Fast Facts Free Wheeling Stuff you may not know about the standard bicycle. ▶ There are about one billion of them in the world. ▶ Riding a bike uses the same energy as walking. ▶ They were originally called “velocipedes.” ▶ In the Netherlands, 30 per cent of all trips are on a bicycle. ▶ The Tour de France is the most famous bicycle race in the world. ▶ The production numbers for bicycles are 2.5 times higher than for cars. ▶ Denmark is said to have the most cycling enthusiasts in the world. ▶ More than 100 million bicycles are manufactured each year. ▶ Inventors who first conceived modern bicycles were likely either blacksmiths or cartwrights. ▶ The Wright Brothers built bicycles before they invented the airplane. ▶ Early bicycles were made of wood. ▶ The smallest adult bicycle ever created had wheels made from silver dollars. ▶ No one person can be credited with the invention of the bicycle, since it took combined efforts over a couple of centuries. ▶ Air-filled tires were used on bicycles before they were used on cars. Random Trivia ▶ Snails can take naps lasting for up to three years. ▶ Unlike earthquakes, the moon actually has moonquakes. ▶ You lose a percentage of your taste buds when flying on an airplane. ▶ Cats can’t taste anything that’s sweet. ▶ Dolphins are the only animal that can clap to a beat. ▶ Like humans, koala bears have unique individual fingerprints. ▶ The average person spends two weeks of their life sitting at traffic lights. ▶ Buzz Lightyear’s original name was Lunar Larry. ▶ Iceland grows by five centimetres per year because of its moving tectonic plates. ▶ Australia is wider than the moon. ▶ Slugs have four noses. ▶ Crows can recognize human faces. ▶ A group of porcupines is called a “prickle.” ▶ Finland has more saunas than cars. ▶ Humans are the only animals on earth with chins. ▶ Avocados are technically berries. ▶ Human’s blink around 20 times per minute. ▶ Dogs have a dominant paw, just like humans have a dominant hand. ▶ On average, hair grows by about six inches per year. Who Wants Ice Cream?? Here’s the scoop on summer’s favourite treat. ▶ It takes 12 pounds of milk to produce just one gallon of ice cream. ▶ The most popular flavour is vanilla, followed by chocolate. ▶ It takes approximately 50 licks to finish a scoop. ▶ Fifty per cent of the volume in ice cream is air. ▶ Italian ice cream is called gelato. ▶ New Zealanders consume more ice cream than any other country in the world. ▶ Astronauts take freeze-dried ice cream on space missions. ▶ Most profitable day for ice cream sales is typically Sunday. ▶ Chocolate ice cream was invented before vanilla. ▶ A regular serving contains 7.26 grams of fat. ▶ More than 3.3 billion gallons are annually consumed worldwide. ▶ In her lifetime, a single cow can produce enough milk to make 9,000 gallons of ice cream. ▶ Surveys show that men are more likely than women to choose ice cream as a dessert. ▶ Japan has ice cream flavoured with octopus, shrimp, wasabi and squid. ▶ Ice cream was invented in China in the 17th century. Answers to Outside the Box Puzzles from page 48 1. Share and share alike 2. Positive thinking 3. Here’s mud in your eye 4. Cracking down on crime 5. New York City 6. Pennies from Heaven Home Grown Among the long list of Canadian inventions, here are some that you might not know. ▶ Instant replay ▶ Electric oven ▶ Walkie-talkie ▶ Egg carton ▶ Snow goggles ▶ Prosthetic hand ▶ Pager ▶ Ebola vaccine ▶ Ringette ▶ Hydrofoil ▶ Plexiglas ▶ Sonar ▶ Crokinole ▶ Electric wheelchair ▶ WonderBra ▶ Caulking gun ▶ Paint roller 54 | www.snowbirds.org
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzMzNzMx