ten things i didn't know until last week

1. The capital of Bhutan, Thimpu, doesn't have a single traffic light.
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2. Wolverine first made his debut in Hulk #180 (November 1974) as a throway character for an adventure in Canada.
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3. According to music historians - 'Rocket 88' a 1951 record by Ike Turner and 'The Fat Man' by Fats Domino in 1949 - are two records that can legitimately claim to being the first rock 'n' roll record.
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4. The Keeling Curve - first tracked 50 years ago - shows the upward climb of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Considered now to be a scientific icon alongside E=mc2 and the double helix, it was the Keeling Curve (and Dr.Keeling's tireless efforts) that first established the connection between the burning of the fossil fuels and rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
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5. When constructed, the pyramids at Giza were white in colour - because of the highly polished limestone casings that covered their entire surface. All the stone casings have now been stolen leaving exposed the underlying step pyramid core structure.
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6. The word algorithm comes from the name of Persian astronomer and mathematician, Al-Khwarizmi. A misunderstanding of the title of a Latin translation of his work, led to the latin word 'algorismus' meaning 'calculation method.'
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7. Columbus never set foot on the North American mainland.
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8. Hylozoism is the belief that all matter has life.
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9. The words mickle and muckle mean the same thing - 'a large amount.' However, the phrase 'many a mickle makes a muckle' (originally a misquotation) has led to the misunderstanding that mickle means 'a small amount.'
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10. The cups in 'The Last Supper' are transparent.
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[Original pic by tschneider]

Comments

[Bharat]

Regarding #6, its interesting to note that the term algebra comes from al-Khwārizmī's book titled 'Al-Kitab al-Jabr wa-l-Muqabala'

[blaiq]

Thanks for the addition, Bharat. Apparently the Spanish and Portuguese words for digit, guarismo and algarismo respectively, are also derived from his name. Not surprising, since he's credited with introducing the decimal system to the western world.

[Rory Sutherland]

Hank Williams' "Move It On Over" (1947) may be the more legitimate contender for the first Rock & Roll record.