There are facts about the world we live in that we find very difficult to believe. These facts raise several questions in our minds that we find answers to. Questions like: Are diamonds as rare as they are perceived to be? How do repellants work on insects? Or is it possible that some planets are in the same direction as the earth? keep some people looking for answers and we have set out to provide answers to them in this article.
1. The Fear of Spiders Makes You Notice them More
Are you are scared of spiders? Then you have the highest probability of noticing its presence in the room than any other person. This is according to researchers who were investigating what easily draws people’s attention. They found out that fear is the most potent feeling that draws one’s attention. They found out that people are programmed to locate and avoid their source of fear.
2. Pure Sapphires Cost more than Diamonds, Especially Blue Sapphires
The value of a gem depends on how precious it is. Generally, diamonds are assumed to be expensive because of their rarity. But that cannot be further from the truth. Diamonds aren’t as rare as people think. And they come at a high cost because of the marketing strategy of De Beers. Blue sapphires are very rare even when compared to diamonds. And they are much more expensive, harder, and more durable than diamonds. That means, they are bound to last longer than diamonds on jewellery.
3. Insect Repellents Don’t Scare Insects, they Hide you from the Insects
Insect repellents do not scare away the insects from you, as people think. Rather, what they do is to shield human beings from being in the radar of the mosquitoes. They block the mosquito’s olfaction from detecting the presence of a human being. Scientists have discovered different ways and types of chemicals that can be used to block the senses of mosquitoes. However, there are other ways they can use to detect the presence of human beings if you get very close to where they are. To get the best result from a mosquito repellant, the ingredients to use are the oil of lemon eucalyptus and DEET.
4. Aviator Sunglasses was Originally Designed for the Military and Not General Use
During the late 1920s and early 1930s, American pilots encountered a lot of problems whenever they fly their planes to high altitudes. At that level, the temperature dips to below the freezing level and the airplane got flooded with rays from the sunlight. This affected their vision, as they could not see well under the blazing light. As a result, the Army Air Corps met with a company that deals in optics called Bausch & Lamb, to find a solution to the problem. This brought about the production of the aviation sunglass. It was designed to cover the eyes completely and have anti-shock properties for the safety of the eyes. At the end of the 2nd World War, the war veterans continued wearing them in the public. This drew the interest of the public and the demand soared. This is the beginning of the sunglasses being sold in the civilian market.
5. Tyrannosaurus Rex Could not Run
The information that was given to the public from movies and early documentaries was that tyrannosaurus rex could run extremely fast. However, there has been a new report coming out of the University of Manchester debunking that theory. According to the report, the weight and size of a T-rex could not have given it the freedom to run. The fastest they estimated it could move at is 16 mph. Also, the research said that T-rex could not have been a hunter, but rather a scavenger. This is because its size and weight would not have allowed it to run very fast or cover a great distance to catch an animal.
6. The Color of the Light Emitted by the Sun is Pure White, not Yellow
Viewing the sun from the earth gives the impression that the sun is a golden yellow, red, and orange, going by what the time is when you view it. However, this is an illusion that is made by the atmosphere of the earth. None of these colors represents the actual color of the sun. There are a lot of processes going on in the sun that are so powerful that it radiates every imaginable color. The combination of these colors makes the sun to emit a bright white light. You can only see this when you are in space.
7. A Cat has 10% of its Bones in its Tail
The tail of a mature cat has about 18 to 28 bones. This represents about 10% of all the bones in its body.
8. Uranus and Venus Rotates in Opposite Direction to the Rest of the Planets
What could be the reason why Uranus and Venus are spinning in directions that are different from those of other planets? The earth and other planets rotate from west to east. But Venus spins from east to west on its axis, Uranus spins on its sides. Their movement is called retrograde rotation. That means it is rotating against the sun’s movement. The theory given by scientists is that these two planets were rotating in the same direction as other planets. But at a time in the past, they had collusion with a heavy object which had altered their movement.
9. Cashew Nuts Sprout from Cashew Apples
Many people do not know this but the cashew nut is a seed. However, unlike other seeds, cashew nuts grow on cashew apple. Other seeds grow within the fruit. It is possible to see a cashew apple having multiple cashew nuts. The cashew apple has some that come in red color and some in yellow. But they are all tasty and good for the body.
10. Clouds Can Travel at a Speed of Up to 100mph
When you look at the clouds, they look puffy, with a slow movement. But do not let that deceive you, in a day, clouds have the ability to travel more than a hundred miles. Some clouds form at about 5000 feet. These are the low forming clouds. The high forming ones can be as high as 30000 feet or more like cirrus. The speed of the movement of a cloud depends on its altitude. Cirrus clouds, which form at high levels move as fast as 100 mph when jet stream pushes them along. On the other hand, when there is a thunderstorm, the cloud moves at about 30 – 40 mph.
11. A Cat’s Vocal Cords Help it Purr
Cats use their laryngeal muscles to make the purring sound. This muscle vibrates the vocal cords. The frequency of the vibration is at 25 to 150 vibration p/sec. With the passing of air over the vibrating cords while breathing, it purrs. However, nobody knows what makes them purr.