What the Fact?

Mummy Medicine

‘Powered Mummy’ was prescribed by medical professionals across the world for a whole plethora of ailments.  It was, in the opinion of Ambroise Paré, royal surgeon to 16th-century French kings, “the very first and last medicine of almost all our practitioners” against bruising.  It was used primarily as a substitute for bitumen. According to Christine El Mahdy, a medieval doctor in Cairo wrote that bitumen could be taken internally or applied to the outside of the body. But, he noted, if getting bitumen is a problem, ”corpses may be substituted.”

Though by the 17th Century, mummy dealers were notoriously involved in counterfeit corpses (nice!), the best dealers kept very high standards. One method, confessed by Johann Schroeder, prescribed..

“the cadaver of a reddish man (because in such a man the blood is believed lighter and so the flesh is better), whole, fresh without blemish, of around 24 years of age, dead of a violent death (not of illness), exposed to the moon’s rays for one day and night, but with a clear sky. Cut the muscular flesh of this man and sprinkle it with powder of myrrh and at least a little bit of aloe, then soak it.”

Medical Mummy Classification

Because of the prolific sales of mummies at the time, Egyptian doctors had four classifications for them…

• Egyptian mummies preserved in bitumen
• Artificial Egyptian mummies (made from bitumen and herbs but containing no body)
• Arabic mummies (preserved in oils and spices but containing no bitumen)
• Bodies buried and dried in the sand.

Clearly the bodies that were just left to dry in sand weren’t much good. Those ones were usually just prescribed for upset stomachs and the like. Imagine that! You go to the doctor with a fierce case of the shits and he tells you to eat human remains. Awesome! That last classification of mummy does give rise to one important point though; by the 1500’s most of the real mummies had been ground up and sold so if you did get a bottle of powered mummy, what you were likely getting was the powdered remains of an executed criminal or hospital corpse.  Serves you right in my books!

I think it’s time for a slightly more difficult puzzle.  We all know how much the ancients enjoyed mathematics right?  Try this one…

Find the smallest number for which the following statements are true:

When I divide it by 2, the remainder is 1.
When I divide it by 3, the remainder is 2.
When I divide it by 4, the remainder is 3.
When I divide it by 5, the remainder is 4.
When I divide it by 6, the remainder is 5.
When I divide it by 7, the remainder is 6.
When I divide it by 8, the remainder is 7.
When I divide it by 9, the remainder is 8.
When I divide it by 10, the remainder is 9

What is the Number?

Put your answers in the comments and check the answers page tomorrow to see if you’re right. Good Luck!

What the Fact?

Cuneiform Script (click to zoom)

Cuneiform was written in clay, as per the image above, using a reed stylus.  The reason it came about was simply due to the fact that as civilization grew, a dependable form of long distance communication was required to record things like trade transactions.  Over a period of around 3,000 years cuneiform became simpler by reducing the number of characters from around 1,000 in the early bronze age to about 400 in the late bronze age.  It is responsible for the development of many other languages including being the inspiration for the old Persian alphabet.

What the Fact?

Quetzalcoatl: The "Feathered Serpent"

You can compare that with the Great Pyramid of Giza which comes in at a mere 2.5 million m³.  Also known as Tlachihualtepetl, the temple was constructed around the 2nd Century BC and was built in homage to the Mesoamerican deity Quetzalcoatl. The base of this giant structure is a huge 450 by 450 m (1476×1476 ft) and it stands at 66 m (217 ft) tall!

The original  pyramid was built by the Teotihuacán people who ruled the Cholula area from around 1 AD. Then in around 600AD, the Olmeca-Xicallanca built the second great pyramid right on top of the first.  Around 1300 AD, the Toltecs conquered Cholula but were finally conquered themselves killed by the Aztecs in around 1500.

Unfortunately much of the pyramid has yet to be uncovered and to the untrained eye it looks like nothing more than a hill surrounded by a church but on closer inspection, you can see the outline of the structure beneath in the grass sides of the hill.  The church, called Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (Church of Our Lady of the Remedies) is the problem herethough.  Because of the historic and religious significance of the church archaeologists have not been able to excavate any more than one side of the pyramid but they have managed to uncover 5 miles of tunnels for anyone visiting the site to explore.

Of course, for many of us, that’s quite far to travel so you’ll have to be content with viewing it from Google Maps instead.

Ancient Civilization Week

• The Largest Pyramid in the World is the Great Pyramid of Cholula in Mexico

What the Fact?

• You’re 66 times more likely to be prosecuted in the USA than in France.
• Two thirds of the world’s executions occur in China. http://goo.gl/1qHS
• Almost one in five known organised criminal gangs are involved in the importing, modification or supply of guns.
• About 1 in 30 people, in the U.S., are in jail, on probation, or on parole.
• Only 1 out of 700 identity thieves gets caught.
• There have been over 7,200 acts of terrorism against the US over the last 15 years.
• In New Jersey, Judge William Camarata denied a couple the right to adopt a child because they were atheists.
• Theft, disorderly conduct, armed robbery, assault and rape all statistically increase during a full moon.
• In Michigan, it is illegal to chain an alligator to a fire hydrant.
• The United States puts 0.7 % of its population in Prison – a vastly higher percentage than any other nation.
• In the Maldives, there are more than 2 jails for every 1000 people.
• In Alabama, it is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church.
• Oral sex is illegal in Singapore unless it leads to intercourse. http://goo.gl/sBbF
• Women make up more than 10% of the prison population in only six countries:Thailand,Qatar,Paraguay,Costa Rica and Singapore.
• In Alaska it is illegal to give alcoholic beverages to a moose.
• In Texas the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica is banned, as it contains a formula for making beer at home.
• In Pennsylvania if horse refuses to pass a car on the road, the car owner must take their car apart and conceal the parts in nearby foliage.
• An embezzler in Thailand,sentenced to 865 years in jail, was lucky enough to get his sentenced reduced to just 576 years.

This puzzle is suspected to be written by no less than Albert Einstein himself!  See if you can work it out.

There are 5 houses in 5 different colours. In each house lives a person of a different nationality. The 5 owners drink a certain type of beverage, smoke a certain brand of cigar, and keep a certain pet. Using the clues below can you determine who owns the fish?

The Brit lives in a red house.
The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
The Dane drinks tea.
The green house is on the immediate left of the white house.
The green house owner drinks coffee.
The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill.
The man living in the house right in the middle drinks milk.
The Norwegian lives in the first house.
The man who smokes Blend lives next door to the one who keeps cats.
The man who keeps horses lives next door to the man who smokes Dunhill.
The owner who smokes Blue Master drinks beer.
The German smokes Prince.
The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
The man who smokes Blend has a neighbour who drinks water

Who Owns the Fish?

Put your answers in the comments and check the answers page tomorrow to see if you’re right. Good Luck!

What the Fact?

Singapore Laws

Yep, Singapore has one of the most novel legal systems you’re ever likely to come across.  Not because of the number odd laws it has but because they are actively enforced (where possible).

Singapore rather proudly calls itself a ‘fine city‘ (pun intended I think). This is because many laws are punishable by means of a fine; but don’t think you can get away with just that for anything serious. Though there are lots of crimes that will get you slapped with a fine, like not not flushing the toilet after you’ve used it, other offences are punishable by caning, jail, humiliating labour or death! One of the most controversial of these is that homosexuality can land you in jail for up to 2 years!

Weird Laws in Singapore

Luckily, most of these aren’t quite as sinister as the anti-homosexuality law. Here’s a list of some of the things that can land you in trouble in this ‘fine city’.

• It is against the law and a public caning offense to not flush the toilet after using it. Special police randomly check on public restrooms.
• A person convicted of littering three times, will have to clean the streets on Sundays wearing a sign saying “I am a litter lout.”
• Relieving yourself in an elevator is particularly forbidden. (Who pisses in a lift?)
• No hugging without permission, you can be charged for outraging modesty.
• No mooning pranks so don’t drop down your pants.
• No expletives especially at women. Its called insulting modesty.
• No mention of the word ’bomb’. Whether in humor or anything. The bomb squad will be all over you.
• No poking adverse comments at religion. You can be cited for sedition.
• No firecrackers.
• Only local cigarettes allowed. Yo’ll get charged twice for this. Once for illegal smuggling with your sentence furthered for evading sales tax.
• Smoking is banned in all public places.
• You cannot sell chewing gum anywhere unless it is for therapeutic purposes (nicotine gum).
• Don’t introduce any stranger as your good friend and speak well of him. Its called abetment if he happens to be crook.
• No illegal gatherings after 10pm. It will be considered as an illegal gathering if it consist of more than 2 people.

1. The Danish TV Thief

If you’re gonna pull of the perfect crime, surely it’s best to scope out the scene beforehand.  Realizing that there’s a live TV crew outside after the fact may prove to be too late!

2. Pushmepullyou

This proves once and for all that the criminal mind,..isn’t very bright! Personally I don’t find I need a sign on the door to tell me whether you push or pull; if there’s a handle then you pull it right?

3. Thick as a Brick

This one has to hold the record for the shortest breaking and entering in criminal history.  What are the chances of knock your mate out and then yourself in the space of 10 seconds. Genius!

4. German Suplex

Legendary footage of what looks to be a Japanese schoolgirl taking out her would-be-attacker with astonishing  wrestling skills!

5. Take the Power Back

If you’re being robbed then you’ve pretty much got three choices.  You could totally comply and hope you wont get hurt, maybe you should call the police and hope they get to you quick enough or like the guy in this next clip, you can take homeboy out with a slugger to the back of the head.  You can safely skip on to 0:54 to see exactly what that looks like.

6. Crazy Crossdressers

Erm,..yeah. Seems like these guys really lowered the bar here.  A thong is not an appropriate choice for a face mask to use in an armed robbery.  Surely they noticed we can still see their faces!

7. Karate Calamity

We all know that losing face is professional suicide to a pimp so you can see why how a situation like this can happen but here’s the facts.  If you try to fight a martial arts instructor,..you’re gonna get knocked the f*(k out!

Tell Us Your Favourites.

We all love hearing dumb criminal stories so what about your own favourites?  Let us know.

What the Fact?

China executes 2 for selling tainted milk

In most cases, the death penalty is only considered for the worst crimes like aggravated murder or large scale drug trafficking but there are some less obvious crimes made the list. Zhang Yujun and Geng Jinping, for example, were executed last November for producing and selling powdered milk contaminated with melamine which killed 6 children and caused over 300,000 to fall seriously ill.  Just goes to show you can’t pull any ‘Delboy & Rodney‘ inspired schemes when you’re in China!

Other crimes which commonly attract the death penalty include things like corruption, theft, smuggling gold and other precious metals, stealing cultural relics and,…wait for it,.. killing pandas!  Go pandas!

Does it Work?

On one hand, with any execution there’s the chance of falsely executing an innocent man but some crimes truly do deserve the death penalty don’t they?  Killing pandas for sure right?  What crimes do you think should be punishable by death?

Crime Week

• Oral Sex is Illegal in Singapore Unless it Leads to Intercourse
• Two Thirds of the World’s Executions Occur in China
• Twitter Quick Facts – Crime Twacts
• 7 Stupid Criminals – Caught on Video

What the Fact?

• Bees have 5 eyes. There are 3 small eyes on the top of a bee’s head and 2 larger ones in front.
• Most collect calls are made on father’s day.
• Americans on average eat 18 acres of pizza every day.
• The king of hearts is the only king without a moustache.
• In “Silence of the Lambs”, Hannibal Lector (Anthony Hopkins) never blinks.
• In the United States, a pound of potato chips costs two hundred times more than a pound of potatoes.
• The Ramses brand condom is named after the great pharoh Ramses II who fathered over 160 children.
• Roughly one out of every 55 women from Canada give birth in their car on the way to the hospital or clinic.
• 400-quarter pounders can be made from 1 cow.
• Hershey’s Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it’s kissing the conveyor belt.
• Poland is the “stolen car capital of the world.
• A horse can look forward with one eye and back with the other.
• 40% of all industrial accidents happen on a Monday or a Friday.
• In Poland most Poles consider their name day (imieniny) more important than their birthday.
• In Aug ‘09,Microsoft had to apologize after swapping a black mans head with that of a white man in a photo on it’s Polish website.
• Most toilets flush in E flat.
• The average life span of a major league baseball is only 7 pitches.
• In space, astronauts are unable to cry, because there is no gravity and the tears won’t flow.
• Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace.
• Between 2 and 3 jockeys are killed each year in horse racing…More than 370 horses are killed.
• The average number of days a West German man goes without washing his underwear is 7.
• Blueberry Jelly Bellies were created especially for Ronald Reagan.
• The average person will accidentally eat just under a pound of insects every year.
• Male hummingbirds impress mates by diving at high speed, then pulling out at 10 Gs, more than fighter pilots can take.
• The symbol on the “pound” key (#) is called an octothorpe.
• Giraffes have no vocal cords.
• Prince Charles is an avid collecter of toilet seats.
• Winston Churchill was born in a ladies room during a dance.
• More bullets were fired in ”Starship Troopers” than any other movie ever made.
• The buzz from an electric razor in America plays in the key of B flat; Key of G in England.

What the Fact?

The Sonic Hedgehog Homolog Gene

Getting technical for a minute, the ‘Sonic Hedgehog Homolog‘ (SSH) is a ligand of the hedgehog signaling pathway and is responsible for controlling growth of things like digits on limbs and the organisation of the brain. The gene was originally discovered in 1978 by Eric Wieschaus and Christiane Nusslein-Volhard.  Like many discoveries in genetics, it was the Fruit Fly (Drosophila melanogaster) that the geneticists were studying.  If you follow the blog you should already know that Fruit Flies could hold the answer to getting slim.

Not as Funny as It Sounds.

An SSH Mutation as seen in a pig.

It might seem like a bit of a laugh to have weird names like this for genes but it really isn’t a good idea.  The affects of mutation of these genes can be pretty horrific.  The image on the right shows what can happen when the Sonic Hedgehog gene is mutated in pigs.  The problem is, geneticists find these genes in all kinds of different species so it’s kinda cool to give them a funky name but on occasion, these genes also exist in human genetics.  Take the ‘Ken & Barbie’ gene for example, a fruit fly with a mutation in this gene isn’t capable of growing sexual organs!  Now can you imagine being told that at the doctors surgery? Ouch!

Since you use around the same amount of energy walking for ten kilometres as you do running for ten kilometres, would a person use more energy running for ten minutes or walking for ten minutes or is the same amount of energy spent? Why?

More, Less or The Same?

Put your answers in the comments and check the answers page tomorrow to see if you’re right. Good Luck!