuk membayar polis premi dan sama tidak peduli masa lalu kesehatan mereka.udara Australia juga di antara udara terbersih di dunia.Menurut CIA World Factbook, Australia juga menawarkan salah satu tingkat harapan hidup tertinggi pada usia 81,81 tahun pada tahun 2011.
Kota Sydney memiliki iklim, cerah moderat yang memberikan kontribusi untuk memberikan cinta pada alam bebas yang banyak pada penduduknya.Ada lima taman nasional utama terletak di sekitar Sydney yang berisi sekitar 8.000 kilometer persegi ruang terbuka.
Zurich adalah kota terbesar di Swiss dan ibukota canton Zurich. Kota yang indah.
Negara Swiss menghabiskan lebih dari 11 persen dari Anggaran Produk Domestik Bruto pada cakupan kesehatan universal bagi warga negaranya.Ini adalah pengeluaran yang sangat tinggi per kapita, tetapi penduduknya memberikan harapan hidup yang tinggi di usia 71 untuk pria dan usia 75 bagi perempuan. kepadatan dokter Swiss adalah sekitar 3,61 per 1.000 penduduk.Swiss juga memiliki tingkat polusi udara yang tinggi.
Ada banyak kebun dan taman yang terletak di Zurich bagi warga untuk sekedar berjalan ,bersepeda , Sebagian besar orang Zurich menikmati gaya hidup aktif dan olahraga merupakan bagian integral dari budaya Swiss.Banyaknya fasilitas olahraga membuat Zurich tempat berkumpul bagi pecinta olahraga di Swiss. Beberapa federasi olahraga internasional membuat rumah mereka di Zurich.
Finlandia mana budaya Timur dan Barat bertemu, menyambut wisatawan untuk menemukan suasana metropolis Skandinavia yang seutuhnya
Finlandia memiliki salah satu tingkat polusi terendah di dunia.Mereka juga membanggakan kematian bayi rendah tiga kematian per 1.000 kelahiran hidup.Warga Finlandia mempunyai harapan hidup sekitar 79,27 tahun sejak lahir.Helsinki,ibukota .
Ada sekitar 390 mobil per 1000 penduduk Helsinki. lebih sedikit dari kota kepadatan serupa. Brussels, Belgia.Belgia memiliki sekitar 483 mobil per 1000 orang dan Stockholm, Swedia memiliki sekitar 401.
Calgary merupakan kota terbesar di Provinsi Alberta, Kanada.terletak di selatan provinsi, di daerah kaki bukit dan padang rumput, sekitar 80 km sebelah timur Canadian Rockies
Calgary dianggap sebagai kota dengan pertumbuhan tercepat di Kanada.Berada di posisi teratas dalam survei Majalah Forbes pada kota terbersih di dunia pada tahun 2007.
Kanada dikenal untuk sistem perawatan kesehatan universal mereka.Negara ini hanya memiliki sekitar 2,1 dokter untuk setiap 1.000 warga, dan mereka membanggakan salah satu harapan hidup rata-rata terpanjang di dunia.warga negara Kanada dapat berharap untuk hidup sampai sekitar 81 tahun.
Portland merupakan kota yang terletak di Amerika Serikat Northwestern, dekat pertemuan Columbia dan sungai Willamette di negara bagian Oregon
Majalah Cooking Light memberikan peringkat pada kota Portland pada urutan kedua dalam daftar kota paling sehat.Kota ini menawarkan 277 mil jalur sepeda, dan perencanaan kota yang meminimalkan sprawl.Cuaca hujan adalah satu isu yang membuat Portland menjadi kota yang sulit untuk dilakukan latihan outdoor di sana, Portlanders dan Oregonians lain harus menemukan aktivitas kebugaran dalam ruangan untuk menjaga kesehatan.
Menggunakan panduan elips sangat penting bagi mereka untuk menemukan mesin untuk membuat mereka fit. Portlanders juga menikmati 277 taman dan sekitar 146 mil dari hutan hiking trails.
Ada
banyak cara untuk mengukur kesehatan sebuah kota. Beberapa faktor yang
mempengaruhi kesehatan masyarakat secara keseluruhan termasuk harapan
hidup panjang, rasio dokter-pasien secara keseluruhan dan jumlah dari
racun yang dapat ditemukan di lingkungan.Kesehatan juga diukur dengan
ketersediaan olahraga dan kegiatan lainnya dan tingkat penyakit. Beberapa
negara mengalokasikan dana dalam jumlah besar pada kesehatan, tapi itu
tidak benar-benar berarti mereka sehat. Berikut adalah daftar dari tujuh
kota-kota tersehat di dunia.
1. Reykjavik, Islandia:
Kota Paling Sehat di Dunia |
Reykjavík adalah kota terbesar dan ibukota Islandia Tampak bersih dan sangat indah.
Islandia memiliki tingkat penderita penyakit yang rendah secara keseluruhan .prevalensi TB negara itu adalah 2,2 per 100.000 warga dan tidak ada kasus flu burung H1N1 di sana.Islandia juga memiliki jumalh dokter yang tinggi , dengan perbandingan 3,62 per 1.000 warga.
Berenang adalah olahraga populer di Islandia.Renang telah dimasukkan dalam kurikulum sekolah Islandia selama lebih dari 60 tahun dan setiap penduduk Islandia diwajibkan untuk belajar berenang.Kekayaan panas bumi Islandia membuat tempat yang bagus untuk berenang.Kolam renang hangat terbuka berlokasi di seluruh negeri dan buka sepanjang tahun .olahraga outdoor lainnya seperti hiking dan berlayar juga populer di Reykjavik.
Reykjavik dan kota-kota lainnya di Islandia memiliki tingkat kepemilikan kendaraan yang sangat tinggi per kapita sekitar 522 kendaraan per 1.000 penduduk, tetapi mereka tidak dipengaruhi oleh kemacetan dan memiliki tingkat polusi udara sangat rendah.
Islandia memiliki tingkat penderita penyakit yang rendah secara keseluruhan .prevalensi TB negara itu adalah 2,2 per 100.000 warga dan tidak ada kasus flu burung H1N1 di sana.Islandia juga memiliki jumalh dokter yang tinggi , dengan perbandingan 3,62 per 1.000 warga.
Berenang adalah olahraga populer di Islandia.Renang telah dimasukkan dalam kurikulum sekolah Islandia selama lebih dari 60 tahun dan setiap penduduk Islandia diwajibkan untuk belajar berenang.Kekayaan panas bumi Islandia membuat tempat yang bagus untuk berenang.Kolam renang hangat terbuka berlokasi di seluruh negeri dan buka sepanjang tahun .olahraga outdoor lainnya seperti hiking dan berlayar juga populer di Reykjavik.
Reykjavik dan kota-kota lainnya di Islandia memiliki tingkat kepemilikan kendaraan yang sangat tinggi per kapita sekitar 522 kendaraan per 1.000 penduduk, tetapi mereka tidak dipengaruhi oleh kemacetan dan memiliki tingkat polusi udara sangat rendah.
2. Vienna, Austria
Berjalan - jalan di waktu malam hari di kota Wina adalah pengalaman yang tak terlupakan.
Austria mempunyai tingkat kematian bayi hanya 4 kematian per 1.000 kelahiran hidup.
Mereka juga memiliki kepadatan dokter tinggi 3,38 dokter per 1.000 warga.Orang yang tinggal di Austria tercakup dalam asuransi pemerintah segera setelah mereka mendapatkan pekerjaan atau masuk universitas.
Pensiunan juga dijamin secara otomatis oleh hukum.Wina menawarkan ski di musim dingin dan kegiatan rekreasi yang banyak pada bulan-bulan musim panas.
Kota tuan rumah Wina berbagai acara olahraga termasuk Marathon.
marathon ini menarik lebih dari 10.000 peserta per tahun.Pada tahun 2005, Kejuaraan Dunia Hoki Es yang diselenggarakan oleh Austria dan pertandingan final dimainkan di Wina.
3. Sydney, Australia
Sangat menakjubkan melihat Sydney dengan langit merah sebagai latar belakang.
Sistem perawatan kesehatan Australia adalah salah satu terbaik di dunia.perusahaan asuransi Australia diharuskan oleh hukum untuk membayar polis premi dan sama tidak peduli masa lalu kesehatan mereka.udara Australia juga di antara udara terbersih di dunia.Menurut CIA World Factbook, Australia juga menawarkan salah satu tingkat harapan hidup tertinggi pada usia 81,81 tahun pada tahun 2011.
Kota Sydney memiliki iklim, cerah moderat yang memberikan kontribusi untuk memberikan cinta pada alam bebas yang banyak pada penduduknya.Ada lima taman nasional utama terletak di sekitar Sydney yang berisi sekitar 8.000 kilometer persegi ruang terbuka.
4. Zurich, Swiss
Zurich adalah kota terbesar di Swiss dan ibukota canton Zurich. Kota yang indah.
Negara Swiss menghabiskan lebih dari 11 persen dari Anggaran Produk Domestik Bruto pada cakupan kesehatan universal bagi warga negaranya.Ini adalah pengeluaran yang sangat tinggi per kapita, tetapi penduduknya memberikan harapan hidup yang tinggi di usia 71 untuk pria dan usia 75 bagi perempuan. kepadatan dokter Swiss adalah sekitar 3,61 per 1.000 penduduk.Swiss juga memiliki tingkat polusi udara yang tinggi.
Ada banyak kebun dan taman yang terletak di Zurich bagi warga untuk sekedar berjalan ,bersepeda , Sebagian besar orang Zurich menikmati gaya hidup aktif dan olahraga merupakan bagian integral dari budaya Swiss.Banyaknya fasilitas olahraga membuat Zurich tempat berkumpul bagi pecinta olahraga di Swiss. Beberapa federasi olahraga internasional membuat rumah mereka di Zurich.
5. Helsinki, Finlandia
Finlandia mana budaya Timur dan Barat bertemu, menyambut wisatawan untuk menemukan suasana metropolis Skandinavia yang seutuhnya
Finlandia memiliki salah satu tingkat polusi terendah di dunia.Mereka juga membanggakan kematian bayi rendah tiga kematian per 1.000 kelahiran hidup.Warga Finlandia mempunyai harapan hidup sekitar 79,27 tahun sejak lahir.Helsinki,ibukota .
Ada sekitar 390 mobil per 1000 penduduk Helsinki. lebih sedikit dari kota kepadatan serupa. Brussels, Belgia.Belgia memiliki sekitar 483 mobil per 1000 orang dan Stockholm, Swedia memiliki sekitar 401.
6. Calgary, Alberta Canada
Calgary merupakan kota terbesar di Provinsi Alberta, Kanada.terletak di selatan provinsi, di daerah kaki bukit dan padang rumput, sekitar 80 km sebelah timur Canadian Rockies
Calgary dianggap sebagai kota dengan pertumbuhan tercepat di Kanada.Berada di posisi teratas dalam survei Majalah Forbes pada kota terbersih di dunia pada tahun 2007.
Kanada dikenal untuk sistem perawatan kesehatan universal mereka.Negara ini hanya memiliki sekitar 2,1 dokter untuk setiap 1.000 warga, dan mereka membanggakan salah satu harapan hidup rata-rata terpanjang di dunia.warga negara Kanada dapat berharap untuk hidup sampai sekitar 81 tahun.
7. Portland, Oregon, USA
Portland merupakan kota yang terletak di Amerika Serikat Northwestern, dekat pertemuan Columbia dan sungai Willamette di negara bagian Oregon
Majalah Cooking Light memberikan peringkat pada kota Portland pada urutan kedua dalam daftar kota paling sehat.Kota ini menawarkan 277 mil jalur sepeda, dan perencanaan kota yang meminimalkan sprawl.Cuaca hujan adalah satu isu yang membuat Portland menjadi kota yang sulit untuk dilakukan latihan outdoor di sana, Portlanders dan Oregonians lain harus menemukan aktivitas kebugaran dalam ruangan untuk menjaga kesehatan.
Menggunakan panduan elips sangat penting bagi mereka untuk menemukan mesin untuk membuat mereka fit. Portlanders juga menikmati 277 taman dan sekitar 146 mil dari hutan hiking trails.
Rabu, 06 Februari 2013
10 Fascinating Facts That Are Wrong
We put a lot of trust in our teachers – as pupils we trust that they
know what they are talking about, and as parents we trust that they are
educating our children. But unfortunately (and no doubt
unintentionally) many of our teachers repeat the same myths that they
were taught.
Myth: high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is making us fat
Since HFCS entered the American food supply in the 1970s, and the rates of obesity started to rise about then. Consequently, many blame HFCS for the fat plague. It’s true of course that the calories HFCS contributes can be linked to the nation’s obesity problems, but its calories are no different from those in refined white sugar: the makeup of HFCS (55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose) is close to that of white sugar (50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose), which means that our bodies digest HFCS and sugar in very similar ways. Nutritionally speaking, the two are virtually identical.
Interesting Fact: Coca Cola produced in Mexico is still made with sugar (as opposed to corn syrup in the US), and many people claim to be able to taste the difference – refusing to buy the “inferior” American coke. Unfortunately a truly scientific blind test has not been done and the various tests online all vary widely in their conclusions.
Myth: Cell phones cause brain cancer
Lawsuits and news headlines have fueled the myth that cell phones cause cancer, particularly brain cancer, and 30 percent of Americans still believe this myth, according to the Discovery Health/Prevention telephone survey. Consumers could easily have missed the reports showing no danger from cell phones because they didn’t receive alarming front-page coverage like the original reports. A few studies suggested a link with certain rare types of brain tumors, but the consensus among well-designed population studies is that there is no consistent association between cell phone use and brain cancer.
Interesting Fact:The very first patent for a cell phone like device (wireless telephone) was granted in 1908 to Nathan B. Stubblefield who some people claim invented the radio before Tesla and Marconi. Stubblefield died as a self-imposed hermit by starving to death.
Myth: The number of hooves in the air on a statue of a horse tells us how its rider died
In my research for this list I was very surprised to come across this myth – I, like many others, had always believed it to be true! The idea is that when a statue of a horse has one foot in the air, his rider was wounded in battle but survived. If he has two hooves in the air the rider was killed, and if he has none in the air, the rider survived. While this is a myth – interestingly it does seem to apply to the majority of statues relating to Gettysburg equestrians though not James Longstreet who was not wounded but his statue does have one leg raised (pictured above).
Interesting Fact:A statue of a horse with a rider is called an equestrian statue – which is derived from the latin “eques” for Knight and “equus” for horse. A statue of a horse is called an “equine statue”.
Myth: Christopher Columbus discovered that the world was round
This is a very old myth that is surprisingly believed by millions of people. What we are told is that the Genoese Columbus’ peers doomed his trip to failure because they thought he would fall off the edge of the earth. Now – this was in the 1490s but man has known the earth was round since the idea was first put forth by Pythagorus 2,000 years before Spain even existed. Columbus did fail to reach his original destination, but in so doing he discovered the Americas. Not a bad end to a failed journey really. The round earth theory was so well established that the navigational methods at the time were all based on the fact that the earth was round.
Interesting Fact: At the age of 53, Columbus returned to Spain from the Americas and was promptly arrested with his two brothers for the atrocities he had committed. They remained in jail for six weeks before the King finally released them and restored their wealth and property. Columbus believed that his explorations to the New World would result in the beginning of the Last Judgement of man.
Myth: In ten years there will be no bananas left
There is some basis in truth to this myth (as is often the case) – there is a disease (fusarium wilt, or Panama disease) that is threatening bananas in some Asian countries and it is the Banana most Americans are familiar with (the Cavendish banana) but it is not likely to wipe out the entire world’s stock of bananas – or even the Cavendish banana as it has not infected some of the larger exporting farms. Furthermore, the cavendish is only one of roughly 300 types of bananas that are available and good for human consumption.
Interesting Fact: Bananas don’t grow on trees – the plant that produces the banana is actually a herb.
Myth: Newton devised his universal law of gravity when an apple fell on his head from the tree under which he was sitting
It is always exciting to think of a great discovery happening in the blink of an eye due to a coincidental event – we consider that if it were not for the right person being in the right place at the right time, man would have lost an incredibly significant piece of knowledge. For this reason people have clung to the idea that Newton devised his universal law of gravity because of an apple hitting him on the head. But in fact the first mention of an apple in relation to Newton came 60 years after his death: “Whilst he was musing in a garden it came into his thought that the power of gravity (which brought an apple from the tree to the ground) was not limited to a certain distance from the earth but that this power must extend much further.” (John Conduitt)
Interesting Fact: Though he is better known for his love of science, the Bible was Sir Isaac Newton’s greatest passion. He devoted more time to the study of Scripture than to science, and he said, “I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by those who were inspired. I study the Bible daily.” He spent a great deal of time trying to discover hidden messages within the Bible.
Myth: Typhoid Mary, the most dangerous woman in America, killed hundreds (if not thousands) by infecting them with typhoid
The story is Typhoid Mary is relatively well known and it certainly is true that she (Mary Mallon) carried Typhoid fever without catching it herself. It is also true that she caused human deaths as a consequence. What is not true is the enormity of the carnage she left behind her. In fact, Mary (who worked as a cook) caused 30 – 53 (different sources cite different numbers) people to catch Typhoid, but only 3 of those people died. When it was first discovered that Mary was the cause of these people becoming ill, she was quarantined. This was for a short time only as it was felt that it was unfair to quarantine her as others in a similar situation were not. Mary was allowed to leave on the condition that she stop working as a cook. She accepted the condition but unable to get a job paying as well as cooking, she took on a false name and began working at a hospital as a cook. She caused 25 people there to become sick and one died. For this reason she was arrested and put in quarantine until she died 18 years later. She is pictured above in a bed during her first quarantine.
Interesting Fact: Typhoid is spread by the salmonella typhi pathogen which would normally be killed by the heat of cooking – but one of Mary’s specialty dishes (that was frequently requested by diners) was her peach icecream. Mary’s lack of hygiene when using the toilet enabled the bacteria to transfer from feces to her hands.
Myth: Einstein failed math at school
This is a surprisingly old error which everyone seems to believe. Its origins seem to be a 1935 article in the Ripley’s Believe it or not magazine in which the myth first appears in print under the heading “Greatest living mathematician failed in mathematics.” Many failing students probably take heart in the myth thinking that there may be hope for them if Einstein could flunk math and still become a genius, but unfortunately for them, Einstein showed genius from a very young age – including in the field of mathematics. When he was shown the article from the magazine, Einstein laughed and said: “I never failed in mathematics. Before I was fifteen I had mastered differential and integral calculus.”
Interesting Fact: In 1905, during his spare time, Einstein produced four papers that upended physics. The first showed that light could be conceived as particles as well as waves. The second proved the existence of atoms and molecules. The third, the special theory of relativity, said that there was no such thing as absolute time or space. And the fourth noted an equivalence between energy and mass described by the most famous equation in all of physics, E=mc^2.
Myth: The Titanic was the first ship to send out the SOS signal
Initially the Titanic sent out the CQD signal (standing for “All stations: distress”) but Britain had recently signed up to the new standard of SOS so one of the crew suggested that it be used as well: “Send SOS; it’s the new call, and besides, this may be your last chance to send it!” It certainly was new to British ships, but the standard had been in use for some years prior and there is even a newspaper article from 1909 which describes its use by an American ship, the Arapahoe.
Interesting Fact: Contrary to popular belief, SOS does not stand for anything. Some believe it means “save our souls” or “send out ships” but in fact, the signal was chosen because it was so simple to send that a person who was unfamiliar with radio equipment could send it in the case of an emergency (… / – - – / … SOS in Morse Code – is far easier than the previous distress signal of CQD: -.-. / – -.- / -..).
Myth: Margarine is 1 molecule away from plastic
Americans eat four times as much margarine as butter every year which seems surprising considering so many people believe this little myth about the chemical spread. While much of the negative stuff we hear about margarine is true, this particular myth is not. Margarine is made by heating vegetable oil and infusing it with hydrogen – in other words saturating it to a point that it remains hard at room temperature. It is then mixed with other ingredients to give a white lump that resembles fat. Yellow food coloring is added and voila – we have margarine. There is not one molecule of anything that you could add to margarine to turn it into plastic.
Interesting Fact: Margarine was invented because Emperor Louis Napoleon III of France offered a prize in 1869 for anyone that could come up with a cheap butter alternative for the army and the lower classes. Hippolyte Mège-Mouriés (a French chemist) won the prize with his oleomargarine. Governments around the world tried to stop people from using margarine by putting heavy taxes on it and banning its coloring. Believe it or not, it is still illegal to sell butter-colored margarine in Missouri and it was illegal in Quebec until July 2008
source
READ MORE - 10 Fascinating Facts That Are Wrong
10
High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Myth: high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is making us fat
Since HFCS entered the American food supply in the 1970s, and the rates of obesity started to rise about then. Consequently, many blame HFCS for the fat plague. It’s true of course that the calories HFCS contributes can be linked to the nation’s obesity problems, but its calories are no different from those in refined white sugar: the makeup of HFCS (55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose) is close to that of white sugar (50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose), which means that our bodies digest HFCS and sugar in very similar ways. Nutritionally speaking, the two are virtually identical.
Interesting Fact: Coca Cola produced in Mexico is still made with sugar (as opposed to corn syrup in the US), and many people claim to be able to taste the difference – refusing to buy the “inferior” American coke. Unfortunately a truly scientific blind test has not been done and the various tests online all vary widely in their conclusions.
9
Cell Phone Cancer
Myth: Cell phones cause brain cancer
Lawsuits and news headlines have fueled the myth that cell phones cause cancer, particularly brain cancer, and 30 percent of Americans still believe this myth, according to the Discovery Health/Prevention telephone survey. Consumers could easily have missed the reports showing no danger from cell phones because they didn’t receive alarming front-page coverage like the original reports. A few studies suggested a link with certain rare types of brain tumors, but the consensus among well-designed population studies is that there is no consistent association between cell phone use and brain cancer.
Interesting Fact:The very first patent for a cell phone like device (wireless telephone) was granted in 1908 to Nathan B. Stubblefield who some people claim invented the radio before Tesla and Marconi. Stubblefield died as a self-imposed hermit by starving to death.
8
Horse Statues
Myth: The number of hooves in the air on a statue of a horse tells us how its rider died
In my research for this list I was very surprised to come across this myth – I, like many others, had always believed it to be true! The idea is that when a statue of a horse has one foot in the air, his rider was wounded in battle but survived. If he has two hooves in the air the rider was killed, and if he has none in the air, the rider survived. While this is a myth – interestingly it does seem to apply to the majority of statues relating to Gettysburg equestrians though not James Longstreet who was not wounded but his statue does have one leg raised (pictured above).
Interesting Fact:A statue of a horse with a rider is called an equestrian statue – which is derived from the latin “eques” for Knight and “equus” for horse. A statue of a horse is called an “equine statue”.
7
Round World
Myth: Christopher Columbus discovered that the world was round
This is a very old myth that is surprisingly believed by millions of people. What we are told is that the Genoese Columbus’ peers doomed his trip to failure because they thought he would fall off the edge of the earth. Now – this was in the 1490s but man has known the earth was round since the idea was first put forth by Pythagorus 2,000 years before Spain even existed. Columbus did fail to reach his original destination, but in so doing he discovered the Americas. Not a bad end to a failed journey really. The round earth theory was so well established that the navigational methods at the time were all based on the fact that the earth was round.
Interesting Fact: At the age of 53, Columbus returned to Spain from the Americas and was promptly arrested with his two brothers for the atrocities he had committed. They remained in jail for six weeks before the King finally released them and restored their wealth and property. Columbus believed that his explorations to the New World would result in the beginning of the Last Judgement of man.
6
Bananas Crisis
Myth: In ten years there will be no bananas left
There is some basis in truth to this myth (as is often the case) – there is a disease (fusarium wilt, or Panama disease) that is threatening bananas in some Asian countries and it is the Banana most Americans are familiar with (the Cavendish banana) but it is not likely to wipe out the entire world’s stock of bananas – or even the Cavendish banana as it has not infected some of the larger exporting farms. Furthermore, the cavendish is only one of roughly 300 types of bananas that are available and good for human consumption.
Interesting Fact: Bananas don’t grow on trees – the plant that produces the banana is actually a herb.
5
Newton’s Apple
Myth: Newton devised his universal law of gravity when an apple fell on his head from the tree under which he was sitting
It is always exciting to think of a great discovery happening in the blink of an eye due to a coincidental event – we consider that if it were not for the right person being in the right place at the right time, man would have lost an incredibly significant piece of knowledge. For this reason people have clung to the idea that Newton devised his universal law of gravity because of an apple hitting him on the head. But in fact the first mention of an apple in relation to Newton came 60 years after his death: “Whilst he was musing in a garden it came into his thought that the power of gravity (which brought an apple from the tree to the ground) was not limited to a certain distance from the earth but that this power must extend much further.” (John Conduitt)
Interesting Fact: Though he is better known for his love of science, the Bible was Sir Isaac Newton’s greatest passion. He devoted more time to the study of Scripture than to science, and he said, “I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by those who were inspired. I study the Bible daily.” He spent a great deal of time trying to discover hidden messages within the Bible.
4
Typhoid Mary
Myth: Typhoid Mary, the most dangerous woman in America, killed hundreds (if not thousands) by infecting them with typhoid
The story is Typhoid Mary is relatively well known and it certainly is true that she (Mary Mallon) carried Typhoid fever without catching it herself. It is also true that she caused human deaths as a consequence. What is not true is the enormity of the carnage she left behind her. In fact, Mary (who worked as a cook) caused 30 – 53 (different sources cite different numbers) people to catch Typhoid, but only 3 of those people died. When it was first discovered that Mary was the cause of these people becoming ill, she was quarantined. This was for a short time only as it was felt that it was unfair to quarantine her as others in a similar situation were not. Mary was allowed to leave on the condition that she stop working as a cook. She accepted the condition but unable to get a job paying as well as cooking, she took on a false name and began working at a hospital as a cook. She caused 25 people there to become sick and one died. For this reason she was arrested and put in quarantine until she died 18 years later. She is pictured above in a bed during her first quarantine.
Interesting Fact: Typhoid is spread by the salmonella typhi pathogen which would normally be killed by the heat of cooking – but one of Mary’s specialty dishes (that was frequently requested by diners) was her peach icecream. Mary’s lack of hygiene when using the toilet enabled the bacteria to transfer from feces to her hands.
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Einstein Failed Math
Myth: Einstein failed math at school
This is a surprisingly old error which everyone seems to believe. Its origins seem to be a 1935 article in the Ripley’s Believe it or not magazine in which the myth first appears in print under the heading “Greatest living mathematician failed in mathematics.” Many failing students probably take heart in the myth thinking that there may be hope for them if Einstein could flunk math and still become a genius, but unfortunately for them, Einstein showed genius from a very young age – including in the field of mathematics. When he was shown the article from the magazine, Einstein laughed and said: “I never failed in mathematics. Before I was fifteen I had mastered differential and integral calculus.”
Interesting Fact: In 1905, during his spare time, Einstein produced four papers that upended physics. The first showed that light could be conceived as particles as well as waves. The second proved the existence of atoms and molecules. The third, the special theory of relativity, said that there was no such thing as absolute time or space. And the fourth noted an equivalence between energy and mass described by the most famous equation in all of physics, E=mc^2.
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Titanic SOS
Myth: The Titanic was the first ship to send out the SOS signal
Initially the Titanic sent out the CQD signal (standing for “All stations: distress”) but Britain had recently signed up to the new standard of SOS so one of the crew suggested that it be used as well: “Send SOS; it’s the new call, and besides, this may be your last chance to send it!” It certainly was new to British ships, but the standard had been in use for some years prior and there is even a newspaper article from 1909 which describes its use by an American ship, the Arapahoe.
Interesting Fact: Contrary to popular belief, SOS does not stand for anything. Some believe it means “save our souls” or “send out ships” but in fact, the signal was chosen because it was so simple to send that a person who was unfamiliar with radio equipment could send it in the case of an emergency (… / – - – / … SOS in Morse Code – is far easier than the previous distress signal of CQD: -.-. / – -.- / -..).
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Margarine Madness
Myth: Margarine is 1 molecule away from plastic
Americans eat four times as much margarine as butter every year which seems surprising considering so many people believe this little myth about the chemical spread. While much of the negative stuff we hear about margarine is true, this particular myth is not. Margarine is made by heating vegetable oil and infusing it with hydrogen – in other words saturating it to a point that it remains hard at room temperature. It is then mixed with other ingredients to give a white lump that resembles fat. Yellow food coloring is added and voila – we have margarine. There is not one molecule of anything that you could add to margarine to turn it into plastic.
Interesting Fact: Margarine was invented because Emperor Louis Napoleon III of France offered a prize in 1869 for anyone that could come up with a cheap butter alternative for the army and the lower classes. Hippolyte Mège-Mouriés (a French chemist) won the prize with his oleomargarine. Governments around the world tried to stop people from using margarine by putting heavy taxes on it and banning its coloring. Believe it or not, it is still illegal to sell butter-colored margarine in Missouri and it was illegal in Quebec until July 2008
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