Barcodes

Barcodes When you checkout from a supermarket, the person at the counter checks all that you have bought by flashing a small light at a set of lines marked somewhere on every item. How does this system of checking work?A barcode is machine-readable information. It allows data to be collected accurately and rapidly about the product such as what product it is, the country where it was manufactured, prices, stocks left and so on.A Barcode symbol consists of a series of parallel bars and spaces. Each of these wide and narrow bars and spaces in the pattern represents a character which in turn represents some kind of a code. Such as, numbers 00-13...

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Apes And Human

The Relationship between Apes and Humans Since scientists developed the ability to decode the genome and compare the genetic makeup of species, some people have been stunned to learn that about 98.5% of the genes in people and chimpanzees are identical. This finding means chimps are the closest living biological relatives to humans, but it does not mean that humans evolved from chimps. What it does indicate is that humans share a common ancestor with modern African apes (i.e., gorillas and chimpanzees), making us very, very distant cousins. We are therefore related to these other living primates, but we did not descend from them.Modern humans...

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Amazing Language Facts

Amazing Language Facts There are more than 2,700 languages in the world. In addition, there are more than 7,000 dialects.A dialect is a regional variety of a language that has a different pronunciation, vocabulary, or meaning.The most difficult language to learn is Basque, which is spoken in northwestern Spain and southwestern France. It is not related to any other language in the world. It has an extremely complicated word structure and vocabulary.All pilots on international flights identify themselves in English.Somalia is the only African country in which the entire population speaks the same language, Somali.The language in which a government conducts business is the official language of that country.More than 1,000 different languages are spoken on the continent of Africa.Many languages...

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All About Lotus

All about LotusA symbol of purity, fertility, eternity and the divine seat of the goddess Lakshmi, the lotus is also the National Flower of India. Here’s why this flower is so pure.In India, the lotus is considered as a sacred flower and a lot of folklore and religious mythology is woven around it. It is also the national flower of India.Religious and social symbolismThe lotus stands tall, clean and beautiful despite its murky surroundings. Rich in meaning and metaphor; it is considered as the foremost symbol of purity, beauty, wealth and fertility. It is also symbolic of youth and feminine beauty.Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, and several...

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Whales!

Whales are the gigantic ocean mammals that are enormous with powerful tails. The interesting thing about these large sea mammals is that they are virtually harmless and are highly social animals with complex languages and intelligence, just the opposite as giant animals or whales are shown in movies. They are called gentle giants because of their nature. Blue whales are the biggest of all. They feed on krill, a tiny shrimp that lives in tremendously large schools in almost every ocean of the world. A big blue whale can eat over a thousand krill at one time just by swallowing them with a tongue that weights as much as an elephant. From this...

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Jellyfish

While strolling on the sea beach sometimes we can see a kind of creature that looks like something transparent. They are the jelly fish that might have been brought on shore by the huge waves of the sea. Kids are often very curious to know more about these sea creatures mostly because the kids are attracted for the looks that a jelly fish bears. The striking information is that they are one of the oldest species and they are believed to have appeared in the oceans about 650 million years ago, even before the dinosaurs. They are still found in large numbers in the sea in various sizes and shapes. Though it is hard to believe but the fact is...

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How Do Animals See Color?

The world is full of colors. Do you know how animals see color? Different types of animals see colors in different ways. Some animals have very poor color vision, for example dogs, cats, mice, rats and rabbits. In fact, they see mostly greys and some blues and yellows. The most common mistake that we make is that we think that a red cape makes a bull angry. But the real thing is that bulls are color blind. They charge the red cape just because it is moving and not because it is red. Some animals do have good color vision. Monkeys, ground squirrels, birds, insects, and many fish can see a fairly good range of color. In some cases it’s not as good as what we humans see – but it’s much better than cats and dogs. Scientists say that good color vision in some animals helps them in finding food...

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Polar Bears

There are different types of animals that can only survive in the coolest places on the earth. Heard of polar bears? Arctic sea ice, water, islands, and continental coastlines around the Arctic Circle are dwelling place to these gigantic carnivores. The temperatures where these bears live ranges from an average -29°F/-34°C in winter and 32°F/0°C in summer. The coldest area in winter is northeastern Siberia, where the temperature has been recorded as low as -92°F/-69°C is not at all a place suitable for us but it is absolutely fine with these polar bears whose body is covered naturally with an extremely dense fur coat. Do you know what...

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Kids Love Penguins

Hey kids, do you remember about the penguins in the Hollywood blockbuster film, “Happy Feet”? You must be eager to know more about penguins, right? Here are some general facts about penguins that you will care to know. Penguins are sea birds that cannot fly. They mostly dwell in the Southern Hemisphere. In all, there are 18 species of penguins, found in South Australia, New Zealand, and off the coasts of Peru, Chile, and South Africa. Some species live as far north as the equatorial Galapagos Islands, but they are primarily cold-weather birds. There are seven species of Antarctic penguins: the Adelie, Gentoo, Macaroni, Chinstrap, Rockhopper,...

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CHRISTMAS TREES

CHRISTMAS TREESThe tradition of the Christmas tree dates back to the middle ages and caught on in the United States in the 1800′s. Today, approximately 15,000 US growers tend one million acres of Christmas tree farmland.The price for trees averages $5.65 per foot. Among some of top selling trees in the US are: Balsam fir, Douglas fir, Eastern white pine, Fraser fir, Noble fir, Scotch pine and Virginia pine. In 1996, 37 million Christmas trees were sold in the US alon...

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Chocolate Facts!

Chocolates are always favourite with kids. Kids can indulge themselves in chocolates anytime. Now here are some interesting facts for the kids about chocolates. Chocolate is actually obtained from the cacao tree, which is 12 meters high and bears small pinkish flowers that grow into pods, and each pod produces 20 to 40 beans. A tree is likely to bear 60 to 70 such pods after its fourth year. After harvesting, the pod is split and the beans are allowed to ferment for several days. Then the beans are dried, cleaned, roasted and ground to yield a paste called chocolate liquor. After further processing and blending, this paste is made into a variety...

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Footwear Facts

Footwear FactsSandals originated in warm climates where the soles of the feet needed protection but the top of the foot needed to be cool.4,000 years ago the first shoes were made of a single piece of rawhide that enveloped the foot for both warmth and protection.In Europe pointed toes on shoes were fashionable from the eleventh to the fifteenth centuries.In the Middle East heels were added to shoes to lift the foot from the burning sand.In Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries heels on shoes were always colored red.Shoes all over the world were identical until the nineteenth century, when left- and right-footed shoes were first made in Philadelphia.In Europe it wasn’t until the eighteenth century that women’s shoes were different from men’s.Six-inch-high heels were worn by the...

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Interesting Facts

Which is the largest living bird?Ostrich is the largest living bird. It is 2 – 2.5 meters tall and weighs anywhere from 70 to 135 killograms. Ostrich can run at the speed of 40 mph. They have excellent eyesight, powerful legs and large external ear canalsDo fishes ever sleep?Most fishes do not sleep, as they do not have eyelids. But they do rest when the light dims.They rest against rocks, bracing themselves with their fins. Many fishes rest during the day and are active during the night.How did “hippopotamus” get its name?The word “hippopotamus” means “river horse”. The animal got this name because it spends much of its time in the water and its wide nostrils and ears look like that of a horse.What is the origin of the dog?All living members of the dog family are descendants of a wolf-like...

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(GK) Facts: Animals, Birds & Trees

1. The bird which has no wings at allKiwi 2. Which is the flying mammalBat 3. Of major insect groups, which are the only ones with just one pair of wingsFlies 4. What is the name of the animal which has a tongue lower than its bodyChameleon 5. Which food crop has the maximum content of proteinsSoybeans 6. Which flowerless plants found mostly in water and having chlorophyllAlgae 7. The drug which reduces blood pressure is obtained from the root of the plantRauwolfia serpentine 8. The most effective pesticide for general use against most garden pests isMalathion 9. Rows of trees grown along the coastal areas to reduce the impact of Cyclones are called asMangroves 10. Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History is situated atCoimbatore 11. One...

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The biggest newspaper market in the world

With a sale of 107 million newspapers daily, India is the biggest newspaper market in the world. Together with China and Japan, it accounts for over 60 per cent of the global newspaper sale...

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The Blue moon

There are 12 full moons most years but every two or three years there is an extra full moon which is called a “Blue moon...

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150 more (un)known GK Facts

* Turtles have no teeth. * Prehistoric turtles may have weighed as much as 5,000 pounds. * Only one out of a thousand baby sea turtles survives after hatching. * Sea turtles absorb a lot of salt from the sea water in which they live. They excrete excess salt from their eyes, so it often looks as though they're crying. * Helium is a colorless, odorless, tasteless inert gas at room temperature and makes up about 0.0005% of the air we breathe. * Helium Balloon Gas makes balloons float. Helium is lighter than air and just as the heaviest things will tend to fall to the bottom, the lightest things will rise to the top. * Helium Balloon Gas makes balloons float. Helium is lighter than air and just as the heaviest things will tend to fall to the bottom, the lightest things will rise to the top. *...

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50 THINGS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

The word "queue" is the only word in the English language that is still pronounced the same way when the last four letters are removed.Beetles taste like apples, wasps like pine nuts, and worms  like fried bacon. Of all the words in the English language, the word 'set' has the most definitions! What is called a "French kiss" in the English speaking world is known as an "English kiss" in France. "Almost" is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order. "Rhythm" is the longest English word without a vowel. In 1386, a pig in France was executed by public hanging for the murder of a child A cockroach can live several weeks with its head cut off! Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete. You can't kill yourself by holding your breath There...

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Amazing Facts about India

Amazing Facts about India and Indians! India is the world's largest, oldest, continuous civilization. India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history. India is the world's largest democracy. Varanasi, also known as Benares, was called "the ancient city" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C.E, and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today. India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta. The World's first university was established in Takshashila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education. Sanskrit is the mother...

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Giraffe

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is the tallest living terrestrial animal species. On average, it is about 4.3 metres to 5.2 metres tall. Giraffes belong to the family giraffidae. It is believed that the giraffids evolved from a 3 metres tall antelope-like mammal that roamed Europe and Asia some 30–50 million years ago.Fully grown male giraffes weigh between 800 and 1,930 kilograms and fully grown female giraffes weigh between 550 and 1,180 kilograms. As the forelegs of giraffes are about 10% longer than their hind legs, giraffes can reach a sprint speed of up to 60 km/h. A giraffe's heart measures about 60 cm long and weighs upto...

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