Jack Ryan started his career as an engineer, building missiles for the Pentagon, but was eventually hired away by Mattel for his "space-age savvy" and material knowledge (meaning he'd be able to make high-quality, well-functioning toys). His designs contributed to Barbie's twistable waist and "click-click" knee joints.

The first train in India began service on April 16, 1853. Mumbai Locals are the world's busiest railroads, carrying over 2.2 billion people each year. Mumbai also features India's most out-of-date electric train network, established in 1925.

Have you ever wondered where the name "Starbucks" came from? According to Thrillist, "Starbucks" refers to the first mate in Herman Melville's book "Moby Dick." The original name was going to be Pequod, the name of the "Moby Dick" whaling ship. 

 

Eggnog is a trademark beverage of the holiday season, with a history reaching back to mediaeval times and a drink known as "posset." According to Healthline, monks in the 13th century "enjoyed this concoction with the addition of eggs and figs," which was made with sweetened and spiced milk curdled with ale or wine and served hot.

Do you want a large, muscular baby? Then formula is your ticket, according to a study published in the Journal of Proteome Research by UC Davis. Researchers discovered that when five formula-fed infant rhesus monkeys were compared to five breastfed monkeys, the former developed quicker and bigger than the latter. One probable explanation is that formula includes higher protein than breast milk: human milk contains 8% protein whereas rhesus monkey milk contains 11.6 percent. At 18%, formula outperforms both.

Sound waves provide considerably lower levels of energy than other types of energy. Because any sound creates low energy levels, you don't want to use it to generate electricity, which demands a lot of energy.

A constellation family refers to a group of constellations located within the same region of the night sky. They usually take their names from their most important constellation, the most prolific of which is the Hercules Family containing 19 constellations. Others include the Ursa Major Family (10), the Perseus Family (9), and the Orion Family (5).

fireflies Snails are a favourite food of carnivorous larvae. Although most adult fireflies eat nectar and pollen to survive, some don't even eat.

The part of the eye that limits the amount of light that reaches the retina is called the iris. The iris shrinks and lets in less light while it's bright outside, and the opposite is true at night.

The Banshee is Ireland’s best-known spirit. This female figure roams the countryside and is said to wail as a warning that death is near. Though she does not cause death, her presence is believed to foreshadow death’s arrival. Historians have traced the Banshee story back to the 8th century when it was customary for women to sing sad songs to lament a death. There are a few variations as to how the Banshee appears: some depict her as a beautiful, young woman with flowing white hair, while others describe an old woman with dirty, rotting teeth and long fingernails.

Curtains made of natural and environmentally friendly fibers can reduce the level of carbon dioxide in homes, according to scientific evidence. Natural-colored curtains and blinds can also help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. As a result, the house's environment is fresh and sustainable.

not even contemporary graffiti. The graffiti that covers Pompeii is not a result of disrespectful tourists; rather, it dates from before the eruption. Private messages, public announcements, and election notices are just a few examples of how it provides tourists and historians with a remarkable window into Roman society. On one of our Pompeii tours from Rome, you can see all of this graffiti while imagining yourself going about your daily business in an ancient city.

While there have been nine mainline Assassin's Creed games so far – if you count 2014's Rogue but exclude the Ezio trilogy remaster – there have been an additional 11 spin-off games, ranging from 2D sidescrollers to isometric adventure titles, released on a whopping 15 different platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, DS, PSP, PS Vita, iOS, Android, Symbian,

Cardiovascular disease accounts for 70-75% of type 2 diabetes mortality (Kings Fund Policy Institute, 1996). Insulin resistance raises the risk of cardiovascular disease before the onset of type 2 diabetes. Hyperinsulinaemia has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (Ruige et al, 1998). The metabolic and systemic alterations associated with insulin resistance caused this elevated risk: insulin resistance syndrome.

The fight against air pollution must include tax breaks for cars with low and zero emissions. Massive investments in environmentally friendly public transportation and better-integrated walking and cycling routes are also necessary to encourage people to abandon their cars altogether.

Every year, between 60,000 and 1,000,000 novels are published in the United States alone. Obviously, that's far too numerous to keep track of. So knowing which imprints are publishing to your preferences is the greatest way to sort through this massive amount of books. Consider them "themes." Keep up with Crown Archetype, for example, if you're interested in pop culture. Follow Agate Publishing's Bolden imprint if you want to read more diversely. These factions can be quite broad but sometimes extremely specialized, which makes finding new books a lot of fun.

It turns out that many of us are mistaken on even the most fundamental panther facts. We have a tendency to believe that a panther is a whole other species of the huge animal. However, depending on where you live, when we talk about panther information, we typically mean jaguar or leopard facts. This is due to the fact that a panther is characterised as a melanistic colour variety of other Panthera genus species, which includes tigers, lions, jaguars, and leopards. Melanism is the formation of melanin, a dark-colored pigment in the skin, and this colour variety typically indicates that the cat is black or dark brown.

Harry Chandler, publisher of the Los Angeles Times, built the sign in 1923. It began as a $21,000 billboard for Chandler's Hollywoodland real estate development. In 1949, the sign was shortened to the one we are all familiar with.

Additionally, it aids in removing toxins from the body and increases vigor and strength.

Although it can be grown outside as well, this type of plant is typically kept indoors. Vastu sastra states that it is advantageous to place the plant facing North in your home.
 

I thought it was only available in South Africa. Think again. Particularly Namibia has a sizable population of Afrikaans speakers, which is a neighbour of South Africa. Argentina, more specifically Patagonia, where a tiny community of Afrikaans-speaking farmers live, is unquestionably the most intriguing region. They are descended from an Afrikaner migration to South America that took place between 1903 and 1909, following the Anglo-Boer War, and involved roughly 800 people. Amazingly, the language has persisted among a select few of them up until this point.

Couples perform the horo, a classic Bulgarian folk dance. It is a vibrant, vivacious dance with numerous variations. The horo, which has two dancer circles—one inside and one outside—is the most popular variation.

Before that, people used flattened animal horns to create windows.

Though it is often assumed that the Khajuraho temples are rich in sexual and sensual sculptures, only around 10% of these sculptures represent sensuality, with the remainder depicting diverse elements of daily life such as potters and farmers at work, musicians composing, ladies dressing up, and so on.