The weight of a carat (200 milligrams), standard unit of measurement for gemstones, is based on the weight of the carob seed.
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Research indicates that plants grow healthier when they are stroked.
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Optical illusions occur when what the eyes see conflicts with what the brain expects.
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In the 1950s, the US government placed beer next to an atomic bomb blast to determine if it was still drinkable. The result: in the event of a nuclear war, beer is safe to drink!
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Nearly 50% of the world's scientists are assigned to military projects.
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Only 12,000 years ago there was a species closely related to modern humans called Homo floresiensis that had been living on an Indonesian Island. They used fire and rather advanced tools, yet were only about 3 feet tall and weighed around 25kg.
15
A cubic yard of air weighs about 2 pounds at sea level.
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