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How much water does a fire truck hold?

So I asked one of the firemen and this is what I learned: The typical truck holds 400 to 500 gallons of water, which is only enough to put out a "trash-bin fire" (or a taxi cab fire). A real structure fire requires at least one supply line from the hydrant.

http://m.mentalfloss.com/article.php?id=23781

What Color Does natural gas burn?

On a natural gas appliance, the color of the flame is a good indicator of incomplete combustion. The flame should always burn blue, not orange or yellow. If the flame is not blue, it may be a sign that the appliance needs adjusting or cleaning.

http://www.duke-energy.com/pdfs/100483_natural_gas_safety.pdf

What was the first human invention to break the sound barrier?

The cracking sound a bullwhip makes when properly wielded is, in fact, a small sonic boom. The end of the whip, known as the "cracker", moves faster than the speed of sound, thus creating a sonic boom. The whip is probably the first human invention to break the sound barrier.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_boom

Why is it called New York?

New York was named by the British to honor the Duke of York and Albany, the brother of England's King Charles II, when New Amsterdam was taken from the Dutch in 1664. New York became the name of the state and the city.

http://www.netstate.com/states/intro/ny_intro.htm

Who was the first prime minister of the UK?

Modern historians generally consider Sir Robert Walpole, who led the government of Great Britain for twenty-one years from 1721 to 1742, to be the first Prime Minister; he is also the longest serving Prime Minister of the country.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Prime_Ministers_of_the_United_Kingdom

What is the meaning of SPF?

Sun Protection Factor – Sun Protection Factor, or SPF, is a measure of how effectively the sunscreen's formula limits UV-B exposure and is printed right on the front of the container. A sunscreen's SPF number effectively means how much longer you can stay in the Sun compared to not wearing any sunscreen at all.

http://www.hawaiisnorkelingguide.com/sunscreen.html

What causes the noise in a thunderstorm?

Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending on the distance and nature of the lightning, thunder can range from a sharp, loud crack to a long, low rumble (brontide). The sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning produces rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within a bolt of lightning.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder

Who was Britain's king during the American Revolution?

King George III (1738-1820), or George William Frederick, was king of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760-1820. He ascended to the throne just as the French and Indian War was coming to a close, a fateful moment for world history.

http://www.shmoop.com/american-revolution/king-george-iii.html

Who got to the moon first?

A moon landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. This includes both manned and unmanned (robotic) missions. The first human-made object to reach the surface of the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 2 mission, on 13 September 1959.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_landing

How Are cobwebs made?

Like most spider webs, the webs of cobweb spiders are sticky. When the spiders move away or die, the abandoned webs start to collect airborne lint and dust. The resulting dust laden strands hanging around lead to the false idea that cobwebs are not made by spiders.

http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/cobwebs/

Who is the most famous surrealist artist?

In 1941 during the run-up to the American involvement in World War II, Salvador Dali, who would become the world's most famous Surrealist, held a fundraising party for displaced European artists in California's Hotel del Monte.

http://flavorwire.com/334202/the-10-most-surreal-moments-of-surrealism

What fruit goes well with lamb?

Hearty lamb can stand up to both fresh and dried fruits with bolder flavors, such as apricots, cranberries, dates, figs, pomegranates, prunes, and raisins. Sweeten lamb shoulder with dried apricots when you make this Middle Eastern-Style Lamb Stew with Dried Apricots.

http://www.dartagnan.com/An-Unlikely-Pair%3A-Meat-Fruit/PairingMeatwithFruit,default,pg.html

What stretch of water separates Greenland and Iceland?

The Denmark Strait is a 300km wide stretch of water that separates Iceland from Greenland. This thin strait, although tiny in the context of the Atlantic Ocean, just so Page 2 happens to be one of the most important ocean channels in the world.

https://www.iop.org/activity/groups/subject/env/prize/winners/file_56330.pdf

What is the only sport played on the moon?

Forty years ago this Sunday, Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell took an entirely different kind of "giant leap for mankind," playing sports on the lunar surface. Shepard famously hit golf balls with a modified six-iron, and Mitchell threw a javelin.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/40th-anniverary-golf-shot-moon/story?id=12834145

How long is a professional basketball game?

An NBA game is 4 quarters of 12 minutes each, for a total of 48 minutes. However, regulation time is stopped for many aspects of gameplay, like fouls, ball out-of-bounds, timeouts, and a 15-minute halftime. That makes the wall-clock duration of typical games 2-2.5 hours.

http://www.quora.com/How-long-does-a-professional-basketball-game-last

What company invented the first Laser Printer?

Unlike the company's Xerography process, however, Xerox had to share the laser printer market. IBM and Canon soon developed competing products. Xerox PARC Scanning Laser Output Terminal (SLOT) Gary Starkweather prototyped the first laser printer by modifying a standard Xerox office copier.

http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/input-output/14/351

What color are autumn leaves?

Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the normally green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs by which they take on, during a few weeks in the autumn season, various shades of red, yellow, purple, black, orange, pink, magenta, blue and brown.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn_leaf_color

Why does grass make us itch?

Usually it's because tiny edges and bristles on the grass make small cuts on your skin, causing slight itching. You probably can't see the cuts,but they are called "blades" of grass for that reason.

http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1kcchm/why_does_my_skin_itch_after_lying_in_grass/

How is a Belgian waffle different?

The texture is also lighter and crispier. To make a Belgian waffle, you need a waffle iron with a deeper, larger grid pattern. Most Belgian waffle recipes are yeast-based, to get that crispy texture. But you also can use a waffle batter that uses beaten egg whites for lightness.

http://seattletimes.com/html/foodwine/2015035047_web18cooksqanda.html

What did the winners receive in the ancient Olympic games?

The olive wreath also known as kotinos (Greek: κότινος), was the prize for the winner at the ancient Olympic Games. It was an olive branch, of the wild- olive tree that grew at Olympia, intertwined to form a circle or a horse-shoe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_wreath

How many zeros are there in a VIGINTILLION?

a cardinal number represented in the U.S. by 1 followed by 63 zeros, and in Great Britain by 1 followed by 120 zeros.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vigintillion

Why do some buildings have gravel on the roof?

Traditionally most flat roofs in the western world make use of tar or more usually tar paper applied over roof decking to keep a building watertight. The tar or tarpaper is in turn covered in gravel to keep the sun's heat, UV rays and weather off it and helps protect it from cracking or blistering and degradation.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_roof

What are our five senses?

The nervous system has a specific sensory system or organ, dedicated to each sense. Humans have a multitude of senses. Sight (ophthalmoception), hearing (audioception), taste (gustaoception), smell (olfacoception or olfacception), and touch (tactioception) are the five traditionally recognized.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sense

What makes a platypus a mammal?

The platypus is usually considered to be a mammal because its features are like those of other mammals. For example, it has hair over most of its body and has mammary glands that make milk for its young. It also has pretty good temperature control so it can be called warm-blooded.

http://www.highlightskids.com/science-questions/platypus-mammal

Are foxes and wolves related?

Dogs belong to the taxonomic family Canidae (canines) which is divided into two tribes: those related to wolves (Canini) and those related to foxes (Vulpini). A couple of canine species lay outside these two tribes, but hyenas are not canines.

http://m.mentalfloss.com/article.php?id=30959

What does bald faced lie mean?

A barefaced (or bald-faced) lie is one that is obviously a lie to those hearing it. The phrase comes from 17th-century British usage referring to those without facial hair as being seen as acting in an unconcealed or open way.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lie

Do hippos sweat red?

The really clever thing about hippos is that they produce their own sunscreen, in the form of a sticky reddish sweat. It has told Nature magazine the oily secretion is made up of two unstable pigments - one red, the other orange.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3749351.stm

How many steps are there in St Peter's Basilica?

You must pay to take the elevator then climb (320 steps) to the top of St. Peter's dome—but it's worth it. (You can save a couple of euros by opting to climb the entire way: 551 stairs.)

http://www.reidsitaly.com/destinations/lazio/rome/sights/st_peters.html

What is GSE stand for?

GSE stands for Government Sponsored Enterprise and is generally used as a generic reference for organizations chartered by the government to facilitate the flow of money into mortgage products. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae are examples of GSEs.

http://www.caionline.org/govt/news/Political%20HeadsUp%20Public%20Document%20Library/GSE%20Reform%20FAQ.pdf

How many cards are in a rook deck?

The Rook deck consists of 57 cards: a blue Rook Bird card, similar to a joker, and 56 cards divided into four suits or colors. Each suit—black, red, yellow, and green—is made up of cards numbered one through fourteen.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rook_(card_game)

Why do birds bob their heads when they walk?

Most studies also suggest that birds in motion bob their heads to stabilize their visual surroundings. Unlike us, we depend on our eye movements rather than our head movements to hold the images presented to us while in moving. The back and forth movement is not random head bobbing.

http://www.nlb.gov.sg/blogs/ask/uncategorized/2298

What was the first bird to be domesticated by man?

The goose was the first bird to be domesticated by man. An ancient story tells how a flock of white geese raised the alarm when Rome was attacked by the Gauls, and thus saved the city.

http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/bwdsite/solve/faqs/20things.php

Which is the largest internal organ in the human body?

The largest internal organ is the liver. It is also the heaviest organ, with an average of 1.6 kilograms (3.5 pounds). The largest external organ, which is also the largest organ in general, is the skin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_body_part

What day does the week start on?

According to the international standard ISO 8601, Monday shall be the first day of the week ending with Sunday as the seventh day of the week. Although this is the international standard, countries such as the United States still have their calendars refer to Sunday as the start of the seven-day week.

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/days/

Are cashews a seed or a nut?

Cashew nuts are actually the kidney-shaped seeds that adhere to the bottom of the cashew apple, the fruit of the cashew tree, which is native to the coastal areas of northeastern Brazil.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=98

What year was livin on a prayer released?

"Livin' On A Prayer" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US in February 1987, and held the position for four weeks. Slippery When Wet, the 1986 album upon which "Livin' On A Prayer" appears, was Bon Jovi's best-selling album ever.

http://www.shmoop.com/living-on-a-prayer/

How long is a marathon in miles?

The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres (26 miles and 385 yards), that is usually run as a road race. The event was instituted in commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon

What color is hippo milk?

WOW - Hippopotamus Milk is Pink in Color. Hippopotamuses produce two unique skin secretions (so unique they're named after the animal), "hipposudoric acid" and its analog "norhipposudoric acid". It gives the hippopotamuses' sweat a red coloration, commonly believed to be blood (it's not).

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3blmBBHRNxI

How many hoops are used in a game of croquet?

Croquet can be played by two or four players. The object of the game is to hit your ball(s) through the course of six hoops in the right sequence in each direction and finish by hitting them against the centre peg. The side which completes the course first with both balls wins.

http://www.woodmallets.com/howto/playcroquet.htm

What element is named after Copenhagen Denmark?

Hafnium is named after the Latin designation 'hafniae' for the city of Copenhagen, Denmark. Niels Bohr, from Copenhagen, predicted in 1922 that element 72 would exhibit almost identical chemical behaviour to the by-then-known element zirconium (40Zr).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ptop/plain/A3768816

Why is a man's Adam's apple called that?

If you think it's called that after the story of the Garden of Eden where Adam ate a piece of the forbidden fruit that got stuck in his throat, you're right. An Adam's apple sometimes looks like a small, rounded apple just under the skin in the front of the throat.

http://m.kidshealth.org/kid/grow/boy/adams_apple.html

Who came up with manga?

Japanese cartoonist, Osamu Tezuka, known as the God of Manga and Godfather of Anime, invented the distinctive large eyes prominent in both manga and anime. His manga series, Astro Boy, went on to become the first Japanese television series to embody the aesthetic that became known worldwide as anime.

http://www.infoplease.com/entertainment/books/manga-anime.html

How did horseradish get its name?

In German, it's called “meerrettich” (sea radish) because it grows by the sea. Many believe the English mispronounced the German word “meer” and began calling it “mareradish.” Eventually it became known as horseradish. The word “horse” (as applied in “horseradish”) is believed to denote large size and coarseness.

http://horseradish.org/horseradish-facts/horseradish-history/

Which famous person was the teddy bear named after?

A 1902 political cartoon in The Washington Post spawned the Teddy bear name. The name Teddy Bear comes from former United States President Theodore Roosevelt, who was commonly known as "Teddy" (though he loathed being referred to as such).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teddy_bear

Is a tortoise a turtle?

They are all reptiles and they all have shells but the basic difference between them is turtles live in water, tortoises live on land and terrapins are a bit of both, but there's more to it than that.

http://www.londolozi.com/cubsden/whats-the-difference-between-turtles-tortoises-and-terrapins/

Which planet has the most satellites?

Eight of Jupiter's moons are regular satellites, with 4 large, spherical moons, and 4 smaller moons that orbit closer to Jupiter. Jupiter has an additional 55 tiny irregular satellites. The planet with the second highest number of moons is Saturn, with 61 moons.

http://www.universetoday.com/38187/which-planet-has-the-most-moons/

How many songs did Elvis record in his lifetime?

Elvis recorded over 700 songs. Elvis, through his own publishing companies (Elvis Presley Music, Gladys Music, Whitehaven Music and Elvis Music, Inc.) was part owner (typically half or third) of a great many of the songs he recorded and even some songs he did not record.

http://www.elvis.com/about-the-king/faq.aspx

Why do radio stations end in odd numbers?

FM radio stations all transmit in a band between 88 megahertz (millions of cycles per second) and 108 megahertz. This band of frequencies is completely arbitrary and is based mostly on history and whim. Inside that band, each station occupies a 200-kilohertz slice, and all of the slices start on odd number boundaries.

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/fm-station-odd-number.htm

How much does an ATM machine weigh?

The weight of an ATM machine is typically 150 – 250 pounds or more (depending on the model).

http://www.atmdepot.com/resources/how-atm-machines-work/atm-installation-training/

Can a lobster live forever?

Although they are still susceptible to death by disease or attacks, lobsters can theoretically live forever because getting older does not raise their chance of dying. An enzyme known as telomerase prevents the DNA in lobsters' cells from being damaged as they are replicated, scientist Simon Watt reports in The Sun.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/10294152/Lobsters-may-hold-the-key-to-eternal-life.html

Where does the star fruit come from?

Carambola, also known as starfruit, is the fruit of Averrhoa carambola, a species of tree native to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The fruit is popular throughout Southeast Asia, the South Pacific and parts of East Asia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carambola

What state has the most tornadoes?

A: Texas gets hit by more than twice as many tornadoes each year than any other state. According to the National Climatic Data Center, an average of 139 tornadoes are reported in Texas each year. Oklahoma, with an average of 57 twisters, ranks second. Sharing third place are Kansas and Florida, which both average 55.

http://education.randmcnally.com/classroom/rmc/getABNArchive.do;jsessionid=150DA19FF7F12F26A1B9B0C119FAC1EC?showSingleAnswer=true&abnQuestionId=0022

Who was the first president to be sworn in by a woman?

Sarah T. Hughes is the only woman to administer the oath of office. She was a U.S. District Court judge who swore Lyndon B. Johnson into office on Air Force One after John F. Kennedy's assassination.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office_of_the_President_of_the_United_States

Who wrote the first novel in America?

William Hill Brown is generally believed to have written the first American novel, "The Power of Sympathy," published in Boston in 1791, which relates a tragic love story.

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120821/news/708219796/

Who has been on SNL the longest?

Yup: With 11 seasons under his belt, Thompson is SNL's third longest-serving cast member, after Darrell Hammond (14 seasons) and Seth Meyers (13). Since SNL premiered in 1975, 140 Not Ready for Prime Time Players have passed through Studio 8H's doors.

http://www.vocativ.com/culture/tvmovies/four-seasons-snl-tipping-point-comedy-success/

Who is generally considered to be the first king of England?

Arguments are made for a few different kings deemed to control enough of the ancient kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxons to be deemed the first King of England. For example Offa, king of Mercia, and Egbert, king of Wessex, are sometimes described as kings of England by popular writers, but not by all historians.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_monarchs

What state borders eight other states?

Tennessee and Missouri each share borders with eight states. Here are the states with their neighbors, listed clockwise. Tennessee: Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri. Missouri: Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska.

http://www.infoplease.com/askeds/most-neighborly-states.html

How many peanuts does it take to make a 12 ounce jar of peanut butter?

It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter. There are enough peanuts in one acre to make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches. Find out how peanuts grow.

http://nationalpeanutboard.org/the-facts/fun-facts/

What is Tarzan's real name?

Tarzan is his ape name; his real English name is John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke (according to Burroughs in Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle; Earl of Greystoke in later, less canonical sources, notably the 1984 movie Greystoke).

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarzan

What is the Hundred Schools of Thought?

The Hundred Schools of Thought were philosophers and schools that flourished from the 6th century to 221 BC, during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period of ancient China.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Schools_of_Thought

What does a sensory nerve do?

Sensory neuron. Sensory neurons are nerve cells within the nervous system responsible for converting external stimuli from the organism's environment into internal electrical impulses. For example, some sensory neurons respond to tactile stimuli and can activate motor neurons in order to achieve muscle contraction.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/s/sensory_neuron.htm

Is it legal to charge for tap water?

It seems like a sensible provision, but business is business and the law does not prevent charging for the use of a glass or for service. It doesn't extend to filtered tap water. They can charge for that. But if they serve alcohol, they have to provide free drinking water, whether it's filtered or unfiltered.

http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Watering-hole-refusing-free-drink-tap-law/story-19753245-detail/story.html

Who invented the seat belt?

Volvo built their reputation on selling safer cars, but they gave away the most important safety device ever invented: the three-point seat belt. UK autos website Arnold Clark took a look back at what is now the universal modern seat belt, created by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin in 1959.

http://jalopnik.com/volvo-gave-away-their-most-important-invention-to-save-1069825878

Why do my ears pop on a plane?

Your ears pop in airplanes because the air high above the surface of Earth is less dense than air near the surface, because air near the surface has all the air above it pushing down. Your inner ear has air trapped in it and as the atmospheric pressure changes, it causes pressure on your ear drum.

http://www.childrensmuseum.org/blog/why-do-my-ears-pop-when-im-in-an-airplane

What was the original name of Africa?

Alkebulan is the oldest and the only word of indigenous origin. It was used by the Moors, Nubians, Numidians, Khart-Haddans (Carthagenians), and Ethiopians. Africa, the current misnomer adopted by almost everyone today , was given to this continent by the ancient Greeks and Romans. "

http://www.drivesouthafrica.co.za/blog/africas-true-name/

Who is the father of mechanics?

Much of modern engineering mechanics is based on Isaac Newton's laws of motion while the modern practice of their application can be traced back to Stephen Timoshenko, who is said to be the father of modern engineering mechanics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_mechanics

When was the first CD created?

The first popular music CD produced at the new factory was The Visitors (1981) by ABBA. The first album to be released on CD was Billy Joel's 52nd Street, which reached the market alongside Sony's CDP-101 CD player on 1 October 1982 in Japan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_disc

When was Mountain Dew Invented?

Mountain Dew (currently stylized as Mtn Dew in the United States) is a carbonated soft drink brand produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in 1940 by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman. A revised formula was created by Bill Bridgforth in 1958.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Dew

Who created the sculpture The Thinker?

The Thinker - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The Thinker. The Thinker (French: Le Penseur) is a bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin, usually placed on a stone pedestal.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thinker

Why does salt speed up the boiling process?

Now back to the question. If you look at the heat capacity of salt water, you will find that it is less than pure water. In other words, it takes less energy to raise the temperature of the salt water 1°C than pure water. This means that the salt water heats up faster and eventually gets to its boiling point first.

http://www.swri.org/10light/water.htm

Who was the only female pharaoh?

Although it was uncommon for Egypt to be ruled by a woman, the situation was not unprecedented. As a regent, Hatshepsut was preceded by Merneith of the first dynasty, who was buried with the full honors of a pharaoh and may have ruled in her own right.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatshepsut

What is gin made out of?

Gin is a liquor made from grain (some combination of barley, corn, and/or rye) that has been infused with juniper berries and other botanicals. Juniper berries—small, bluish berries with a piney flavor and aroma—are the predominant flavoring for all gin.

http://www.bonappetit.com/drinks/article/gin

What was Sony's first product to the market?

In 1945, after Japan had conceded defeat in World War II, Sony founder Masaru Ibuka invented a product to try and serve the millions of homes who had electricity but lacked the appliances to use it. The result was this electric rice cooker.

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/09/sonys-first-failure-the-1945-electric-rice-cooker/

Why do things look darker when they are wet?

When light strikes an object, some of it penetrates the object, and some of it is reflected and reaches your eye. When an object is wet, more light penetrates the object, so less light is reflected. As a result, less light reaches your eye and so the wet object looks darker. Read on for a more detailed explanation.

http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/farid/sciencekids.html

How many people can fit in a jumbo jet?

The 747-400 passenger version can accommodate 416 passengers in a typical three-class layout, 524 passengers in a typical two-class layout, or 660 passengers in a high density one-class configuration.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_747

What did Sacagawea's name mean?

If the woman's name was Sacajawea, the word might be Shoshoni, meaning "boat launcher." However, if the spelling is more properly Sacagawea, the name would be Hidatsa and translate as "Bird Woman." The journal evidence from Lewis and Clark appears as to support a Hidatsa derivation.

http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/read/?_xmlsrc=lc.ronda.01.appendix.xml

Why is it dangerous to wake a sleepwalker?

It is a myth that it is dangerous to wake up a sleepwalker because it may cause them a heart attack, shock, brain damage, or something else. It is not a myth that it is dangerous to wake up a sleepwalker because of the possible injury the sleepwalker may inflict upon themselves or the person waking them up.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/27/the_odd_body_wake_sleepwalker/

What president has served 3 terms in office?

On this day in 1944, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected to an unprecedented fourth term in office. FDR remains the only president to have served more than two terms.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fdr-wins-unprecedented-fourth-term

How fast was the meteor that killed the dinosaurs?

Scientists calculate that it was blasted into Earth by a 10-kilometer-wide asteroid or comet traveling 30 kilometers per second -- 150 times faster than a jet airliner. Scientists have concluded that the impact that created this crater occurred 65 million years ago.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/extinction/dinosaurs/asteroid.html

What causes the aurora borealis?

Bottom line: When charged particles from the sun strike atoms in Earth's atmosphere, they cause electrons in the atoms to move to a higher-energy state. When the electrons drop back to a lower energy state, they release a photon: light. This process creates the beautiful aurora, or northern lights.

http://earthsky.org/earth/what-causes-the-aurora-borealis-or-northern-lights

How far away can you see a candle in the dark?

Considering the absolute threshold, the brightness of a candle flame, and the way a glowing object dims according to the square of the distance away from it, vision scientists conclude that one could make out the faint glimmer of a candle flame up to 30 miles away.

http://m.livescience.com/33895-human-eye.html

How long does it take for a robin's egg to hatch?

Mother robins may start incubating their eggs during the evening after the second egg is laid, or after all the eggs are laid. They sit on the eggs for 12 to 14 days. The female usually does all the incubating. Even in good weather, she rarely leaves her eggs for more than 5 to 10 minutes at a time.

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/robin/EggstraEggstra.html

Which president ran for more than 2 terms?

On this day in 1944, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected to an unprecedented fourth term in office. FDR remains the only president to have served more than two terms.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fdr-wins-unprecedented-fourth-term

How many feet is it from earth to outer space?

There is no firm boundary where space begins. However the Kármán line, at an altitude of 100 km (62 mi) above sea level, is conventionally used as the start of outer space in space treaties and for aerospace records keeping.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_space

Which animal is the tallest in the world?

Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world. Males can grow up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) tall, females can reach 14 feet (4.3 meters) tall and their babies, called calves, are born six feet (1.8 meters) tall. Calves can grow up to an inch a day.

http://m.livescience.com/33909-tallest-animal-world.html

What city has a population of 1?

Buford only has one resident: 60 year-old Don Sammons has been all alone in the southern Wyoming town on Interstate 80 since his son moved out over three years ago, according to Denver's 9 News. Founded in 1866, Buford at one time hosted a population of 2,000 — mostly railroad workers.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/07/20/meet-the-only-resident-of-americas-smallest-town/

What does it mean when a river crests?

The National Weather Service says a crest is the highest point in a wave. In the case of river flooding, it is the highest stage or level of a flood wave as it passes a particular point. Gauges along the river record the level of the water, and the highest level recorded at each gauge will be the crest for that gauge.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/10/what-it-means-when-a-river-crests/

How fast is Mach 1 at sea level?

At Standard Sea Level conditions (corresponding to a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius), the speed of sound is 340.3 m/s (1225 km/h, or 761.2 mph, or 661.5 knots, or 1116 ft/s) in the Earth's atmosphere.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mach_number

How many spaces do you put after a period?

When using a monospaced font, where everything is the same width, it makes sense to type two spaces after a period at the end of a sentence to create a visual break. For that reason, people who learned to type on a typewriter were taught to put two spaces after a period at the end of a sentence.

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/how-many-spaces-after-a-period

Is the earth farther away from the sun in the winter?

Earth is closest to the sun every year in early January, when it's winter for the Northern Hemisphere. We're farthest away from the sun in early July, during our Northern Hemisphere summer. Earth is about 5 million kilometers – or 3 million miles – closer to the sun in early January than it will be in early July.

http://earthsky.org/tonight/earth-comes-closest-to-sun-every-year-in-early-january

Who invented the balloon?

The first rubber balloons were made by Professor Michael Faraday in 1824 for use in his experiments with hydrogen at the Royal Institution in London. `The caoutchouc is exceedingly elastic', he wrote in the Quarterly Journal of Science the same year.

http://www.rubekballoons.com/history.html

What was the last state to make Christmas a legal holiday?

In 1907, Oklahoma became the last U.S. state to declare Christmas a legal holiday.

http://www.gallerycollection.com/blog/christmastrivia/whatusstatewasthelaststatetodeclarechristmasalegalholiday/

Is there any caffeine in chocolate?

Chocolate does contain caffeine, but not much. A 1-ounce milk chocolate bar or an 8-ounce glass of chocolate milk each contain about 5 milligrams of caffeine. Compare that to 85 milligrams of caffeine in 8 ounces of regular-brew coffee.

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442452493

What piece of land was purchased in 1853?

Gadsden Purchase, 1853–1854. The Gadsden Purchase, or Treaty, was an agreement between the United States and Mexico, finalized in 1854, in which the United States agreed to pay Mexico $10 million for a 29,670 square mile portion of Mexico that later became part of Arizona and New Mexico.

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1830-1860/gadsden-purchase

When Celsius and Fahrenheit are the same?

To find the temperature when both are equal, we use an old algebra trick and just set ºF = ºC and solve one of the equations. So the temperature when both the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales are the same is -40 degrees.

http://www.onlineconversion.com/faq_11.htm

Who invented the dartboard?

The man who is credited with the 'invention' of the numbering sequence of the modern standard dartboard is BRIAN GAMLIN. Gamlin was a carpenter from Bury in the County of Lancashire, England and came up with the infuriating sequence in 1896, at the age of 44.

http://www.patrickchaplin.com/Number.htm

Who was the man to walk on the moon?

Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first humans on the Moon, Americans Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, on July 20, 1969, at 20:18 UTC. Armstrong became the first to step onto the lunar surface six hours later on July 21 at 02:56 UTC.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11

How many trees are cut down in a minute?

This corresponds to a loss of approximately 100 acres or 2,000 trees per minute. An estimated 140 species of rainforest plants and animals go extinct every day.

http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/adopt/conservation

What material is money made out of?

The ordinary paper that consumers use throughout their everyday life such as newspapers, books, cereal boxes, etc, is primarily made of wood pulp; however, United States currency paper is composed of 75% cotton and 25% linen.

http://www.moneyfactory.gov/uscurrency/theproductionprocess.html

How many gallons of water are in Lake Superior?

In the area west of Marquette, Michigan. Water Volume: 3,000,000,000,000,000 gallons of 440 trillion cubic feet or 10% of the world's fresh water. Enough to flood North and South America to one foot deep. See story about Lake Superior ice coverage March 2009.

http://www.northshoreinfo.com/lakesuperior/