What is styrofoam made of?
»> It is a synthetic material that is a registered trademark of the German company Basf. It is made from a polymer – a set of successive clusters of molecules – of the chemical compound styrene, expanded into small hollow…
Categoría Oddities
What is the origin of tic-tac-toe?
»> The earliest reference to this hobby came from excavations at the temple of Kurna, from the 14th century BC, in Egypt. Archaeological findings, however, show that it was developed independently in different regions of the planet, such as ancient…
Why do some clothes shrink when washed?
»> It may sound weird, but that’s because fabrics are already shrunken by nature. In fact, the big change takes place during the manufacturing process, when clothes go through machines that stretch their fibers, which are naturally shrunk. This means…
How did margarine come about?
»> It all started with a contest instituted in 1869 by Napoleon III (1808-1873). At that time, France was engulfed in a complicated economic crisis and lacking in various foodstuffs. Butter became so scarce that the government decided to challenge…
What is the most expensive liquid in the world?
The most expensive drops in the world are the true coral snake venom: 1 milliliter of it costs almost 60 thousand reais! To get to the champion of liquids, we looked for liquids of all kinds, from organic compounds (such…
Elizabeth Báthory, the Blood Countess
ILLUSTRATES Edward Belgian 1) elizabeth was the daughter of nobility, born in a influential family of 16th century Hungary. As a child, he suffered from seizures, followed by mood swings and fits of rage. At the age of 15, she…
Wayne Williams, the serial killer who became the «Monster of Atlanta»
Wayne Williams (1958-) was born and raised in the neighborhood in Dixie Hills, in Atlanta. He was a good student and never repeated in year. At the end of secondary school, he showed great interest in becoming a journalist. He…
What is the anatomy of the dengue mosquito?
dengue 1ILLUSTRATIONS: Erika Onodera It has special eyes and salivary glands to detect humans and an imperceptible sting – in other words, it is a perfect agent of infection. So much so that Aedes aegypti transmits yellow fever, dengue, zika…
How does hovercraft work?
AP1-88 In English, the term means something like “a vessel that hovers in the air” – and that’s exactly what the machine does. “These are vehicles that, instead of resting on the ground, float on a mattress of pressurized air”,…
If Brazil were still a monarchy, who would be the emperor?
He would be the great-grandson of Princess Isabel and Count D’Eu – great-great-grandson of d. Pedro II, the last emperor to rule Brazil. His name is Dom Luiz de Orleans e Bragança and he currently lives in São Paulo (SP).…