18 little-known facts about our world

How do cats purr? What was the speed of a tyrannosaurus? Do you know what name Emperor Caligula was called? Some curious facts are not told in the classroom, but it’s never too late to learn, isn’t it?

O awesome.club found answers to the toughest questions and we want to share them with everyone.

The most recent research shows that the “purring device” is made up of the hyoid, a thin sublingual bone. It is located between the base of the skull and the root of the cat’s tongue. In moments of pleasure, the muscles are reduced, causing a vibration in the vocal cords.

The stereotype about the high cost of diamonds arose in the 20th century thanks to marketers from the De Beers company. The slogan “Diamonds Forever” (diamonds forever) was invented in 1947 and Marilyn Monroe became the main face. This shows that the high price is not due to the fact that the stone is carved. But the sapphire, which has always been highly prized by the inhabitants of ancient Persia, it remains a rare and precious stone, its value can exceed the price of a diamond.

There are approximately 240 bones in a cat’s body. In its tail alone there are 23 vertebrae. Through simple calculations, we can see that this is 10% of the total. The exception is breeds with a short tail.

The chemicals that make up the repellents affect the insects’ sense of smell by blocking the receptors, and it is through them that these little bloodsuckers find their prey. Therefore, a person temporarily becomes “invisible” to insects.

All planets in the solar system rotate clockwise. The exceptions are Venus and Uranus. This phenomenon is called retrograde motion. Venus rotates on its own axis from east to west, and Uranus’ axis is tilted such that the planet rotates “on its side”.

One of the most reliable versions suggests that the “$” sign represented the Spanish peso, used in the colonies, particularly in America. It is believed that the “$” symbol is the abbreviation of the word weight and over the letter “S” is the letter “P”, which has been reduced to one or two vertical lines. This symbol is found in Oliver Pollock’s 1778 letter, next to the sum of the weights. However, the dollar sign was put into circulation in the US in 1861.

After the conquest of England by the Normans, the nobility introduced the French language. “Legal French” was the official language of judges and jurists until the 18th century. The motto on the coat of arms of Great Britain, “God is my right” (Dieu et mon droit), is written in French. Some terms are still used by the Parliament of Great Britain.

“Aviator” lenses are fully justified by their name. They were created in 1938 for American pilots and for a long time they were not available to the general public. They gained popularity after the height of World War II, when ordinary Americans tried to emulate soldiers from war returning home. Because of this, there was mass production.

When we look at clouds with the naked eye, we believe that they move slowly. But in fact they can reach speeds that some drivers might even envy. Large clouds are found at an altitude of 6 to 12 km. Its speed, depending on the wind and atmospheric layer, can reach 150 to 200 km/h, which can be compared to that of a train.

Sneezing occurs due to irritation of the nasal mucous membranes, and during sleep, the sensitivity is much lower and the impulses are not so strong. However, if there is a sufficiently strong stimulus, for example, a smell of smoke, the human organism will enter a drowsy state. Therefore, if there is a strong enough irritation on the human mucosa, then you will still sneeze and at the same time wake up.

Although Australia is reputed to be a country with a huge amount of spiders and venomous snakes, bees and wasps are also deadly animals. According to national surveys, the number of deaths due to snake bites is equal to the number of deaths due to bee and wasp stings. The venom of these insects can cause a strong allergic reaction. Most people underestimate the danger and don’t immediately go to the doctor.

According to history, the flag with two horizontal bands with blue and red colors was chosen by two governments: Liechtenstein and Haiti. But no one knew about it and the confusion happened at the 1936 Olympic Games. In 1937, the prince’s crown appeared on the flag of Liechtenstein.

Scientists at the University of Manchester carried out computer modeling which confirmed that the Tyrannosaurus could not run, it simply walked fast. This giant weighed more than 7 tons. Studies have shown that running at that weight would cause “an unacceptable large load on the skeleton.” In this case, the Tyrannosaurus was not a sprinter and was moving at a top speed of 27 km/h. But the question arises: how did he get his food? The hypothesis has arisen that, in general, Tyrannosaurus may not have been a detritivore (animals that feed on organic remains).

The nickname “Caligula”, which literally translates as “soldier’s boot”, was early received by the Roman emperor due to the custom of wearing historical clothing. The real name of this man, who went down in history as a tyrant and a madman, was Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. However, he was remembered by his descendants under the pseudonym Caligula.

Cashew grows into an apple. The actual fruit is the nut, located on the outside of the pseudofruit, according to botanical terminology, and adjacent to it. It is gray and kidney-shaped, hard and dry, about 3 to 5 cm, where the seed is lodged.

It may seem strange, but the color of the sun is white. However, from the ground it appears yellow because the atmosphere passes reddish-yellow rays and refracts violet-green rays.

Scientists at Queen’s University Belfast conducted research which showed that, in most cases, animals use the same leg to play or to “get” a piece of food. Unlike people, cats have the same number of right-handed and left-handed people, but females are mostly right-handed.

When we look at Giovanni Stanchi’s painting, produced in the mid-17th century, it is not possible to guess at first that, in this still life, the painter represented a watermelon. This fruit from Africa arrived in Europe and 500 years ago it was totally different. Watermelon’s well-known appearance was achieved through the selection process, and over several centuries its lycopene content was increased. This substance is responsible for the red color of the pulp.

Leave in the comments what surprised you the most. Don’t forget to share: the world needs to know about these incredible discoveries!