Archive for January, 2017
What sunrise looks like on different planets
It’s impossible to imagine life on our planet without the Sun. We’ve all seen how incredible sunrise and sunset can be — it’s something you just can’t tear your eyes away from. But have you ever tried to imagine what this might look like from the vantage point of different planets and moons in our solar system?
The digital illustrations made by Ron Miller, who has spent decades depicting the vistas beyond our world, can help us here.
Is today *really* the most depressing day of the year?
It’s not unusual to be feeling a little glum at this time of year. The festivities are over, you’re back at work, the weather is bleak and pay day still seems a long way away. These factors contribute to what is annually dubbed as ‘the most depressing day of the year’ or ‘Blue Monday’.
Read the article here!
Friday the 13th: History, Origins, Myths and Superstitions of the Unlucky Day
Watch out! Today is Friday the 13th, known by many as the unluckiest day of the year.
While many will laugh off the superstitious day, others will remain in bed paralyzed by fear and avoid daily tasks, conducting business or traveling. In the U.S., an estimated 17 to 21 million people suffer from a fear of Friday the 13th, according to a study by the North Carolina Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute.
Read the article here!
January Trivia
- The Romans named January after Janus, the God of beginnings and transitions. Janus had two faces, one looking at the past and what’s coming to an end, and one looking forward, towards new beginnings and what’s coming.
- January’s birthstone is Garnet, which represents balance!
- The flower connected with this month, is the carnation, which symbolizes love, fascination and distinction.
- January is also the National Donate Blood month, so if you are a donor, now is the month to give the gift of life to someone! Such an amazing start of the year, don’t you think?
- It is considered the coldest month in the Northern hemisphere, but not the Southern.
- January days are the coldest in the UK, whereas the coldest nights are during February.
- The only Shakespeare plays that mention January are “Much Ado about nothing” and “Winter’s Tale”.
- It’s the National Soup month in the USA
Sources:
http://www.flowermeaning.com/carnation-flower-meaning/
http://www.prettyopinionated.com/2013/01/fun-trivia-facts-about-january/
http://www.tipsywriter.com/blog/6-interesting-facts-about-january/
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/top10facts/549736/Top-10-facts-about-January
Learning a language makes you more tolerant, so why aren’t more universities encouraging it?
There are many benefits to knowing more than one language. For example, it has been shown that aging adults who speak more than one language have less likelihood of developing dementia.
Additionally, the bilingual brain becomes better at filtering out distractions, and learning multiple languages improves creativity. Evidence also shows that learning subsequent languages is easier than learning the first foreign language.
Unfortunately, not all American universities consider learning foreign languages a worthwhile investment.
Read the article here!
Ten intriguing logical puzzles with a catch
Solve the puzzles here!