Asia

8 Curious Facts About Asia That Will Absolutely Boggle Your Brain

8 Curious Facts About Asia That Will Absolutely Boggle Your Brain
Places
year ago

As the largest continent on the planet, Asia is home to 60% of the world’s population, comprising 49 countries in total. The region is famous for its tall buildings, 2 world wonders (the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China), and rich biodiversity. Still, there are numerous facts about Asia that are not as well-known, but they can easily blow your mind — so we are eager to tell you about them in this article.

9 Times Asia Was Way Ahead of the Curve

9 Times Asia Was Way Ahead of the Curve
Curiosities
3 years ago

Asia is home to nearly 60% of the Earth’s population. This continent is the birthplace to some of the world’s earliest civilizations, like Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley civilization as well as ground-breaking inventions such as gunpowder and paper-making. Even today, Asia never ceases to amaze us with its technological and social innovations which, to a Westerner, might seem like something out of a futuristic sci-fi film.

15 Unique Things That Prove Asia Is a Whole New World

15 Unique Things That Prove Asia Is a Whole New World
Places
5 years ago

China alone had approximately 60.74 million international tourist arrivals in 2017. And it’s no wonder! Asia has always attracted people with its architecture, nature, and culture. You feel like you’re in a totally different world where you can sometimes even lose yourself.

20 Stories From People Who Had Unexpected Experiences with a Super-Rich

20 Stories From People Who Had Unexpected Experiences with a Super-Rich
Curiosities
month ago

Ever wondered what it’s like to rub shoulders with the ultra-wealthy? Spoiler alert: it’s not all sports cars and luxury handbags (though let’s be honest, that happens too). From bizarre flexes and outrageous spending sprees to jaw-dropping displays of wealth, these stories pull back the curtain on the super-rich, proving that their lives can be even stranger than we ever imagined.

Rihanna’s True Fee Revealed for Anant Ambani’s Pre-Wedding Celebration in India

Rihanna’s True Fee Revealed for Anant Ambani’s Pre-Wedding Celebration in India
People
9 months ago

Rihanna made an appearance at the pre-wedding celebrations of the son of Asia’s wealthiest man in India. She put on an energetic 40-minute performance. However, even though she was paid a HUGE amount for her time, many people on the internet were not impressed with what they saw in the videos of her performance, feeling like she didn’t put in much effort. Let’s find out more about what went down.

Why India Keeps Its Cities So Short

Why India Keeps Its Cities So Short
Places
year ago

It all started with the Home Insurance Building that was built in 1885 in Chicago. Just a ten-story building, but it was a revolution at the time, and that was the beginning of the era of skyscrapers. It was constructed using a revolutionary method: the building had an inner skeleton made of steel, which allowed the walls to be thinner and the whole structure being higher than ever.

This Cat Doesn’t Drink and Leaves No Pawprints

This Cat Doesn’t Drink and Leaves No Pawprints
Animals
year ago

Let’s get into the “purrfect” world of felines. From the sand cat that can go for weeks without drinking water to the first cat that went to space. Here are the 10 interesting cat facts for you to enjoy and be informed about.

Watch Earth Change 100 Million Years in the Future

Watch Earth Change 100 Million Years in the Future
Curiosities
year ago

This. Is. Earth... 335 million years ago. I wasn’t around then, but there’s just one supercontinent, Pangaea. See? Let’s watch it shift around in fast-forward. Ok here we go, it just split into two huge pieces! Australia goes this way, North and South America go that way. Africa, Asia, Europe, forming, forming... and there we go, the planet as it is today. Let’s keep going, I mean, the continents are always on the move! Over time, some of them will crash into each other, others will break apart. But that’ll take about 100 million years! Better put it on super fast-forward! 100 years from now. Humans keep spitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and the planet’s already warmed up a bunch. The world’s ocean levels have risen about 4 feet. The Bahamas? They’ve totally disappeared! 200 years from now. The Earth’s population is about 19 billion people. The climate’s gotten even warmer, we’re packed in like sardines over here! New medical tech makes it possible to live to 180! But why? Fossil fuel reserves of oil and gas... long gone. Oh, and the continents have drifted over 16 feet!

What Flies Really Do When They Land on Food

What Flies Really Do When They Land on Food
Animals
year ago

Flies are everywhere we go, literally. It is believed that flies originated in Asia, but these days they live everywhere people live, only excluding Antarctica, and — maybe — a couple of islands. Flies have traveled the oceans following humans, but they never go anywhere alone. In the wilderness and deserts, where humans are absent, you won’t find any flies.

Why Are Insects in Australia So Big?

Why Are Insects in Australia So Big?
Animals
year ago

Have you ever noticed how insects seem to get bigger in certain parts of the world? Take Australia and the Amazon rainforest, for example. They’re notorious for having some of the largest and creepiest crawlies around. What’s the deal with these hotspots of insect activity? Warmth plays a part in insect growth, but it’s not the only factor at play. You won’t get bugs that large out in the desert, for instance, despite the heat. The real secret lies in their access to water. In tropical and subtropical environments, there’s usually plenty of moisture to go around, which means a year-round supply of delicious snacks.

What If Columbus Never Reached the Americas

What If Columbus Never Reached the Americas
Curiosities
year ago

It was hot in the tropics. A type of heat unknown to the men aboard the Ninã, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria ships, led by Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. It had been months since these men left their home cities in Europe. And until then, Europe was all they knew. They were given a difficult and even dangerous task. Spain hired Columbus to find a New Western Route to Asia. They needed new routes for trading and buying spices. But it was far from a simple job.I mean, crossing the ocean never is. Little did those sailors know that their lives were about to change forever! “Land in sight!”, someone must have shouted on board. But when they finally stepped on that new foreign land, they discovered they were not in Asia. They had landed in the Americas.

Hidden Gems: 10 Ordinary Objects Reimagined Through a New Lens

Hidden Gems: 10 Ordinary Objects Reimagined Through a New Lens
Curiosities
year ago

I bet that’s not what you imagine when you think of cashews, but a Redditor found them like this in a store in Brazil. It turns out they’re not “true” nuts. Cashews emerge at the tip of a cashew apple. There’s a special word for a fruit with a seed inside — “a drupe.” So, cashews are drupes, just like almonds and pistachios. Brazil is the homeland of cashews. The tree was brought to India by the Portuguese in the middle of the 16th century. And from there, it spread further to Asia and then to West Africa. Today, these regions are the largest producers of cashews. The biggest consumer is the USA — they get 90% of the world’s harvest.

Scientists Have Successfully Grown Plants in Moon Soil

Scientists Have Successfully Grown Plants in Moon Soil
Curiosities
year ago

Ever wanted to taste a salad from space? Well, you might be able to one day. Scientists have taken soil from the Moon and successfully grown plants in it! Back in the late 1960s and early 70s, it was the first time in our history we set foot on a surface that wasn’t Earth. During the several trips to the Moon in the Apollo program, astronomers brought back some rocks and soil to study. Some scientists knew it would be a good idea to preserve this soil, stick some seeds in it, and see what would happen. They didn’t do anything at first, aware that decades into the future, they’d have more advanced equipment to conduct these studies. The researchers named the lunar soil “regolith” and used the seeds of a particular plant called blah-bah-blah-baa — you can read it here [Arabidopsis thaliana] which is found in Asia, Europe, and parts of Africa. It’s similar to such veggies as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli. Yum.

What’s Up With These Weird-Looking Mushrooms?

What’s Up With These Weird-Looking Mushrooms?
Curiosities
year ago

Did you know that the largest living creature on our planet is a mushroom? I know, your first thought was probably a whale or some large tree, like the Sequoia. Surprisingly, if we look at square footage, the largest single living organism is a species of mycelium called Armillaria Ostoyae or the honey mushroom. And you can find it in Oregon’s Malheur National Forest. It stretches across 3 square miles! Not only is it the largest, but it’s also thought to be the oldest organism as well, estimated to be around 8,000 years old! Some scientists believe that mushrooms are intelligent, too. Well, sort of — they don’t have emotions and aren’t actually capable of thinking. But they do have some of the most complex and extensive communication systems in the world.

Why These Mars Rocks Astonished Scientists

Why These Mars Rocks Astonished Scientists
Curiosities
year ago

The year 2022 was rich in amazing discoveries. Let’s have a look at the most impressive of them! The newest of NASA’s rovers, Perseverance, keeps exploring the surface of the Red Planet. Right now, it’s hunting for signs of ancient life in the Jezero crater. That’s a 28-mile-wide impact crater. It was likely once filled with water. While trekking across the crater’s floor, the rover spotted several surprising things. One of them was a weird purple coating on a few rocks. It was strangely similar to rock varnish formed by microbes on our planet.

27 Animals That You Wouldn’t Want to Meet in Your Way

27 Animals That You Wouldn’t Want to Meet in Your Way
Animals
year ago

Poison dart frogs are one of the most toxic species on our planet. They come in a range of bright colors: blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. And that’s not just to show-off! It’s a kinda message to all the predators that might want to come after them — “I’m toxic so you better stay away and don’t try to eat me!”. The golden poison dart frog, for example, has so much poison it could finish 20,000 mice.

14 Scary But Not Dangerous Animals

14 Scary But Not Dangerous Animals
Animals
year ago

Alright. You’re scuba diving in the ocean, watching corals and colorful fish flitting by, when suddenly an enormous shadow appears above you. You look up and see a massive creature approaching you, its mouth a gaping abyss... Relax, just stay still and you’ll be fine.

20 Everyday Items That Rely on Unexpected Ingredients

20 Everyday Items That Rely on Unexpected Ingredients
Curiosities
year ago

Ok, so right after being produced, plastic water bottles aren’t the size you buy at the store. Even a gallon water bottle starts its life as a small tube. Later, it gets heated, inflated, and shaped into the bottle you know. Boy, I can relate to the heated and inflated part.

A Bus That Takes You From India to London in 70 Days

A Bus That Takes You From India to London in 70 Days
Curiosities
year ago

You’re running around the bus station with 20 bags, looking for your bus. You can’t afford to miss it — the next one is leaving next year. Finally, you find the right bus, and meet 19 other passengers you’ll be traveling with through 18 countries for the next 70 days. Whew, is there a bathroom on this thing?The new luxury bus will get on its first 12,500-mile journey from India’s capital New Delhi to London in the United Kingdom in 2021. It’ll be a hop-on/hop-off trip divided into 4 legs across Asia and Europe and operated by an Indian tour company. Each leg will last 12 to 22 days, and you can book them independently. Passengers will get to visit the sights of Southeast Asia, the Great Wall of China, the Silk Road in Central Asia, Gobi Desert, and Europe’s largest cities. Guided tours, meals, and hotel stays will be included in the $20,000 bus fare.

The Venezuelan Poodle Moth: Real-Life ’Pokemon’ with a Soundproofing Fur Secret!

The Venezuelan Poodle Moth: Real-Life ’Pokemon’ with a Soundproofing Fur Secret!
Curiosities
year ago

A species of millipede made musical headlines this year! Yep, you heard that right, it’s called the Taylor Swift millipede as was recently discovered in 2022. The scientists behind this finding are said to have named this little critter after the famous singer. They became really attached to her music in their younger years and thought it was a nice homage. The Taylor Swift millipede joins the list of 16 similar creatures found in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States.

Why Most Asians Don’t Have Toilet Paper in Their Homes

Why Most Asians Don’t Have Toilet Paper in Their Homes
Places
year ago

In numerous countries around the world, toilet hygiene practices diverge significantly from the common use of toilet paper. A fascinating example of this can be found in countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and India, where traditional bathrooms often feature a wide, scoop-like plastic implement, known as a “dipper,” which is utilized for personal hygiene. But that’s not all; in Japan, they’ve taken toilet innovation to a whole new level with the development of specialized toilets featuring cleansing seats that offer an experience akin to a bidet.Diving deeper into this intriguing phenomenon, one can’t help but wonder what drives these alternative practices in Asia, and it turns out there’s a multitude of reasons, both cultural and medical, that shed light on this unique approach to personal hygiene.Culturally, many of these practices are deeply rooted in tradition and local customs. In countries like India, for instance, the use of water instead of toilet paper can be traced back centuries, as it aligns with the principles of cleanliness and purity outlined in ancient texts. Similarly, in Indonesia and the Philippines, the practice of using a dipper and water is not only practical but also culturally significant, reflecting a connection to the environment and a holistic approach to hygiene.Moreover, medical considerations play a pivotal role in the preference for water-based hygiene methods. In regions where certain waterborne diseases are more prevalent, such as Southeast Asia, the use of water for cleaning is seen as a safer and more effective way to prevent contamination and maintain personal health. The feeling of cleanliness and freshness that water provides can also be psychologically reassuring, contributing to its popularity.Additionally, the invention of advanced toilet technology, like the aforementioned Japanese cleansing seats, has further bolstered the adoption of alternative methods. These innovations not only provide a luxurious and efficient cleansing experience but also align with Japan’s penchant for cutting-edge technology.

Why Natural Blondes Are One of a Kind

Why Natural Blondes Are One of a Kind
Curiosities
4 years ago

We may have seen many people with these sun-kissed shades of hair on the silver screen, but in reality, blondes are a lot less common than that. Famous blondes such as Marilyn Monroe, Gwen Stefani, and Reese Witherspoon were not actually born with those luscious locks of golden hair. But there’s just something about being blonde that makes powerful women opt to bleach their hair to a lighter shade.

20+ Facts About the Mayan People That Your School Teachers Didn’t Tell You About

20+ Facts About the Mayan People That Your School Teachers Didn’t Tell You About
Curiosities
4 years ago

The Mayan civilization is one of the most amazing, mysterious, and at the same time one of the most attractive populations who have ever lived on our planet. The peculiarities of this civilization attract scientists and ordinary people, as it left many questions that have been waiting for answers for centuries. And the smartest people in the world are still racking their brains, trying to figure out their secrets.

10 Things From Different Countries That Leave Foreigners Open-Mouthed

10 Things From Different Countries That Leave Foreigners Open-Mouthed
Places
4 years ago

Around the world, people just have their own way of doing things. So it comes as no surprise that certain things that you don’t normally pay attention to, even simple things you do when going to a restaurant or going shopping, might actually be considered offensive or strange somewhere else. In fact, some things that you might find offensive, like yelling or throwing a tantrum in public, might actually be considered polite or normal in another country.

13 Awkward Situations Tourists May Endure When They Go to Asia

13 Awkward Situations Tourists May Endure When They Go to Asia
Places
3 years ago

When going on a trip, you can’t prepare for everything. Even if you carefully read all the forums and travel guides, it doesn’t mean you won’t get into some funny or awkward situations like, for example, when you want to pay for something but they don’t take cash, or when you wear a green Panama hat and people start laughing at you. They might also ask you some uncomfortable questions, such as “How often do you take a bath?” or “Do you eat too much?”

700 Years Ago a Plague Was Ravaging Europe, and We’re Still Experiencing Its Consequences

700 Years Ago a Plague Was Ravaging Europe, and We’re Still Experiencing Its Consequences
Curiosities
year ago

Despite the fact that plague pandemics appeared in both the Middle Ages and in the modern world, the fiercest and most destructive was the one that ravaged Europe in the 14th century, killing a third of the European population of that time — about 25 million people! But it didn’t just bring on death: after the end of the pandemic, Europe started to change so significantly that the consequences of those events still have an impact on our lives today.

Experienced Tourists Tell Us About Hotels’ Flaws and Other Troubles You Can Face on Adventures Around the World

Experienced Tourists Tell Us About Hotels’ Flaws and Other Troubles You Can Face on Adventures Around the World
Tips & tricks
2 years ago

Experienced tourists know that it’s really hard to predict everything when it comes to traveling. Some hotels use different tricks to make their apartments look bigger and some puzzle us with their inventions, whether they’re placing hidden cameras, installing transparent bathrooms, and so on. Fortunately, Internet users shared recommendations that can help us stay away from unpleasant situations while being far away from home.

Secrets of the Eastern Educational System That Can Help Raise a Talented and Smart Child

Secrets of the Eastern Educational System That Can Help Raise a Talented and Smart Child
Family & kids
4 years ago

Asian countries like China, Japan, and Korea have been at the top position of education ratings according to the estimations of PISA. 15-year-old students from the East often show better performance in math, reading, and science than other students from around the world. Raising a talented and successful child who respects their elders, their culture, and is a well-rounded good person is the main goal in Eastern countries. But how do these countries achieve this?