In 2009, Russian doctors operated on Artyom Sidorkin to remove what they thought was a tumor in his lung. When they opened him up, they were surprised to find a fir tree growing instead! Doctors speculate that the man must have inhaled a seed that eventually sprouted and grew inside him. The growing branches were even started to cause him to cough up blood because they were puncturing his lungs!
Psychology studies have shown that the easier someone laughs at your jokes, the more likely it is that they like you. They theorized that humor might have evolved as a way to indicate interest towards potential and existing relationships with romantic partners, friends, family members, allies etc. They say that people initiate humor to gauge the reaction in a new social circle, in the same way you dip a toe in the water before going for a swim.
So now you know... come up with the most horrible unfunny joke you can think of; if he or she laughs at it, then they're a keeper!
In 1981, researchers from the Smithsonian tried to cut an iron meteorite that had crashed in Antarctica. When their blade got destroyed, they tested it with X-rays and found that the meteorite was full of microscopic diamonds! They speculated that the diamonds had been formed after a collision in the asteroid belt. There have been other instances where similar meteorites have originated from deep space and crashed into the earth.
But not all diamonds fall down completely formed. Scientist have also seen that diamonds form in the fiery instant when meteors and meteorites hit the earth. Interestingly, the structure of these diamonds is hexagonal, different from the cubic structure of Earth-grown diamonds.
|
Some awesome lists!
|
|
Retail Analyst Mintel has calculated that Ikea's furniture market share in the United Kingdom is about 10%. This is despite there only being 18 Ikeas in the country and their main competitors having at least 3 times as many stores as the Swedish retailer. Their study also showed that more than 1/3 of families have bought Ikea items in the past 3 years.
One of the most interesting items that Mintel published is that in the UK, twice as many people visit Ikea regularly than go to church every Sunday! By far the most curious one was their estimate that one in ten babies born in Europe today have been conceived in a bed bought from Ikea! Maybe they should start including a short guide to conceiving at the end of their assembly manuals for beds!
