90% of the population of the Americas died after first contact, making it the largest mass death in history with 10% of the global population dying.

People & Society, Reference, Sensitive Subjects /

European colonization of the Americas killed 10 percent of world population and caused global cooling While Europe was in the early days of the Renaissance, there were empires in the Americas sustaining more than 60 million people. But the first European contact in 1492 brought diseases to the Americas which devastated the native population, and […]

90% of the population of the Americas died after first contact, making it the largest mass death in history with 10% of the global population dying. Read More »

Scientists developed an experimental “universal treatment” for allergies. While still being tested, it works by wrapping allergens in a nanoparticle which sneaks it past the immune system. This helps the body understand it to be harmless. They so far successfully cured mice with egg allergies.

Allergies /

Scientists Use Nanoparticles to Create a ‘Universal Treatment’ for Allergies Allergies Allergies are common—and depending on what you are allergic to and the severity of your allergies, it can be everything from a daily nuisance, to a debilitating handicap, to deadly. Now, the promise of a ‘universal treatment’ has just come to light. The method

Scientists developed an experimental “universal treatment” for allergies. While still being tested, it works by wrapping allergens in a nanoparticle which sneaks it past the immune system. This helps the body understand it to be harmless. They so far successfully cured mice with egg allergies. Read More »

Frederick the Great, Prussian Monarch from 1740 to 1786, known for his tactical genius on the battlefield, is considered by historians to be primarily homosexual in orientation. Following a demoralizing defeat, he wrote “Fortune has it in for me; she is a woman, and I am not that way inclined.”

History /

Frederick the Great Most modern biographers agree that Frederick was primarily homosexual, and that his sexual orientation was central to his life. After a dispiriting defeat on the battlefield, Frederick wrote: “Fortune has it in for me; she is a woman, and I am not that way inclined.” At age 16, Frederick seems to have

Frederick the Great, Prussian Monarch from 1740 to 1786, known for his tactical genius on the battlefield, is considered by historians to be primarily homosexual in orientation. Following a demoralizing defeat, he wrote “Fortune has it in for me; she is a woman, and I am not that way inclined.” Read More »

The copyright for Anne Franke’s diary was due to expire in 2016. To prevent it from falling into public domain, in 2015 the Anne Frank foundation added her father Otto Frank as a co-author.

Uncategorized /

The Diary of a Young Girl According to the copyright laws in the European Union, as a general rule, rights of authors end seventy years after their death. Hence, the copyright of the diary expired on 1 January 2016. In the Netherlands, for the original publication of 1947 (containing parts of both versions of Anne

The copyright for Anne Franke’s diary was due to expire in 2016. To prevent it from falling into public domain, in 2015 the Anne Frank foundation added her father Otto Frank as a co-author. Read More »

Meet Jólabókaflóðið, an Icelandic tradition of giving books at Christmas. Books are so popular as gifts that, per capita, they read the most books on Earth and publishing occurs just months before Christmas. Many celebrate Christmas by lying in bed eating chocolates and reading one of their books!

Books & Literature /

The Christmas Book Flood: Iceland’s Literature-Loving Holiday Tradition In Iceland, the most popular Christmas gifts aren’t the latest iProducts or kitchen gadgets. They’re books. Each year, Iceland celebrates what’s known as Jólabókaflóðið: the annual Yule Book Flood. The holiday season is the Black Friday of the Icelandic publishing world—but it’s not just about one day.

Meet Jólabókaflóðið, an Icelandic tradition of giving books at Christmas. Books are so popular as gifts that, per capita, they read the most books on Earth and publishing occurs just months before Christmas. Many celebrate Christmas by lying in bed eating chocolates and reading one of their books! Read More »

The Great Wall of China, stretching over 20,000 km (13,000 miles) and built over centuries, never effectively prevented invaders from entering China.

Uncategorized /

Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China is an ancient series of walls and fortifications, totaling more than 13,000 miles in length, located in northern China. Perhaps the most recognizable symbol of China and its long and vivid history, the Great Wall was originally conceived by Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the third

The Great Wall of China, stretching over 20,000 km (13,000 miles) and built over centuries, never effectively prevented invaders from entering China. Read More »

“Sardines” aren’t a specific fish. The word is used for multiple species of small, oily fish. The definition for what constitutes a sardine varies by government and region with the UN citing 21 different species classified as sardines.

Meat & Seafood /

Sardines as food Canada The last remaining sardine packing plant in North America is in Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick. The Brunswick brand, which started as the Connors Brothers in the 1880s, produces sardines (actually, juvenile herring, Clupea harengus) with many flavours. Brunswick claims to be the largest sardine producer in the world. England Stargazy pie

“Sardines” aren’t a specific fish. The word is used for multiple species of small, oily fish. The definition for what constitutes a sardine varies by government and region with the UN citing 21 different species classified as sardines. Read More »

The entrance of the Lascaux cave in southwestern France, famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings, was discovered in 1940 by 18-year-old Marcel Ravidat and his dog, Robot. Robot fell into a hole, and Ravidat explored it with his friends, finding walls covered with depictions of animals.

Tourist Destinations, Visual Art & Design /

Lascaux For Lascaux in the Corrèze department, see Lascaux, Corrèze. Lascaux (French: Grotte de Lascaux, “Lascaux Cave”; English: /læsˈkoʊ/, French: [lasko]) is a complex of caves near the village of Montignac, in the department of Dordogne in southwestern France. Over 600 parietal wall paintings cover the interior walls and ceilings of the cave. The paintings

The entrance of the Lascaux cave in southwestern France, famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings, was discovered in 1940 by 18-year-old Marcel Ravidat and his dog, Robot. Robot fell into a hole, and Ravidat explored it with his friends, finding walls covered with depictions of animals. Read More »

In September 1945 Australian journalist Wilfred Burchett defied US restrictions and snuck into Hiroshima by train. Burchett was the first to tell the world about the effects of radiation on the victims of the bombing, which the US denied both before and after his story was published.

Law & Government /

Wilfred Burchett Wilfred Graham Burchett (16 September 1911 – 27 September 1983) was an Australian journalist known for being the first western journalist to report from Hiroshima after the dropping of the atomic bomb, and for his reporting from “the other side” during the wars in Korea and Vietnam. Burchett began his journalism at the

In September 1945 Australian journalist Wilfred Burchett defied US restrictions and snuck into Hiroshima by train. Burchett was the first to tell the world about the effects of radiation on the victims of the bombing, which the US denied both before and after his story was published. Read More »

Meet Tibs the Great, who kept the British Post Office headquarters in London completely mouse-free during his 14 years of service, from 1950-1964. In 1952 there was “public outrage” that the Post Office cats had not had a pay rise since 1873, and the issue was later raised in the House of Commons.

Hobbies & Leisure, Pets /

Tibs the Great Tibs the Great (November 1950 – December 1964) was the British Post Office’s “number one cat” and kept the post office headquarters in London completely mouse-free during his 14 years of service. He was the son of Minnie, and on his death, several newspapers ran an obituary. Background Cats had been officially

Meet Tibs the Great, who kept the British Post Office headquarters in London completely mouse-free during his 14 years of service, from 1950-1964. In 1952 there was “public outrage” that the Post Office cats had not had a pay rise since 1873, and the issue was later raised in the House of Commons. Read More »

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