by Kathy Wolfe Turn up the volume as Tidbits releases these facts on records, from 78s to LPs, 45s, CDs, and digital music. • A vinyl record take its name from its composition of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. Most of PVC, 57%, consists of chlorine, with the other 43% derived from crude oil. • Beginning in the late 1890s, records were made of shellac, a rather heavy, brittle material. These 10-inch (25 cm) records were called “78s,” due to the number of rotations per minute. Recording duration per side was three to five minutes. During World War II, the War […]
Featured Tidbits
TIDBITS® Listens To The Voice
by Janet Spencer Where would civilization be if not for the human voice? Come along with Tidbits as we learn to talk! IT’S A FACT • A baby in the womb can recognize their mother’s voice by 25 weeks of development. Babies prefer their mother’s voice over all others when they’re born. VOICE FACTS • The human voice originates from the larynx, a small organ made of cartilage and flesh in our throats. It’s also called the voice box. It sits on top of the windpipe. Inside are two flaps of skin called the vocal cords. To speak, sing, or […]
TIDBITS® Studies Australian animals
by Kathy Wolfe More than 80% of Australia’s animals are found nowhere else in the world. Travel with Tidbits to learn more about creatures from down under. • Of the estimated 330 species of marsupials in the world, about two-thirds live in Australia. This order of mammals has a pouch on the female’s abdomen to carry the young. The females give birth just a month after conception. The endangered marsupial Tasmanian Devil is only found in Australia’s Tasmanian wilderness and national parks. Looney Tunes’ Tasmanian Devil gives us the impression that they are wild and vicious creatures ready to tear […]
TIDBITS® is color blind
by Janet Spencer It’s estimated that there are about 300 million color blind people worldwide, nearly equal to the population of the U.S. Come along with Tidbits as we look at the facts! COLOR BLIND FACTS • Color blind people are more accurately called “color deficient.” • There are many different severities of color vision deficiency, from nearly normal color vision up to complete color blindness. • It’s estimated that 98% of those with color blindness have red-green color blindness. Of those, 75% have trouble seeing green, while 24% have difficulty seeing red. • The recessive gene for red-green color […]
TIDBITS® Studies some famous pets
by Kathy Wolfe We love our pets! Nearly 70% of us have an animal in the home, and, according to a survey, 90% of pet owners think of their pets as members of the family. For some, pets go way beyond cats and dogs, as you’ll see as you read these Tidbits’ facts. • American soldier Lee Duncan was on a World War I battlefield in France when he happened upon a litter of German Shepherd puppies abandoned in the trenches. Duncan brought the pups back to America and began training them. One of the dogs became Rin-Tin-Tin, starring in […]
TIDBITS® Sniffs CHANEL N°5
by Janet Spencer Who knew there could be so much behind a perfume? Come along with Tidbits as we learn the story behind one of history’s most famous perfumes, and the name behind it. A SUCCESS STORY • Coco Chanel is the name behind Chanel N°5. She was a dress designer long before the perfume came along. In a time when women wore corsets, maintained hourglass figures, and donned excessively ornamental dresses, Chanel designed clothing with elegantly simple lines. She shortened skirts, added pockets, and created her own empire in a business dominated by men. “Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise […]
TIDBITS® Lists some April observances
by Kathy Wolfe This week, Tidbits’ focus is on some rather obscure events commemorated during the month of April. • As you celebrate National Dandelion Day on April 5, consider all the good things about what we often think of as a pesky weed. Dandelions have been used in Chinese traditional medicine for more than 1,000 years, when they were prescribed for many ailments – warts, constipation, and even the plague! Every bit of the dandelion is edible, with a cup of raw greens providing 112% of the daily requirement for Vitamin A. They have more Vitamin A than spinach […]
TIDBITS® Investigates Creepy Crawlies
by Kathy Wolfe This week, Tidbits offers the facts on some weird and sometimes disturbing creatures that creep and slither. • Tapeworms are nothing to joke about. These horrid little parasites, which can reach lengths of 12 feet, can infiltrate your intestines, and drain the body’s nutrients for years without a person’s knowledge. They typically enter the body through raw or undercooked meat, most commonly beef, pork, and freshwater fish. A tapeworm’s head has suction cups and tiny hooks that attach to the lining of the intestines. While the most common symptoms are diarrhea, nausea, weakness, or a mild stomach […]
TIDBITS® Installs Air Conditioning
by Janet Spencer As we head into the summer heat, let’s appreciate the comfort of air conditioning! In The Beginning • Willis Carrier was an engineer who worked for a publishing firm in New York City in 1902. In the summer, problems arose because the paper would absorb the humidity in the air and become wrinkled, jamming up the presses when it rolled through. The ink took a long time to dry. Paper had to be rolled through the press several times for full-color images, but the lines wouldn’t match up because the paper was warped. Carrier was tasked with […]
TIDBITS® Looks at the Long and Short of it
by Kathy Wolfe Tidbits isn’t short on the facts this week! Stay with us as we bring you the details on the longest and shortest of all kinds of things. • You might think that Russian author Leo Tolstoy’s epic historical novel “War and Peace” would be the world’s longest book with 587,287 words. But it’s not even close to “Remembrance of Things Past,” published in 1913 by Marcel Proust. It’s a book of this French author’s recollections of childhood and young adulthood, and reflections on the pursuit of truth and the meaning of life. It not only consists of […]