Category Fun Facts

Do identical twins have the same fingerprints?

And how are our fingerprints determined? Read on to know the answers

Identical twins form when a single fertilized egg splits into two. Therefore they have the same genetic make-up and their DNA pattern is indistinguishable. Their fingerprints have similar patterns of whorls and ridges, but there are slight differences.

This is because genetics is not the sole determining factor in the development of fingerprints. Fingerprints are determined by the interaction of an individual’s genes with the environment in the womb and factors such as nutrition, position in the womb and the growth rate of the fingers. No two persons can have the same fingerprints.

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What are some interesting facts about mangoes?

Though the summer season is almost over, the love for mangoes is not. Recently, the world’s most expensive mango Miyazaki was showcased in the seventh edition of three-day-long mango festival in West Bengal Let us discover some interesting facts about mangoes.

Origin

Mango, a member of the cashew family, is native to southern Asia, especially Myanmar and Assam. However, today numerous varieties of mangoes are grown in various parts of the world such as Africa Apple mango, Kent mango, Tommy mango, and Ngowe mango, are different varieties of Kenyan mango.

Though the tree is evergreen, the finer varieties of mangoes are grown in a well-marked dry season. The mango trees begin to blossom in the months of March and April. Its scientific name is ‘Mangifera indica.’

Often nicknamed the ‘king of fruits’, the name is likely to have been derived from the Malayalam ‘manna’, which the Portuguese adopted as manga when they came to Kerala in 1498 for the spice trade.

It is said that legendary Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang had carried back stories about the uniqueness of the fruit. There are numerous folk tales around the mango According to one such folk tale, a royal courtesan in the kingdom of Vaishali was named Amrapali because she was found under a mango tree as a baby

Traditional significance

It is an indicator of national happiness and fulfilment Mentions of mangoes can be found in the ‘Puranas’ and epics such as ‘The Ramayana’ and ‘The Mahabharata’

During religious ceremonies mango leaves are hung by a string. It is said that the mango tree provided shade and solace to Gautam Buddha on one of his spiritual journeys.

Nutritional benefit

Mangoes help improve immunity and play an important role in digestion. They are low in calories and are the best choice when reducing calorific intake. They are rich in vitamins A, C and D.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has three outstanding centres involved in mango research: the Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture at Lucknow, the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research at Bengaluru, and the Fruit Research Station at Sangareddy in Telangana.

Story of Alphonso

The Alphonso mango derives its name from Afonso de Albuquerque, a Portuguese military expert who led Portuguese invasions into India in the 1600s. The Portuguese helped in introducing varieties of mangoes in India such as Alphonso. The Alphonso was introduced to the Konkan region in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and parts of south India

It is said that the fruit was shipped for the first time to London for the Queen’s coronation in 1953 from Mumbai’s legendary Crawford Market.

Today, the fruit is exported to several countries, including Britain and the United States. Among the best and most expensive of Alphonso are said to grow on a small Natwarlal plantation in Ratnagiri, and are hand-harvested.

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Did you know Velcro which is used in a number of products today was an accidental invention?

Did you know that the same Velcro that allows you to strap on your floaters in an instant, is also used in the Jarvik-7 artificial heart to attach the chambers? NASA astronauts find Velcro indispensable-it holds down objects which would otherwise float away in zero gravity.  

Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral got the idea for Velcro in 1955, when he hike with his dog. When he returned home, he found innumerable burrs stuck to his coat and socks and to the dog’s fur. Curious, De Mestral examined a burr under a microscope. He discovered that it had tiny hooks on its surface that caught in the loops of the fabric (and animal fur). De Mestral devised a way of reproducing the hook and loop arrangement in woven nylon. He called it Velcro-from the French velours (velvet) and crochet (hook).

Velcro can be reused hundreds of times, sometimes outlasting the product to which it is attached! It is peelable and has enormous shear strength or resistance to sideways forces. A piece less than 1.2 cm square can support a load of 1 tonne! Today Velcro is used in an infinite number of products, comes in various colours and is made not only from nylon but also from steel and plastic.

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What are the interesting facts about Croatia?

Croatia is located in the northwestern part of the Balkan peninsula. The country declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. However, it faced four years of war and a decade of authoritarian nationalism under President Franjo Tudjman.

History

Historically, Croatia was a bridge connecting the central European and Mediterranean worlds.

The first Croats settled here around 500 AD. From 1868 till the end of World War II, it was ruled by Hungary and then it became a part of Yugoslavia.

In the early 1990s, Communism collapsed in eastern Europe. While being part of Yugoslavia, different ethnic groups in the Croatian region began to fight for power and independence.

After Croatia declared its independence in 1991, a civil war began between the Croatians and Serbians. The war came to an end with the signing of the Dayton Agreement in December 1995.

After the fall of Communism in Croatia, the government converted the economy from the Yugoslav system of socialist self-management to market-oriented capitalism.

Geography

The country is small, crescent-shaped, and geographically diverse. It has low mountains and highlands near the Adriatic coastline.

There are flat plains near the Hungarian border. Near the mountainous regions, winters are snowy and the summers are mild. The coastal areas have hot, sunny summers and mild winters. The highest mountain here is Dinara, located in the central mountain belt.

Flora and fauna

Due to the country’s diverse geography, the flora and fauna are also varied. While on the Dalmatian coast, grapes and olives are grown, Istria is covered with firs, and Slavonia has oak forests.

The country has wolves, bears, hares, foxes, boars, wildcats, and mouflons (wild sheep). The sea life in the Adriatic includes several coral reefs, and underwater caves serve as habitats.

People

There are several ethnic groups in the country. Croats are the largest ethnic group. Serbs are the largest minority group though their population decreased after the 1990s war of independence.

The other populations include Bosnian Muslims, Hungarians, Italians, and Slovenes as well as some Albanians, Austrians, Bulgarians, Czechs, Germans, and other nationalities.

The diversity in population has influenced its cuisine. Along the coast, fish is served with blitva, which is a Swiss chard mixed with potatoes and garlic in olive oil.

The country’s literary history dates back to about 1100. The first book in the Croatian language was Hrvoje’s Missal, a liturgical text printed in 1483.

UNESCO has included several sites on its World Heritage List, such as the old city of Dubrovnik and Split, which contains the ruins of the palace of Roman emperor Diocletian.

Sports in Croatis dates back to the Roman times (medieval knights’ tournaments). The organised sport began in the country in late 19th Century, when the first sports associations were founded. In 1874, Hrvatski Sokol (Croatian Falcon) was founded. It soon became the largest organisation in the country promoting modern gymnastics and other branches of sports such as cycling, fencing, equestrianism, athletics, skating, tennis, etc.

Government

By early 2003, Slovenia became the second former Yugoslav republic to have applied for membership in the European Union (EU). On July 1, 2013, the country became the 28th member state of the EU.

The President is elected by a popular vote to a five-year term. However, his role is mainly ceremonial. Though the President appoints the Prime Minister, the parliament approves the nomination.

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When does a paper set on fire doesn’t burn to ash? Let’s find out by an experiment!

What you need:

A lighter or a matchbox, a piece of plain paper, water, rubbing alcohol (70% strength), a glass, a measuring cup, a pair of tongs, adult supervision.

What to do:

In the glass, mix 30 ml of water and 90 ml of rubbing alcohol. Stir the mixture well.

Using the tongs, dip the paper into the mixture. Soak it completely.

Lift the paper out of the liquid and shake off any extra droplets. Stow the glass with the mixture away from your experiment table.

Now, using the lighter or a matchstick, set the bottom part of the paper on fire while still holding it with the tongs.

What happens:

If all goes well, the paper should catch fire but it doesn't bum to ash. In fact, the flame goes out, leaving your paper intact.

 Why?

The key is water. If you had dipped the paper into a pure alcohol solution, the paper would have burnt to a crisp.

But when you ignite the paper that is soaked in a water-alcohol mixture, the water absorbs most of the heat generated by the flame and starts to evaporate. This absorption and evaporation of water does not allow the temperature to rise to the point where the paper starts to burn. Needless to say that if the ratio of the alcohol and water is altered, the paper will burn!

Picture Credit : Google 

Can microorganisms blow up balloons?

What you need:

Three small balloons, three packets of yeast, sugar, warm water, three one-litre plastic bottles

What to do:

  • Fill up each bottle with about one inch of very warm water.
  • Put one packet of yeast into each bottle.
  • Now, in the first bottle, put one teaspoon of sugar; in the second one, put two teaspoons, and three teaspoons in the third. Cap all the bottles and shake them well.
  • Open the caps and put the three balloons on the bottles' necks. Leave the bottles undisturbed for a couple of hours.

 What happens:

The balloons begin to inflate in a while. The bottle with the maximum amount of sugar has the most inflated balloon.

 Why?

Yeasts are nothing but a kind of microorganism. They like to feed on sugar. Which is why they are used mostly in baking.

Yeasts require warmth and moisture to become active.

When yeasts begin to feed on sugar, carbon dioxide gas is released. This gas fills the bottle and then inflates the balloon. The more sugar the yeasts get to eat, the more gas they release and the more the balloon inflates.

Picture Credit : Google