{"id":31349,"date":"2014-03-29T02:26:12","date_gmt":"2014-03-29T09:26:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/?p=31349"},"modified":"2015-02-18T14:43:16","modified_gmt":"2015-02-18T22:43:16","slug":"weekly-wrape-volume-32","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/index.php\/2014\/03\/weekly-wrape-volume-32\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Wrap Volume 32"},"content":{"rendered":"
This is a weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here<\/a>.<\/div>\n

\"cashew\"<\/a>Why Cashews are Not Sold to Consumers in Their Shells and Why Pistachios Used to Be Dyed Red<\/a><\/p>\n

Cashews are a member of the same family as poison ivy, Anacardiaceae. Like poison ivy and many other members of the family, part of the cashew plant contains an oily chemical called urushiol, which is a strong irritant for most people and can even be fatal for some if ingested. In cashews, the urushiol is found not only in the leaves, but also in a layer of oil between the shell and the cashew seed. Needless to say… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"chopsticks\"<\/a>Why Do Asian Nations Use Chopsticks?<\/a><\/p>\n

Created roughly 4,000-5,000 years ago in China, the earliest versions of something like chopsticks were used for cooking (they\u2019re perfect for reaching into pots full of hot water or oil) and were most likely made from twigs. While it\u2019s difficult to nail down a firm date, it would seem it wasn\u2019t until around 500-400 AD that they began being used as table utensils. One factor that contributed to this switch was a population boom across the country. Consequently, resources, particularly for cooking, became incredibly scarce.\u00a0 As a result, people began cutting their food into tiny pieces so it would cook faster. The bite sized morsels rendered table knives obsolete, as there was… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"native-american-disease\"<\/a>Why Native Americans Didn\u2019t Wipe Out Europeans With Diseases<\/a><\/p>\n

While estimates vary, approximately 20 million people are believed to have lived in the Americas shortly before Europeans arrived. Around 95% of them were killed by European diseases. So why didn\u2019t 19 out of 20 Europeans die from Native American diseases? The short answer is that Europeans simply had more robust immune systems. Several factors contributed to this: first, Europeans had been the caretakers of domestic animals for thousands of years, and had over time grown (somewhat) immune to the common diseases that accompanied the domestication of such food sources. Native Americans, on the other hand, were… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"sunscreen\"<\/a>How the Sun Burns Your Skin and How Sunscreen Prevents This<\/a><\/p>\n

Every summer we slather layers of sunscreen with the highest SPF we can find, and bravely venture outside hoping our slimy cloak will shield us from the sun\u2019s death rays.\u00a0 So how does this work? To start off, what is a sunburn?\u00a0 In the medical world, a sunburn is known as erythema.\u00a0 Basically meaning the redness of skin caused by dilatation and congestion of the capillaries, and is often a sign of inflammation or infection.\u00a0\u00a0 Several things can cause your skins capillaries to become inflamed.\u00a0 Things like infection, allergies, mercury toxicity, tweezing or pulling on your hair follicles, and of course, the sun\u2019s… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"whac-a-mole\"<\/a>That Time the Inventor of Whac-A-Mole Accidentally Blew Up His Warehouse<\/a><\/p>\n

It was lunch time on a muggy late September day in 2013 when an explosion shook downtown Orlando, Florida. A warehouse on west Jefferson street was the casualty. Police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks were already on their way by the time Tim Roth, a good Samaritan, was on the scene. As he searched through the rubble and debris for injured humans, what he found was something else entirely. As described by the Orlando Sentinel in the next day\u2019s paper, \u201camong the knocked-down suits of armor, animatronics, old arcade games, clown suits and broken lighted signs (it was) as if (Roth) were in the Joker\u2019s lair.\u201d Fortunately, no humans were injured in the blast, but a wide collection of electronic amusements were destroyed beyond repair… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Bonus<\/span> Quick Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n