During the 1800s, inventors were frantically working to develop reliable methods of recording sound. The first sound ever recorded, in 1860, comprised a few bars of the French traditional song Au clair de la lune. The singer never heard her recording—because at that time only a recording device had been developed—but thanks to the wonders [more...]
Nowadays, the word idiot is most commonly heard as an insult traded between motorists, but it’s not so long ago that idiots were counted in the national census. In recent centuries, “idiot” was not a perjorative term but the name for a person with profound mental retardation. In Latin, an idiota is a private person [more...]
An outhouse is a toilet that has been built outside the building it serves. An outhouse can be plumbed into the sewerage system, in which case it’s not much different from an indoor toilet. But in rural areas the outhouse may be more primitive—it may be a pit toilet (also known as a dunny or [more...]
The numerous words for “toilet” arise because: There are various types of toilet, many of which have distinct names, Some people don’t like to allude to bodily functions by referring to a toilet by name, so many euphemisms have been devised, and The colloquial names for toilets are often regional, so different places use different [more...]
Dupion silk fabric is not “as smooth as silk”. The texture is uneven with intermittent stretches of nubbly thread in the weave. It may be used for elegant clothing and furnishings now, but it had to overcome its original reputation for being an inferior, rough silk. Making silk begins with gathering heaps of silkworm cocoons. [more...]
Which American soldier serving in the US military was awarded Britain’s Victoria Cross? Not only that, which British soldier serving in British military forces was awarded America’s Medal of Honor? Both seem impossible as order viagra online both medals are the highest military honours for each country and are only awarded to a person in [more...]
Chimpanzees are the closest living relatives of humans, in terms of the similarity of their DNA. Although thousands of chimpanzees are held in captivity around the world, the public is rarely able to interact closely with them. However, at Tenerife’s Monkey Park (in the Canary Islands) it’s possible to touch a chimpanzee. At Monkey Park [more...]
Railway level crossings have recently been in the news in the UK following the deaths of two young girls at a level crossing in Essex. But what different types of railway level crossings are there? Network Rail is responsible for the railway infrastructure in the UK. According to their website there are ’9000 level crossings [more...]