Interesting Facts - Page 41

201

Wheels might seem like an obvious invention, but they weren't invented until around 3000-4000 B.C. In fact, many relatively advanced cultures never used wheels at all. Neither the Aztecs, the Mayans, nor the Incas employed wheels for transportation.

202

In 1894, the New York State constitution was amended to protect the lands of the Adirondack Forest and keep them "forever wild". The results of this protection can be clearly seen as a huge, dark green area on satellite maps of the state.

203

Marlon Brando was only 47 years old when he filmed The Godfather. For comparison, as of 2019, Tom Cruise is 56 and Brad Pitt is 55.

204

Ancient Greek athletes held light weights in their hands when doing the long jump. This allowed them to more effectively use the momentum of their arms, adding distance to their jumps.

205

There is a great deal of genetic diversity in Africa. In fact, its possible for two San tribesmen living with walking distance of each other to be further apart genetically than a typical European and Asian.

Page:1...3940414243...194

Also see:

+15

Level 86

Apr 21, 2019

Man, it just seems so silly now that the Spanish wasted all those years and lives conquering those civilizations militarily when all they really needed to do to rule the New World was challenge them to a drag race.

Level 62

May 10, 2019

lol

Level 89

Nov 26, 2019

If it had been a literal drag race the Americans would've been great at dragging stuff.

Level 56

Apr 22, 2022

Level 89

Oct 26, 2022

....no wheels....

Level 51

Dec 20, 2019

So like RuPaul's Drag Race?

Level 52

Aug 14, 2023

This "person" is not worth to be mentioned.

Level 71

Jul 19, 2020

If the original Americans used logs to roll their building stones, in a way they are using wheels..... just very broad wheels.

Level 75

Jan 31, 2021

The ages listed in #203 are no longer current. This needs a comparison that stays true without the need to update regularly.

Level 69

Mar 11, 2022

Or the reference to Pitt and Cruise removed.

Level 71

Feb 17, 2021

Just a random comment, but I've always found it pretty amazing that pre-Columbian American civilizations were able to get so advanced without using the wheel. I can't imagine how it would be possible to come up with efficient transportation without it. Even more surprising, these civilizations didn't even have many domesticated animals (other then the llama I think), and so they didn't even have horses or similar methods of transportation.

Level 71

Aug 24, 2021

They had lots of slaves to do the heavy work.

Level 84

Oct 8, 2021

Not necessarily.

Some of the jobs that many could consider "slave work" were taken by people trained specifically to do that job. This was due to their cosmology, in which many of those jobs were consecrated to one of their gods. How can a slave be let to perform a consecrated job?

For example, during the reign of Moctezuma II, fresh fish from the coasts of Veracruz was delivered each day, despite being 350 Km at least. They managed that by establishing a trail full of relays (5 Km at most), in which nimble yet strong men were given the fish in a proper ritual and then let go to deliver to the next relay.

Of course, this situation wasn't limited to fishing: War, agriculture, expansion... Everything was done to please the gods. Even message delivering was important: Moctezuma II knew about those "strange people from afar the sea" the very same day Cortés neared the coasts of Veracruz.

Level 35

Feb 25, 2021

The invention of the wheel, just think about it, in human times, it's amazing!

Level 85

Sep 5, 2021

#205: Check spelling of *within.

Level 71

Jan 25, 2022

'interopia' wins the "Golden Nitpick Award" for Sept. 2021.. Congratulations.

Level 69

Mar 11, 2022

The creation of the APA and the passage of the APA Act certainly helped the environment. Most of the Adirondacks had been clear cut by logging, charcoal manufacture and fuel for smelting mainly iron ore. However, the economy of the Adirondacks has suffered and consists mainly of subsistence living working several jobs and reliance on rich people coming up to play. There should be a middle ground between protecting the environment and letting people have a decent living.

Level 69

Mar 11, 2022

And I'm 61 right now? What difference does Cruise's or Pitt's current age have to do with Brando's age when he shot the Godfather?