Book With Real Secrets

Ever wish to go on a real puzzle solving treasure hunt? Then you might want to get your hands on the book 'The Secret-A Treasure Hunt' published in 1982. The book holds 12 poems and paintings that have to first be matched together and then solve the riddle that leads to a key hidden somewhere in the U.S. The key has to be mailed to the publisher of the book (Byron.C.Preiss) in exchange for the reward which is a real jewel. 

Of the 12 hidden treasures, only 2 have been found in the past 30 years.The riddles are quite difficult, which explains why the treasure haven't been found yet.There is a free PDF of the book available online....if you would like to give it a read.

Source Credit : unicornbooty.com/the-true-story-about-the-people-hunting-for-buried-fairy-treasuresthesecret.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/69009390/The%20Secret_OCR.pdf

Busting Myths

Here are some of the Myths that some currently believe to be true that actually are not.

1- Myth : Alcohol keeps you warm. 
Fact: As much as it provides you with temporary heat from inside towards your skin. Using only alcohol to keep you warm can impair the body’s ability to generate it’s own heat.

2- Myth: We use only a fraction of our brains. 
Fact :This is actually a myth that originated by a journalist misquoting a psychologist William James who claimed, “We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources.”

3- Myth: Mice love cheese. 
Fact: This myth has grown because of the cartoons that we watched as kids. Mice in fact prefer grains and seeds.

4- Myth: Sugar makes children hyperactive. 
Fact: As much as sugar is a quick source for energy, it does not cause hyperactivity. This has been disproved by experiments.

5- Myth : The reason for the changing seasons is the earth’s distance from the sun. 
Fact: It is the 23.5 degree tilt in the axis of the earth that causes this change.

6- Myth: Caffeine dehydrates you. 
Fact: Dietician Dr Carrie Ruxton’s has studied that drinking a moderate amount of coffee does not have any significant impact on the hydration of our body.

Source Credit : Pinterest

Quotes to Inspire

- In Japan, broken objects are often repowered with gold. The flaw is seen as a unique piece of the object's history, which adds to it's beauty.

- Wrinkles mean you laughed, gray hair means you cared and scars mean you lived.

- Be a Pineapple: stand tall, wear a crown and be sweet on the inside.

- You are allowed to scream, you are allowed to cry, but do not give up.

- Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.

- Be a voice not an echo.

- Don't call it a dream...call it a plan.

- People who wonder whether the glass is half empty or half full are missing the point. The glass is Refillable.

- Nomatter what they tell you.... you don't have to stay within the lines.

- The expert in anything was once a beginner.

- You got this.

- :(: You decide.

Source Credit : Google search.L

Tree of Life

You have heard of things that have managed to survive in the desert right? Well this tree which is more than 400 years old, pushes those survival boundaries to the next level.This tree is said to have been planted in 1583 and survived up to this day. There is no other sign of vegetation or water near this tree for miles.As incredible as this sounds, there seems to be an explanation.

The species of this 'Tree of Life' is said to be found in dry climates. These trees also have roots that can stretch far underground in search of water, and it turns out the place where the tree grows is only 9-12m above sea level. So chances are the roots of the tree has gone down that far, which is incredible in itself. So we can't entirely discount the survival of this tree though centuries.

This tree definitely looks majestic when viewed with the unforgiving environment which it lives in. It receives approximately 50,000 visitors every year.In anyway, it is at the very least a fine example of resilience in nature.

Source Credit : www.amusingplanet.com/2013/11/tree-of-life-bahrain-miraculous.html

Shapeshifters - Origins

One of the most famous mythologies. Everyone has heard of them in some story or another right? So what we already know about them is that shapeshifters transform into any animal, at will.It's origins however, take us back thousands of years. We find references in various mythologies, the Greek, the Norse, the Egyptians, the Indian and even in Fairy Tales written in the 19th century.

Werewolves seem to have been the most extensively written about shifters. Though others would debate that the werewolves are impacted by the moon and can't transform at will, and thus can't be referred to as shapeshifters and are a diffrent category of creatures. 

Either way, they do change shape. The shapeshifters that have been given the highest value have been the Shamans. They were known to have healing abilities and much wisdom which was believed to have come from their dual form. It was believed that they could alter their state of consciousness. Their transformations occurred in many stories at a supernatural state. 

Clearly there are many forms and stories of shapeshifters as there have been cultures. Always an intriguing debate will be if these references were meant to be literal or metaphorical?
Source Credit : www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/evolving-forms-intriguing-look-shapeshifting-003491

Money Is Made Of Cotton

So it turns out, money indeed doesn't grow on trees....it grows in farms.The paper money we use on a everyday basis is a unique blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen. There is also a special polymer security thread in the notes that can only be seen in light and as the name suggests, it is embedded in the notes for security reasons. 
This fiber can not be copied or duplicated.Even the inks used to print money are different since they can't have the notes smug out on the initial contact with moisture and water. Paper notes are made in such a way as to ensure maximum durability.The design process is diffrent for each country obviously and the manufacturing process involves quite a few steps as well. It goes through a lot before it is even distributed, so making them with cotton fibers makes complete sense.
The future is anyway heading towards electronic money....so hopefully issues with durability of paper money can altogether be avoided.
Source Credit : www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Paper-Currency.html

A Diamond Mine For The People

Also known as the Crater of Diamonds and located in Arkansas and discovered in the late 1800's, it was not found to be bearing any precious gems. The 40 acres changed many hands over the years but it was in 1949, that this field was open to the general public to try their hand on diamond mining.From 1924, many diamonds of great value have been found here. Most of the diamonds have been white, however brown, yellow and canary colours have also been found. The last recorded dimond found there was in 1990. 
The Crater of Diamonds now has a site which helps people know how one can dig for diamonds there and what they might require. They even provide camping sites for people who wish to stay a while.However if you don't wish to dig for diamonds, the Crater of Diamonds is now a State Park which provides with other recreational activities, like wildlife observation, fishing, walking trails and even nearby dining options. Considering that there hasn't been any diamond found since 1990....one might not want to spend all the time there digging through dirt.
Source Credit : www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/Default.aspxL

The Center of the Universe

Located in Tulsa is a very peculiar place. Nothing much by the looks of it, since all it really is a circle of concrete that is surrounded by circles on circles of bricks.On the first look, it would seem like a brick design that is generally done on sidewalks. But there is something very peculiar about this one particularspot. Built in the 80's and measuring just 8 feet in diameter, the reason this place is referred to as the 'Center of the Universe' is because a curious acoustic phenomenonthat takes place here.Apparently, if you stand in the center of the circle and say something, it echo's back much louder to the person standing in the center of the circle, at the same time the person standing outside the circle hears either nothing....or a distorted version of what was said. The circle is almost like an unusual echo chamber. It is also called 'Whisper Chamber'. Weird huh?So far, from all the studies on it, no one has been able to explain it. An interesting place to check out either way.
Source Credit: www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-center-of-the-universe

Older than Dinosaurs and Still Alive

Every time we think of the oldest creatures alive, our mind tends to jump right to dinosaurs. Which is not wrong since they are ONE of the oldestcreatures we know of. However, unlike the dinosaurs, we have a creature that is still among us that has been alive since before dinosaurs existed.It's the octopus.Finding fossils of octopuses are for a start....quite difficultsince they are made mostly of soft tissue and muscles, they tend to decompose quite quickly...as compared to a creature with bones. So it was more like a miracle when scientist found 3 well-preservedoctopus fossils(in Lebanon) that lived millions of years ago.Dinosaurs are known to roamthe earth 231 million years ago and the octopus is now said to have existed about 296 million years ago.
Source Credit:ohmygodfacts.com/8-amazing-cool-octopus-facts

Life Within Death

Another very interesting addition to the curiously spectacular plant life that we have on earth. The Chinese Lantern Plant are usually used in Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations since they have orange pods.What is interesting about this plant however is that it is seen as a symbol of 'life within death'. It blooms in the winter season. That is when it looks orange, and when it drys up in the spring, the outer lantern shape pod becomes skeletally transparent, revealing the bright red fruit that lives inside. It is very apparent why this plant is used for decorative purposes. It is quite unique in it's design.
Source Credit : gardenersnet.com/flower/chineselanterns.htm

Buying Things Online

I just bought a new laptop from a online shopping portal. I do love it. But it got me thinking about how much of my shopping experience is now digitaly satisfied. I barely feel the need to get out of my home anymore.
I am not a social bird so it doesn't impact me so much that I don't meet people.
But I do know many people who feel suffocated staying indoors and NEED to get out. It becomes difficult for me to keep up with my socially interactive friends. But lucky for me, most of them understand my reluctance of getting out of the house every now and then.
It's not that I have any problem getting out...just that...living in India...it feels like there is not enough space for anything anywhere. It feels like a continuous game of Dodge-ball. Plus no road or pavement is unbroken.
Shopping for me, most of the time, is a relaxing therapy. But physical stores do not seem to be concerned to provide shoppers with that satisfaction anymore.
Pity.