Africa is the second largest continent in terms of both area and population. It is located to the south of Europe and the southwest of Asia. Africa is home to the Nile River, which is the longest on the planet, and this river is fed by large lakes and streams on the east of the continent. The series of lakes in this region in known as the African Great Lakes and it is here that the largest lake on the continent is found. Let’s find out which lake is the largest in Africa.
Maize, usually called corn in English speaking countries, is a staple grain that grows on long stems which can reach 2-3 m (7-10 ft) in height. The edible portion of the plant is called the ear, which is the female cluster of flowers (inflorescence). In most varieties of maize these are quite large with smaller yellow edible seeds, which are about the same size as peas. Corn can be eaten cooked or used in a number of dishes. It is also ground like wheat to create an important flour, which is used to create a number of food items such as tortillas. Other varieties of maize are used for animal feed or for producing products, such as corn ethanol. There are a number of varieties of maize, but in general the sugar rich varieties for eating are called sweet corn and the others are called field corn. Maize has also been extensively genetically modified to improve yields and pest/disease resistance. Let’s find out where maize comes from and where it is grown today.
Indiana is a state located in the Midwestern and Great Lakes regions of the United States of America. The capital, and largest, city of the state is Indianapolis and this is located close to the geographical center of the state. The region now known as Indiana has a long history of Native American habitation, and the name of the state means “Land of the Indians.” Let’s take a brief look at the history of the region and find out when it officially became a state.
Tellurium is a rare silvery-white metal that is occasionally found in its free form on Earth. It is a chemical element represented by the symbol Te and the atomic number 52. It is often found in minerals that also contain gold, but is found in many other minerals as well. It is extremely rare (about as rare as platinum) and is usually obtained for commercial purposes as a byproduct of copper or lead mining and production. The largest producers of this metal are Canada, Japan, Peru and the United States. It is commonly used for creating alloys that respond well to machining. Let’s find out who discovered this element.
Helium is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, chemical element that exists as a nobel gas in all but extreme conditions. It is the second lightest element in the universe and also the second most common. However, it is relatively rare on Earth as our atmosphere contains only 0.00052% of the gas. There are only two stable isotopes of helium and the majority of helium on Earth is the more common of the two! Let’s find out how many isotopes of helium have been identified.
Gadolinium is rare silvery-white metal with an atomic number of 64 and the chemical symbol Gd. It was first detected in 1880. It was named Gadolinium after gadolinite, one of the minerals in which it is found. It is only found in its salt form in nature, but can be refined into metals and chelates. Gadolinium is primarily used in the medical and metal industries for specialised purposes. Gadolinium has no large scale uses, but this article will detail how gadolinium is used in the world today.
The West Nile Virus is a mosquito borne disease that occurs in many of the temperate and tropical regions of Africa, the Middle East, North America, Europe, Oceania and parts of Asia. The disease has an incubation period of about 2-15 days and it is after this time that the first symptoms occur. Symptoms vary between people, but a headache, fever, nausea/vomiting, muscle pain/weakness and other flu-like symptoms are relatively common. In about 1% of cases the disease causes very serious symptoms such as inflammation of the brain (meningitis and encephalitis) and it can also affect a number of organs. Let’s find out what causes this potentially life threatening disease.
France is a relatively large country in terms of population and area. It is also one of the most prosperous countries with very high standards of health, education and standard of living. The modern day country can be traced back to 486 with the Kingdom of Francia. Throughout much of its history France has also been one of the major world powers and was once the second largest colonial empire. This means that the country has had a major influence on the culture, politics and economy in its region and in the world. In fact, France still retains some of its territory from when it was a colonial force. Let’s find out where France is located and which overseas territories it still lays claim to.
Les Misérables is a French novel first published in 1862. The French version is about 1,900 pages long and it is one of the longest novels ever written. The novel has many subplots, but the main story follows ex-convict Jean Valjean who strives to do good, but struggles to escape his past. Les Misérables is considered to be one of the most important novels of the 19th century. The novel investigates many themes such as; politics, religion, justice, law, love and many more. Although initial critical reaction was mostly negative, it was a great commercial success throughout the world. It has had many adaptations over the years including; musicals, plays, movies and television specials. A recent film adaptation, which was adapted from the musical, has proved to be a major success and shows that the story is still popular with modern audiences. Let’s find out who wrote this important novel and some of the most successful adaptations.
Sally Field is a celebrity actress who began working in the industry as the title character in 1965 on the television series “Gidget.” Even though the show was cancelled after a season she landed more work on television and her first film role not long after. Her first starring role in a box office hit came in 1977 with the film “Smokey and the Bandit.” Just 3 years later she won her first Academy Award for her role in the film “Norma Rae.” This truly launched her career and she went on to star in a number of successful, big budget films. She won another Oscar in 1985 and was nominated again in 2013. She is wildly respected in the industry and, despite the fact she is well past 60 years of age, doesn’t look like slowing down anytime soon. The following is a list of movies that Sally Field has acted in during her long career.