Christopher Columbus was an Italian from Genoa living in Portugal. Although in the fifteenth century most people still believed that the world was flat, others including Columbus, had come to believe it was round. If this was so, he argued, a ship could sail around the globe and return to its original starting point. Thus the shortest route to the …

The night vision of owls is 100 times as keen as that of human beings, because their eyes are especially adapted for seeing in the dark. But most are almost color-blind and the pictures they receive are slightly blurred. This is because their eyes contain more rod-shaped receptor cells than cone-shaped ones. Operating in bright light, cone cells sharpen details …

Vampire bats are dangerous because they carry rabies and other diseases and infect their victims as they suck the blood which is their only food. Vampire bats (Desmodontidae) are found only in South and Central America. They have extremely sharp teeth and pierce the skin of their prey so gently that the victim does not awaken. Blood is drawn into …

The plane in which the earth orbits the sun is called the ecliptic. From earth, the sun appears to move across the ecliptic in one year. This circle of 360 degrees is divided into 12 equal sectors of 30 degrees each. Each of these segments is represented by one zodiac sign. The zodiac is the circle or belt, which the …

Nippon is the Japanese name for Japan. It literally means ‘the sun’s origin’, which is often translated as the land of the rising sun. The Japanese name Nippon is used mostly for official purposes, including on the currency, in the constitution, on postage stamps and at many international sporting events. Nippon first appeared in history only at the end of …

The Emmy Awards were instituted by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) as a television equivalent for the Academy Awards for films. The first Emmy Award ceremony was held in January 1949. The name ‘Emmy’ chosen by ATAS is the feminization of ‘Immy’ — the nickname for the image of the orthicon camera tube that led to the …

The giant or King Protea, South Africa’s national flower, is the largest of the proteas species, which make up an important part of the Cape Floral Region, a major global biodiversity hotspot and UNESCO World Heritage site. The South African cricket team got its name from this flower with pink and yellow petals. Similarly, South Africa’s rugby team is called …

Most animals have skin colour that makes them merge into their surroundings. They become near invisible unless you look very closely. But some reptiles such as the sea-snakes, coral snakes and frogs of Central and South America are brilliantly coloured or have bright bands like deep yellow, orange, pink on their bodies. They are easily visible among the green leaves …

Moths are attracted to lights at night because they mistake them for the light of the moon, which they use as a means of navigation. These other lights confuse the moths and make them lose their sense of direction. In trying to keep the artificial light at the same angle as the moon’s they circle it and come closer. Collectors …

Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colours, not only black, because dark colours absorb heat and lighter colours tend to reflect heat. Since mosquitoes have sophisticated and highly sensitive heat sensors, they tend to be more attracted to victims dressed in darker clothes, where there is more heat.