The Wife in History

I have a thing for quirky reference books, so I was excited to come across this little gem today titled A History of the Wife.. I wasn't actually looking for a new book, and finding it was one of those weird woo-woo moments. Less than a week ago,I was reading a novel that took place in England in 1814, and a character in the book (a solicitor) mentioned that the laws of the time stipulated that if a woman gave birth within a year after her husband's death, the child would be considered the legitimate offspring of the deceased husband!Whoa! You do the math.

Anyway, that little tidbit already had me digging around on the internet for more information on how this part of the law could have come about, so this book came along just at the right time. I'm looking forward to delving into it.

Myrna

Dyslexia Explained Through Animation

This TEDEducation video explains the whys and wherefores of dyslexia in an engaging and easy to understand manner (and in less than four and a half minutes).

The Lake was...Pink!

If you live in Australia, you probably already know about Lake Hillier, but if you don't, then you may be wondering (as I was) what would make a lake turn pink. Here's the explanation.

In Case You Were Wondering What All Those Acronyms Stand For...

Here's a quick explanation of some of them. Specifically, 56 acronyms and initialisms.

The Price of Food, Relatively Speaking

Moving around the world, a dollar (or in this case 5 dollars) isn't equal. Here's how much food $5 can buy around the world at this time. Of course, all that can change in a day (or an hour). And of course, this also doesn't take into account how much money people earn in each of those countries. Still, it was interesting.

There's a Word for Everything

Here are some interesting ones. (I so want to use the word wamble now).

 

The Answer at Last? (Chicken or Egg)

Just because.

I Love These "Amazing Facts" Videos

This one is from Asap Science:



And in case you missed Part One (I didn't post it here when it came out), here it is:


(I didn't try to verify any of these facts, but they're fun to think about).

It's the Season for Giving, But...

Maybe it would be better to spread some of our giving to other parts of the year. In this video, Can Money Buy Happiness? by Asap Science, the concept of what we do with our money and how that affects our sense of well being is explored.

Why are Things Cute?

The internet abounds with cuteness (puppies, kittens, babies). We know cute instantly when we see it. Why is that?

The Power of Water

I'm sure that most of us know how powerful water can be. We've seen examples on the news. But this National Geographic video, featuring Richard Ambrose and Jonny Phillips, makes it very clear and gives some great examples.

TED-Ed: The Real Origin of the Franchise

This video is more interesting than the title suggests. Frankly, I wasn't that blown away by the story, but the way it was told with  the artist illustrating the video from beginning to end, was intriguing enough to hold my attention all the way through (that's part of the beauty of TED-ED. More about that on another day).

Do You Have a Fear of Falling Down a Hole?

Here's a video from V Sauce 2 on the world's biggest (and in some cases, weirdest) holes.



If you click through to the YouTube site, there are links to more information.

Canada Gets Rid of the Penny: Why That's a Good Thing (and Why Others Should Do It, Too)

The argument over the penny has gone on for a long time, but it's time to let it go. (Note: Because we've always done it that way isn't a good reason for pretty much anything. If that's the best anyone can come up with, that should tell you something). Here's one of my favorites, C.G.P. Grey explaining why this "goodbye to the penny" is a cause for celebration.

Yes, It's February 29th!

...which always feels a bit weird. Here's why we have leap years (fun, even if you already know the answer).

C.G.P. Grey Explains Groundhog Day

And, as usual, his videos are always fun and a bit irreverent.

10 Misconceptions Rundown

C.G.P. Grey debunks some common myths. (I love this guy's method of delivery). Here's more proof as to why we shouldn't believe everything that gets repeated (and sent around the Internet) or that is implied in ads.

A History of the Calendar

Just in case you were curious