A hogchoker is, indeed, a flounder. It is a little flatfish known as a "right-handed" flounder because its mouth and eyes are on the right side of its body while facing to the right. The basic hue on the "top" side of its body is normally pale sand to dark brown.

The Netherlands has one of the highest home birth rates in the developed world. Around 30% of Dutch women deliver their babies at home, and this figure has changed little since 1990. So why are home births still cherished in the Netherlands? It’s partly because Dutch health insurance fully covers home births, but doesn’t always cover hospital births without medical necessity. The Dutch medical system also has a good screening system and provides midwives (verloskundige) who help mothers have a safe delivery at home.

Elephants have their own spa. You may have pampered yourself in a spa, but an elephant spa? Yes, elephants can be pampered in spas if you travel to South India. Visit the Punnathur Kotta Elephant Yard Rejuvenation Centre in Kerala to see elephants being massaged, bathed, and fed!

Joan Benoit Samuelson of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, became the first woman to win a marathon in the Olympic Games. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she earned a gold medal. In 2000, she was inducted into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame. She returned to the circuit in April 2019 at the age of 61, finishing the Boston Marathon at 3:04.

You probably imagine horses bounding across a landscape, not something scaly and low to the ground. However, according to a 2019 study published in Nature, crocodiles have the "full range of quadrupedal footfall patterns used by mammals," which means they can gallop like a horse—and occasionally do! Of course, they aren't as graceful, but they can reach speeds of up to 11 miles per hour.

Swiggy has also made investments in other startup companies. On February 26, 2019, Swiggy invested an undisclosed amount to Fingerlix for its Series C round of funding as the lead investor. This was followed by a $1.9 million investment on April 7, 2020.

The majority of Pune's area and surroundings are heavily urbanized, which has led to an increase in real estate costs recently. Pune has the highest per capita income in India and the narrowest gap between average incomes for rich and poor.

It's easy to dismiss Einstein's ideas of relativity as entirely theoretical, yet they have real-world implications. The theory of general relativity, for example, asserts that gravity influences time: time flows quicker for things in space than for those on Earth. And this has far-reaching ramifications for many space-based systems, including GPS accuracy. His theories are also fundamental to nuclear technology and explain how electromagnets function.

Even though the first cataract extraction operation was conducted in the 18th century, cataracts have really been treated for a much longer. In actuality, the earliest known cataract operation took place in the fifth century BC. As a result, it ranks among the earliest surgical techniques ever performed. The methods employed then were undoubtedly less advanced than those used now or even in the 18th century. When the lens was fully opaque and hard, a procedure called "couching" was applied. This involved poking the eye with a sharp item or striking it with a blunt one.

Most Star Wars fans are already aware that Yoda's full name, at least in the original draught, was "Minch Yoda," before being condensed to something simpler to say. But here's an interesting statistic that may surprise you: Yoda's original name was—wait for it—Buffy in the very early phases of The Empire Strikes Back. Yes, Buffy, the name we associate with great young vampire slayers. If Yoda had been given this extremely un-Yoda-like name, the world would have been a very different place.

A fascinating fact about the Indian Ocean is its lack of marine animal life, which is related to the ocean's greater water temperature. This water is the hottest on the planet, giving plankton and other animals limited room to flourish.

The wax forms an unsightly ring of hard wax around the edges when you can only melt it close to the wick. Tunneling is the term for this. All you need to do is wrap some foil around the top of your candle. After that, make a hole for the wick in the center. The hard exterior wax is encouraged to melt evenly and soften. 
To make sure the entire top layer is liquid, burn your candle for a number of hours with the foil cover on.

According to Hinduism, God is one eternal energy who can take any form or Avatar depending on the situation and in the favour of mankind, and it is also believed that a part of Brahman lives inside every single being in the universe or multiverse.

Although Santa Claus is a one-of-a-kind Christmas persona, many actors dress up as the festive figure each year to earn additional money. Mall Santas earn roughly $30 per hour during the holidays, but can earn up to $100 per hour for their services. However, Dan Greenleaf, a professional freelance Santa who owns his own booking agency, told CNBC that the "average hourly mid-range is roughly $150" when he's booked to attend parties, houses, or other events. And if you're very skilled at saying "ho, ho, ho," you might earn $500 per hour. Greenleaf even claims that one of his Santas was promised $1,200 by a Manhattan customer for only one hour on Christmas Day!

This is not a myth; it is really factual! They are known as Oshiya, which translates approximately as "Pushers." Their official title is 'Passenger Arrangement Staff,' believe it or not! Their job description is correct. During peak seasons, station personnel would practically force people into crowded trains in order to fit as many people as possible on board.

Only three films have even won all five of the most coveted Oscars for Best Film, Actor, Actress, Director, and Writing. They are: 'It Happened One Night' (1935), 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1976), and 'The Silence Of The Lambs' (1992).

Cambodians think that counting the chirps of a gecko would reveal whether or not you will be lucky enough to marry. If a tokay gecko makes seven or more calls in the same room as you, it is considered lucky.

After Perseus returned to Seriphos, his mission was complete. There was no reason for him to carry Medusa’s head any longer. Besides, Athena was now interested in it. The goddess of wisdom took the head of her sworn enemy and placed it either on her Aegis (shield) or armor. This way she appropriated Medusa’s powers and proclaimed her triumph.

Athena, a goddess of civilization and an idealized role model for the virtuous woman within the patriarchal Greek society, had finally exterminated the threat of the dangerous Medusa, a symbol of the power of the natural and the feminine.

If you're looking to score big box office bucks, stay away from Mars. The two biggest money losers of all time both take place on that planet, with the 2012 sci-fi bomb John Carter holding the No. 2 spot with a loss of almost $127 million, outdone only by Mars Needs Moms, from a year earlier, which lost its studio more than $143 million—the worst ROI ever.

Cocorico! It derives from the term "chandelier" in Old French. 
A "chandelier" was a ceiling fixture made of numerous candles used to light up the rooms before electricity was invented.

Flying kites without wind is difficult in the open air. However, at the Windless Kite Festival, kites can be flown indoors even if there is no wind. Every year, this festival takes place on the Longbeach Peninsula.

Throughout history, Malta has been ruled by numerous empires, including the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Sicilians, Spanish, Knights Templars, French, and lastly the British.