IN FRATERNAM MEAM: QUESTIONS YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO ASK BUT AFRAID TO ASK

IN FRATERNAM MEAM

Friday, September 03, 2004

QUESTIONS YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO ASK BUT AFRAID TO ASK

(abstracted from the book: LIFE'S IMPONDERABLES by: David Feldman)

1... What are those Twitches and Jerks that occasionally wake us just as wer are falling asleep?

Sometimes when we are about to slepp we get jolted awake by an unaccountable spas,, usually in the leg. You have been a victim of what is called "HYPNIC KERK",
....."they occur when nerve fibers leading to the leg, in a bundle nearly as thicj as a pencil prodices a harsh tightening of a tiny portion of muscle fiber that is linked to it down in the leg, and when they all fire together the leg twitches as a whole."(David Bodanis "The Body Book")

2... Why is Royalty referred to as "Blue Blooded"?

"In the 18th century, a group of Islamic warriors, the Moors, invaded and occupied Spain. They ruled the country for five centuries.This didnt sit well to the aristocrats of Castile, who began referring themself as SANGRE AZUL (Blue Blood) to differentiate themselves from the Moors.Their skin complexion was lighter than their conquerors.

3...Why do they call large trucks "SEMIS"?

"Semi is short for "Tractor-semitrailer", but most truckers use the term Semi to refer both the trailer alone and the tractor semitrailer combination.A semitrailer is legally defined as a vehicle designed so that a portion of its weight rests on a towing vehicle. This distinguishes it from a full trailer on which the entire load, except for a drawbar, rests on its two wheels."

4... Why were Philips Screws and Screwdrivers developed?

"The straight bladed screwdriver was popular long before the advent of the Philips. The main selling point of Philips was clearly the self centering features. Straight bladed screwdrivers tended to slip out of the screws aslots, running wood or toehr material, occasionally even injuing the worker. The recessed Philipes screws allowed a close and tighter fit than the conventional slots. "

5... What does M & M stands for?

" Two names ---- MARS & MURRIE, the head honchos of M & M candies in the early 1940's.

..... Why are there more brown M & M's than any other color, and how do they determine the ratio of colors?

"M & M conducts market research to answer precisely these types of questions. Consumers have shown a consistent preference for brown M & M, so they predominate."

6... What are Dimples? And why do only some people have them?

"Dimples are a generic name for "Indentations of the Skin".Dimples are produced when muscle fibers are attached to the deep surface of the skin, such as in the cheek or chin, or where the skin is attached to the fibrous bands, such as the elbow, shoulder and back. Dimples are most likely to appear where the skin is most tightly attached to the underlying bone.Dimples probably are due to some developmental fault in the connective tissue that binds skin to bone."

7... Why do Monkeys in the Zoo pick through their hair all the time?

"In the wild, primates pick at their own hair frequently, usually they are trying to rid themselves of parasitic insects, insect webs or remnants of food."

" Monkeys in captivity are much less likely to be riddled with parasites, but may be afflicted with another skin problem. Monkeys exude salt from the pores of their skin. the salt lands on loose bits of skin, and monkeys will often pick through their hair trying to shed the salty flakes. That is the reason in the zoo we always see the monkeys pick through their hair all the time."

8...Why is Cheddar Cheese orange?

"Cheddar cheese is artificially colored with natural ingredients, most commonly known as "Annatto", a seed from tropical Annatto tree. The cheese is combined with Annatto and oleoresin paprika, an oil extraction of the spice paprika, to color the Cheddar Cheese. The only reason why cheesemakers color their product is because the consumers seem to prefer it."

9...Why do dogs have black lips?

"Pigmentation protects animals against solar radiation damage. Because dogs don't have as much hair around the mouths as on most parts of their bodies, pigmentation plays a particualry important role in shileding dogs againts the ravages of the sun. The only breed of dog with an unusual lip color is the Chow Chow, which has blue in color.This is because the blue appearance of the lips and oral cavity of the CHow Chow is related to the depth of the pigment cells within the oral tissue."

10..Why do golf balls have dimples?

"Golf Balls have dimples because in 1908 a man named Taylor patented this cover design. Dimples provide greated aerodynamic lift and consistency of flight than a smooth ball."

11.. What is the "Cottage" in cottage cheese?

" It was called "Cottage" because farmers made the cheese in their own cottages to utilize the milk remaining after the cream had been skimmed from it for buttermaking."

12.. Why is there cotton stuffed in prescription and over the counter medicine bottles.?

"The main purpose of the cotton stuffed in medicine vials is to prevent rattling and subsequent breakage of pills during shipment."

..... Why do we have to use cotton inside the bottle of medicine?

"Because of its absorbency, cotton helps keep medication dry. The moisture will destroy most drugs. Cootn helps keep pills dry during shipment, also are capable of absorbing moistrue from the environment.If the cotton gets wet and re-enters the bottle, the effectiveness of the medication is jeopardized."

13.. Do fish sleep? If so, when do fish sleep?

"Fish dont have eyelids that block out vision, but some have a transparent membrane that protects their eyes from irrtiants. Pelagic fish who live in the open sea such as tuna, bluefish and marlins never stop swimming.The ingenous ways that fish try to catch a few winks, even forty winks are an elusive dream for the fish. Some fish simply becomes inactive and hover around in reefs.This fish wedge themselves into a crevice in the reef, bag themselves and reamin there, semicomatose through the night."

NOTA BENE:
this is a volumnous book and i have to read and extract the main point of the question. if any of my reader wants to ask a question and i have it in this book, please dont fail of ask in the comments and i will research and blog the answer for you.

posted by infraternam meam @ 1:30 PM

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