Fast Facts At Random Nuggets of information for your mental floss file. ▶ The deepest freshwater lake in the world is Siberia’s Lake Baikal. ▶ Bats are the only mammals that can fly. ▶ Pineapples take two years to grow. ▶ In ancient Egypt, the word for “cat” was actually pronounced “meow.” ▶ At certain times, tweets sent out per second can spike to more than 143,000. ▶ Brazil leads the world in biodiversity, with more than 50,000 species of plants and trees. ▶ Marie Curie was the first person ever to win two Nobel Prizes. ▶ Russia is the most forested country on the planet. ▶ There are at least five billion internet users in the world. ▶ Honey never spoils. ▶ Giraffes hum, but only at night. ▶ New Zealanders are said to have more pets per household than any other country. ▶ Bamboo is the world’s fastest-growing plant. Ruminating About Reindeer While they are deeply ingrained in the Santa’s sleigh legend, here are some specifics about the animals which North Americans call caribou. ▶ They are the only deer species in which both males and females grow antlers. ▶ They are found in the Arctic Tundra which includes Canada, Russia, Alaska and Scandinavia. ▶ They live and thrive exceedingly well in snowy, cold environments. ▶ Males’ antlers can grow up to 4.5 feet and have 44 points called tines. ▶ They can live for 15 years in the wild. ▶ They are herbivores, with their preferred food being lichen – a form of moss. ▶ Males can weigh more than 500 pounds. ▶ They travel and live in large herds, sometimes exceeding 100. ▶ Newborns can stand one hour after birth. ▶ Reindeer are excellent swimmers. ▶ They can travel an average of 23 miles per day or more. ▶ They are covered in layers of hair from nose to hoof. Fast Forward Since 1925 Here’s a short list of the new things that appeared in our lives over the last hundred years. ▶ Television. ▶ Microwave oven. ▶ Computer and internet. ▶ Electric chainsaw. ▶ Refrigeration and frozen food. ▶ Aerosol spray can. ▶ The first artificial heart. ▶ Barbie doll. ▶ Chocolate chip cookies. ▶ First video game. ▶ LED light bulb. ▶ The photocopy machine. ▶ Nylon. ▶ Penicillin. Penguin World Here’s the skinny on these wingless birds that European explorers first called “strange geese.” ▶ These endearing, black-and-white flightless birds of the Southern Hemisphere spend roughly half of their lives in the ocean. ▶ They are excellent divers and swimmers. ▶ They can swim at speeds in excess of 10 miles per hour and dive down more than 800 feet. ▶ Their comical waddle on land is due to short legs and top-heavy bodies. ▶ They can drink sea water. ▶ Many of the penguin species mate for life. ▶ Oil glands insulate their body and make them waterproof. ▶ They live in colonies of thousands. ▶ A group of penguins in the water is called a raft. ▶ They don’t have teeth; hence, they swallow their fish whole. ▶ There are 18 different species. ▶ Penguin parents take turns caring for their chicks. ▶ They have feathers, not fur. Answers to Outside the Box puzzles from page 58 1. Half decent 2. Outburst 3. Loathesome 4. After the rain comes a rainbow 5. Out with the old, in with the new 6. In the midst/middle of it all 62 | www.snowbirds.org
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