Using nothing but a compass as a navigational tool, ancient mariners from China to Sumer navigated the world’s oceans. Even in the modern age of GPS, the magnetic compass is anunfaltering navigational tool for seagoing vessels, airplanes and hikers on the ground. Read more
If you do not like the seven-day week, blame it on Constantine the Great, first Christian emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from A.D. 306 to 337, who officially adopted it in 321. Read more
There are not exactly 365 days in a year. The actual length of a year is 365.2422 days, just close enough to 365.25 days to cause a mathematical muddle when coming up with a calendar. Read more
The headline read, “China to land on dark side of the moon.” Unlike the Force of “Star Wars” fame, the moon has no permanent dark side. Read more
When a tree falls and there is no one there to hear it, does it make a sound? It depends on what you mean by sound. We think we know what it means because our perception of sound is second in importance only to sight. Read more
Alternating current is the standard for electrical service the world over. Read more
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The earliest clocks relied on the movements of the sun and stars. A sundial consists of a stick or gnomon that casts a shadow on a flat surface with numbers to represent hours or other measures of time. Read more
