Flyting

48

Think rap battles were a modern invention? Think again! Medieval poets were dropping fire bars centuries ago, though they called it ‘flyting’ – a verbal showdown where insults flew faster than arrows.

Mary Anning

148

‘She sells seashells by the seashore’ is about a real person. Mary Anning was an 1800s English woman from a poor family who dug up fossils on the beach and sold them to make money. She made many important scientific discoveries and her inspirational life inspired a song that eventually became a famous tongue twister.

Corn Sweat

119

Corn plants release water into the air in a process called “corn sweat” which can raise humidity levels by up to 10%. One Acre of corn can release 3,000-4,000 gallons of water per day.

In The Limelight

143

Before electricity, theaters would use heated calcium oxide (commonly known as quicklime), to illuminate their stages. This is where the phrase “in the limelight” comes from.

Perfume Pulse Points

116

The reason perfume is applied to necks and wrists, with behind the knees being the most ideal location, is because these are pulse points that warm the perfume and release fragrance continuously.

Methuselah Tree

102

The world’s oldest living tree is a Bristlecone Pine named Methuselah. It’s located in California and is an estimated 4,852 years old.

Living Bridges

108

There is a tribe in India that has passed down for generations the art of manipulating tree roots to create a system of living bridges.