2021 Earth Day: 30 Fascinating facts that will raise your awareness related to environmental issues
On April 22, Earth Day will be celebrated all over the world - a holiday in which it is worth thinking about the future of our planet and what we can do for a common home. This tradition originated in 1970 at the initiative of US Senator Gaylord Nelson, whose goal was to draw public attention to the problems of environmental pollution. On the eve of the holiday, we will share with you the most interesting facts about the Earth.
Earth Day was founded by US Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970 to awaken the political class from its disinterest in the environment and was celebrated in its first year by about 20 million Americans, mostly young people. and very young. After 2 decades, in 1990, over 200 million people in 141 countries turned Earth Day into a major event in human history, by joining them in the desire to advocate for a better future for our planet, and in year 2009,
The United Nations (UN) has declared April 22 as the official holiday of planet Earth and a common expression of everyone's desire to build a stable society for a cleaner and greener future. The genesis of the Earth took place several billion years ago from a cloud of dust and gas that revolved around the sun and is the third planet from the sun with a particular constitution in the solar system.
Bemorepanda collected some interesting facts for you.
1. The core of the Earth contains so much gold, which will be enough to cover the entire surface of our planet by almost 45 centimeters.
2. The inner core of the Earth has a radius of about 1220 kilometers, which is comparable to 70% of the radius of the Moon. In addition, based on geophysical and geochemical methods, there is an assumption that the inner core of our planet is about the same temperature as the Sun.
3. Lightning strikes the earth on our planet more than 8.6 million times a day.
4. Prior to space travel, the Earth was often depicted as a green world. Science fiction writer Frank Paul is believed to be the first to depict a cloudless blue planet with well-defined land on the back of the July 1940 issue of Amazing Stories magazine.
5. Scientific evidence indicates that the Earth was formed from a solar nebula about 4.54 billion years ago. Life on the planet appeared about 4.25 billion years ago, that is, shortly after its origin.
6. The conditions for the existence of life on Earth preserve the ozone layer and the Earth's magnetic field, which weaken the solar radiation harmful to life.
7. The oceans occupy about 70.8% of the surface of our planet. Liquid water, which is essential for all known life forms, does not exist on the surface of any known planet in the solar system other than Earth.
8. The average speed of movement of lithospheric plates on Earth is approximately equal to the growth rate of nails on human hands. After 200-300 million years, hypothetically, all the continents of the planet will merge into the supercontinent Pangea Ultima.
9. The force of gravity at the poles of the Earth is greater than at the equator. A person who weighs 150.8 pounds (68.4 kg) at the North Pole will weigh 400 grams less while at the equator.
10. More than 68% of the Earth's freshwater is solid, including glaciers, snow cover and permafrost.
11. The Earth was first photographed from space in 1959 by the Explorer-6 apparatus. The first ever image of the entire Earth was captured by the orbital station Lunar Orbiter V on August 8, 1967.
12. The most massive extinction in the entire history of the Earth occurred at the end of the Permian period (298.9 ± 0.15 million years ago), when more than 90% of living things on the planet died.
13. The highest point on the Earth's surface is Mount Everest (8,848 m above sea level), and the deepest is the Mariana Trench (10,994 m below sea level).
14. The deadliest tsunami known to have occurred on 26 December 2004 in Southeast Asia was triggered by a 9.3 magnitude submarine earthquake in the Indian Ocean. The total death toll exceeded 235 thousand people.
15. The most toxic plant on Earth is the yew, a genus of small conifers. Every part of this tree is poisonous, with the exception of its berries, however, their seeds are also poisonous.
16. If all the water of the World Ocean is evenly distributed over the surface, then a layer with a thickness of more than 2.7 kilometers would be obtained. Of all the water that is on Earth, only 2.5% is fresh, the rest is salty.
17. Without the greenhouse effect, the Earth's average temperature would be between -18 and -23 ° C, given that it is actually 14.8 ° C. Without this thermal insulation effect, life on our planet most likely would not exist.
18. The atmosphere passes into interplanetary space gradually, in the exosphere, starting at an altitude of 500-1000 kilometers from the Earth's surface. By definition, the boundary between the atmosphere and space is drawn along the Karman line, located at an altitude of about 100 kilometers, above which air flights become completely impossible.
19. Human breathing becomes impossible at an altitude of 9 kilometers, although the atmosphere contains oxygen up to about 115 kilometers.
20. At an altitude of about 19-20 kilometers, the pressure of the atmosphere decreases so much that it leads to the boiling of water and interstitial fluid in the human body. Outside the pressurized cockpit at these heights, death occurs almost instantly.
21. The seas lose more water due to evaporation than they receive with precipitation, on land - vice versa. Water circulates continuously around the globe, while its total amount remains unchanged.
22. The rotation of the Earth occurs from west to east. Due to tidal acceleration, each next day is longer than the previous ones by an average of 29 nanoseconds.
23. Due to tidal synchronization, the Moon is moving away from the Earth by about 38 millimeters per year. Millions of years from now, this tiny change, as well as an increase in Earth's day of 23 microseconds per year, will result in significant changes. So, for example, in the Devonian period (about 410 million years ago) there were 400 days a year, and a day lasted 21.8 hours.
24. The largest tidal waves on Earth are observed in the Bay of Fundy in Canada and are 18 meters.
25. Earth is the only name for the planet that was not taken from Greco-Roman mythology.
26. Lake Baikal in Russia accounts for about 20% of all world reserves of fresh lake water. It is the deepest and oldest lake in the world.
27. The ice sheet in Antarctica contains about 80% of all freshwater on the planet. If it melts completely, the level of the World Ocean will rise by almost 60 meters.
28. The Earth moves around the Sun at a distance of about 150 million kilometers at a speed of almost 30 kilometers per second.
29. The driest place on earth is the Atacama Desert in Chile. In some places of this desert, rain falls once every several decades.
30. If the history of the Earth were presented in the form of a 24-hour segment, then the dinosaurs would have died out at 23:41, and human existence would begin at 23:54 and 43 seconds of the same day.
15 unique photofacts about everything in the world that you should learn to broaden your horizons
Sometimes you can learn a lot of useful things from the Internet by simply leafing through pictures. In this post Bemorepanda collected different facts about everything that will help broaden our horizons, as well as distract for a couple of minutes from the routine.
1. In 2016, a Chinese businessman Xiong Shuihua demolished all the houses in his native village and built villas in their place.
2. You would be confused to see such a door in your entrance for the first time. This is just a drawing with an optical illusion.
3. The Varani people live in Ecuador. After lengthy litigation, they won a case against an oil company claiming their land. In the photo, members of the Amazon tribe in the courtroom.
4. In 2015, Ford installed wide-angle front and rear 1-megapixel cameras on its cars that allow "seeing from around the corner." The problem of "blind" zones has been solved.
5. Animal rights advocates have figured out how to protect elephants from poachers: they painted the animal tusks with pink paint, which is marked with banknotes in banks. It does not harm the animal, but it is impossible to wash it off. Buyers do not need such tusks.
6. Does it look edible? In fact, in the photo there is not grapes, but a mineral called "grape chalcedony".
7. This is the cross sea. It looks like this because of wave systems moving at different angles.
8. This is a tree called Jabuticaba (or Brazilian grape tree). Its fruits grow directly from the bark.
9. The guy took off the lightning for 2 hours and then combined all the frames in one.
10. City in Peru around the oasis in Huacachina.
11. In the Congaree National Park, the water in the lake turns different colors at a certain temperature.
12. Blacks couples born white baby. No, the DNA test confirmed that the spouses are the biological parents of the baby. Perhaps these are white dormant genes or mutating albinism.
13. Scientists have tracked eagle movements using GPS for 20 years. Here are his flights.
14. Trace after a needle prick on the skin, taken with a microscope.
15. This is how entrants of the GITIS acting faculty are evaluated in the era of coronavirus.
There are a lot of interesting things on the Internet, but how do you think it all gets there? Professor? Artificial Intelligence? This is the merit of ordinary people who want to share with the world interesting things that they have encountered in their lives. We have collected just such photos with interesting stories for you, and they are waiting for you further to show what you most likely have never seen.
Largest dicotyledonous leaf ever found on the Amazon
An electrician's eye after being hit by 14,000 volts at work
These Buenos Aires street benches are made of cement
"My trash can made an ice cube in the shape of a trash can."
The same people, the only difference is in the height of those who filmed them. Left photo - 157.5 cm, right - 188 cm
Peeled lemon
Albino squirrel
Fork with small fork
"Today I met the sheriff who had pink handcuffs."
Garland under the snow
"In a German restaurant I went to, there is a pot-bellied pig walking on the patio."
Eye after corneal transplant
Inside a salt mine
The reporter is almost a cyborg
If the video says "shot on iPhone", then most likely it was done like this
Janitor's Secret Door at Cinderella Castle, Disneyland
Everyone has seen pictures of the famous Hollywood sign, here is a photo of what the letters "see"
Sesame Street Big Bird Costume Arrangement
Tamascan is a breed of dog that looks like a wolf, but has nothing of the wolf.
No terriers were eaten during the creation of this photo.
Milky Way, Queenstown, New Zealand
Wolfdog - the result of crossing a German shepherd and a wolf
Unusual rain near the beach
High quality smoky Himalayan quartz found in Taos, New Mexico
If you add all the British coins together, you get a shield
Cranberry harvest in Canada
10 myths about how you really need to eat right, and why science decides everything here
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There are many beliefs in our society that, upon closer examination, turn out to be prejudices. It is better not to eat animal milk, diabetics should not eat fruits, vegetarians will not last long without protein ... Let's figure out with the help of experts in the field of edible and inedible who is our enemy and who is our friend.
We have found and debunked several popular myths about proper nutrition.
At Bemorepanda, we liked the advice of the American writer, educator and health food activist Michael Pollan the best. It has only 7 words. Read with us.
Myth #1: Fresh fruits and vegetables are always healthier than canned, frozen, or dried ones.
Despite the strong opinion that "fresh is better", studies have shown that frozen, canned and dried fruits and vegetables can be just as nutritious and healthy as fresh ones.
“They can also help save money and be an easy way to ensure that families have consistent fruits and vegetables,” says Sarah Bleach, former director of food security and health equity at the USDA and professor of public health policy at the Harvard T. X. Chan. "One word of caution: Some types of canned, frozen, and dried foods contain ingredients such as sugar, saturated fat, and sodium, so be sure to read product labels and look for foods that are low in these additives."
Myth #2: All fats are bad.
When studies published in the late 1940s found a relationship between a high-fat diet and high blood cholesterol, experts decided that reducing the total amount of fat in the diet would reduce the risk of heart disease.
By the 1980s, doctors, health experts, the food industry, and the media were reporting that a low-fat diet could benefit everyone, although there was no conclusive evidence that it could prevent cardiovascular disease, overweight and obesity.
Dr. Vijaya Surampudi, assistant professor of medicine at UCLA's Center for Human Nutrition, says that as a result of the negative message about fat, many people - and food manufacturers - have begun to replace calories from fat with calories from refined carbohydrates (white flour and sugar).
Suffice it to recall the effect of low-calorie SnackWell cookies, when people began to overeat, confident that this is acceptable, since the food is dietary. “Instead of helping fellow citizens stay lean, this approach has led to an increase in overweight and obesity,” she explains.
In reality, Dr. Surampudi added, not all fats are bad. While some fats, including saturated and trans fats, can increase your risk of disease, healthy monounsaturated fats (found in olive and other vegetable oils, avocados, some nuts and seeds) and polyunsaturated fats (found in sunflower and other vegetable oils, walnuts) , fish and flaxseed) help reduce the risk.
"Good" fats are also important for providing energy, producing important hormones, maintaining cellular function, and absorbing certain nutrients.
If you see a product labeled "fat-free," don't automatically think it's healthy, says Dr. Surampudi. Instead, opt for foods with simple ingredients and no added sugar.
Myth #3: “Calories in, calories out” is the most important factor for long-term weight maintenance.
It's true that if you take in more calories than you burn, you're more likely to gain weight. And if you're burning more calories than you're consuming, you should be losing weight—at least in the short term.
However, the study does not suggest that eating more food will lead to sustained weight gain, i.e. obesity or obesity.
"Rather, it's the types of foods we eat that may be long-term drivers of these conditions," said Dr. Dariusz Mozaffarian, professor of nutrition and medicine at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
Over-processed foods—refined starch snacks, cereals, crackers, energy bars, baked goods, soda, and sweets—can be especially harmful to weight gain because they digest quickly and fill the blood with glucose, fructose, and amino acids, which are converted into fat by the liver. Instead, maintaining a healthy weight requires a shift from counting calories to prioritizing healthy eating in general—quality over quantity.
Myth #4: People with type 2 diabetes shouldn't eat fruit.
This myth arose because fruit juices, which can raise blood sugar levels due to their high glucose and low fiber content, are confused with whole fruits.
However, it is not. Some studies show, for example, that those who consume one serving of whole fruits per day — especially blueberries, grapes, and apples — have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
According to other scientific sources, if you already have type 2 diabetes, then eating whole fruits can help you control your blood sugar levels.
It's time to dispel that myth, says Dr. Linda Shiue, GP and director of health nutrition and lifestyle at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco: Everyone, including type 2 diabetics, needs healthy nutrients found in fruit - fiber, vitamins , minerals and antioxidants.
Myth #5: Plant-based milk is healthier than animal-based milk.
There is an opinion that vegetable milk, for example, from oats, almonds, rice, is more useful and nutritious than cow's.
“That's just not true,” says Kathleen Merrigan, a professor of sustainable food systems at Arizona State University and a former US assistant secretary of agriculture. “Consider protein: Generally, cow’s milk has about eight grams of protein per cup, while almond milk has one to two grams and oat milk has about two to three grams per cup.”
Plant-based drinks can vary in nutritional value, Dr. Merrigan said, but many contain more added ingredients, such as sodium and sugar, that will degrade health faster than cow's milk.
Myth #6: White potatoes are unhealthy.
Potatoes are often frowned upon in the nutrition community due to their high glycemic index, which means they contain fast-digesting carbohydrates that raise blood sugar levels. However, potatoes may actually be good for your health, says Dafena Altema-Johnson, food community and public health program officer at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Better Future.
It is rich in vitamin C, potassium, fiber and other nutrients, especially when eaten with the skin. In addition, potatoes are inexpensive and available year-round in grocery stores, making this product more affordable. The most useful cooking methods are: frying, baking, boiling and air grilling.
Myth #7: Peanut foods should not be given to infants in their first years of life.
For a long time, experts have been telling new parents that the best way to prevent food allergies in children is to not feed them allergenic foods like peanuts or eggs for the first few years of life. But now, according to allergy experts, it's best to introduce peanut products to your child's diet as early as possible.
If your child does not have severe eczema or an identified food allergy, you can start introducing peanut products (such as water-diluted peanut butter, peanut puffs, or peanut powder, but not whole peanuts) at about 4-6 months, when your child is ready for solid food. “Start with two teaspoons of smooth peanut butter mixed with water, breast milk, or formula two to three times a week,” advises Dr. Ruchi Gupta, professor of pediatrics and director of the Feinberg Northwestern School of Medicine Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research. . - If your baby has severe eczema, first ask your pediatrician or allergist about whether you can start giving peanut products at about 4 months.
It is also important to feed your baby a variety of foods in the first year of life to prevent food allergies,” says Dr. Gupta.
Myth #8: Plant protein is incomplete.
"Where do you get protein from?" is the #1 question vegans get asked,” says Christopher Gardner, a nutrition scientist and professor of medicine at Stanford University. The myth is that plants are completely lacking in certain amino acids, also known as the building blocks of proteins. But in fact, plant foods contain all 20 amino acids, including the nine essential, essential amino acids.”
“The only difference is that the ratio of these amino acids is not as ideal as in animal products. Therefore, to get an adequate portion of nutrients, you just need to eat a variety of plant foods throughout the day: beans, grains and nuts and consume enough protein in general. Most people in prosperous countries get everything they need: it's easier than many people think, ”says Dr. Gardner.
Myth #9: Eating soy-based foods can increase your risk of breast cancer.
The high doses of plant estrogens in soy, called isoflavones, stimulate the growth of breast tumor cells (according to animal studies).
“In humans, this association has not been confirmed,” says Dr. Frank B. Hu, professor and chair of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan. So far, scientific evidence does not point to a link between soy consumption and the risk of developing breast cancer in humans.
In contrast, consumption of soy-based foods and beverages—such as tofu, tempeh, edamame, miso, and soy milk—may even be protective, reduce the risk of development, and increase survival in this disease. Soy products are also a source of beneficial nutrients associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, including high-quality protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, adds Dr. Hu. “The results of the study are clear: feel free to include soy products in your diet.”
Myth #10: Basic nutritional guidelines change all the time—and by a lot.
“That’s not true,” says Dr. Marion Nestle, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Nutrition, Nutritional Research, and Public Health at New York University. - In the 1950s, the first dietary recommendations for the prevention of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc. contained advice to balance calories and minimize foods high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar. Modern dietary guidelines call for the same.”
Yes, science is developing, but the rules of healthy eating remain unchanged. Writer Michael Pollan summed it up in seven simple words: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. According to Dr. Nestle, this council worked 70 years ago and continues to work today. And it leaves plenty of room for eating the foods you love.
People by nature constantly strive to learn something new, but at the same time they know very little about themselves. The creator of the TikTok channel Knowledgesaurus decided to fight this injustice by regularly revealing fascinating facts about the human body in his videos. People liked it so much that his videos are gaining millions of views, and the account boasts 1.4 million subscribers. Basically, the author of the channel shares statistics on rare abilities and deviations associated with humans, thanks to which you can find out how rare you are. We have collected 20 facts for you, and they all look forward to your attention further.
“Some people sneeze when exposed to sunlight. This is called the light sneeze reflex. It is observed on average in 26% of the population, it is not a well-studied genetic trait "
“Only 12% of people have tetrachromathy - the simultaneous perception of the color spectrum by four different types of light receptors. People with tetrachromacy see about 10 times more shades and colors than people with normal vision. "
“10% of people have Morton's finger. This is when the big toe is shorter than the next one. The Statue of Liberty also has Morton's finger. "
“2% of people have red hair by nature. To have a child with this hair color, both parents must have this gene, and although redheads make up a tiny fraction of the population, one study found that 30% of advertisements showed people with red hair. "
“Less than 1% of people have a small hole in the ear. Some evolutionary biologists claim that this is what is left of the gills. "
“9% of people taste soap in cilantro. Cilantro contains a chemical that is a byproduct of soap making. "
“Only 1% of people are ambidextrous; they have the same right and left hands. It makes no difference to them which hand to use. "
“35% of people do not have wisdom teeth. In the past, wisdom teeth served a purpose, but now they are no longer used, so we remove them to prevent them from causing inflammation while cutting through the gums. One can only envy such people "
“Only 33% of people can whistle. Almost everyone can learn, for this you just need to master the technique "
"83.7% of people can roll their tongue into a tube, but only 14.7% of people can make a" clover "from the tongue"
“1% of people need less sleep than the rest. This feature allows them to go through the sleep cycle faster than the average person. "
“Only 5% of people have arched fingerprints. Most people have either looped or curled prints. "
The author of this photo has all three types of prints on at least one hand (from left to right): curl, loop and arc.
“1% of people have a double row of eyelashes. While some may think that this is enviable, in fact it can cause some problems. "
Photo author: “I have a rare genetic disease - distichiasis (double row of eyelashes). Sometimes they grow in my eye. "
“Only 25% of people have dimples on their cheeks. They can be both on both sides and on one. They are also inherited, and if you have dimples on your cheeks, then most likely your child will also have them. "
“20% of people have a gap between their front teeth. This is usually caused by a mismatch between the size of the jaw and the size of the teeth. "
"In 8.4% of people, the hair on the crown of the head is curled counterclockwise, while the majority of people curl it clockwise."
“Less than 1% of people have super-strong bones. This is caused by a mutation in one of the genes that makes bones 8 times denser. "
Do not crowd, there will be enough interesting things for everyone! Who ordered a cat that has two "Eyes of Sauron" at once? What about a white moth with a chicken on its back? And this is just the tip of the iceberg, because we have prepared for you a lot of interesting photos with stories that will tell you about something that you have not seen yet. Some people are constantly striving to learn something new, while others are keen to share their experiences. Fortunately, there is a thread on Reddit that caters to the needs of both. We hope you are also from inquisitive minds who are eager to learn something new and interesting.
Make a coffee, sit back, we're getting started!
This piece of foam floated in the ocean for so long it looked like a stone.
"This tree that I met in Tokyo has grown over a fence and it looks like it put its elbows on it to lean back and relax."
"A friend of mine found a green stem growing out of a shell. It was a grain of popcorn."
"I just finished this puzzle that has no picture."
"It rained at night and washed away all my child's chalk drawings, except for the one under the sheet."
"The disappearing stain on my thumb looks like the development of a deadly virus."
Beets with a flawless heart shape
"The alarm clock at this hotel has three displays so you can see the time while lying on any bed in the room."
"I just landed in Berlin and the plane lights are colored."
Traffic light showing how long you have to wait
"Alien DJ on my coffee cup"
"Green bread with the addition of pandanus leaves is sold in Malaysia"
Perfectly trimmed tree in Seville, Spain
"Found a set of round playing cards"
"My grandparents measure time on the dial with one week instead of 24 hours."
Clear hot sauce
"My friend looks like a giant"
A cat with two "Eyes of Sauron"
A boat that has a part for underwater views
Single egg tray
"Bumped into a Danish door leading to a field"
Someone crocheted a cover for this tree
Butterfly with transparent wings
This is a building that looks like a huge open cardboard box.
Fleet of delivery robots at work
The leaves of this tree grow in such a way that it feels like it was blurred in Photoshop.
White moth with a picture of a chicken on the back
"The color of my red pen is exactly the same shade as the margins in the notebook."
Babies sleep on the street in the courtyard of a hospital to strengthen the immune system, Moscow, USSR, 1958
Raindrops only cling to the colored areas of this poster.
National Geographic's door handles are shaped like the brand's logo
"My oatmeal became smooth and egg-shaped after I ran to work."
There is a miniature copy of it near this temple so that blind people can get acquainted with its architecture.
Tiny starfish
Pizza box opening from the center
Smoke from the fire painted the cobweb black
"Gradient colors on eggs that I collected from my chickens"
The photographs on the walls of this pub curve along with the walls
These chairs have a recess so you can hang your bag
"My coffee with milk came out the same color as my mug."
"This cactus has been growing from the metal roof of my friends for 4 years now."
Tiny seashell in sea salt
It says "Closed"
Funny patterns on ventilation grilles in new Swedish trains
A bench and a table made of rails. Vandalism level: 100
Toilet paper that helps you learn English
Stone before and after polishing
This is what bags of potato chips look like in a store located at an altitude of 2250 meters.
Here's what $ 1 million looks like in 10 dollar bills.
Plain 2D graffiti, but it looks like it's three-dimensional
From the inside, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is hollow
Wolves can be very large
At a time when there were still no clocks, people used candles with marks, each of which marked 1 hour. If it was necessary to set an alarm, then people simply stuck nails into the candle and put it on a metal surface.
Another alternative to the alarm clock was special people who were paid to spit frozen peas at windows to wake people up for work.
How much Shanghai (China) has changed in just 20 years
Jupiter and Saturn's Northern Lights compared to Earth
These two photos are exactly the same - they were taken from the same angle, they have the same crop and contain the same pixels, but the second one looks different
There is a truck on the left in this photo.
Inside the fire alarm is the usual small toggle switch.
