DYK #22: Beware the furniture dealer..

Al Capone was an American gangster who led a crime syndicate. The Outfit, was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early 1920s. His brutality was legendary even during his lifetime.

DYK #21: View from space

How many times have you read a post stating "Great Wall of China is the only man-made object visible from  the moon with the naked eye". Received this as a part of 'amazing facts' e-mail from you friends?

Continue reading after the jump to find out the truth!

DYK #20: World of Words

Letters in Hawaiian

1. There are between 6000 and 7000 languages are spoken in the world 
2. Most of the world’s languages are spoken in Asia and Africa. 
3. Many languages in Africa include a “click” sound that is pronounced at the same time as other sounds. You must learn these languages in childhood to do it properly. 
4. The non-European languages most widely used on European territory are Arabic, Chinese and Hindi, each with its own writing system. 
5. The Germanic family of languages includes Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, German, Dutch, English and Yiddish, among others. 
1. The Romance languages include Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian, among others. 
2. The Germanic family of languages includes Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, German, Dutch, English and Yiddish, among others. 
3. The Slavic languages include Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Bulgarian and others.

DYK #19: Tears in space

There is a myth floated by several facts-sites that astronauts cannot cry in space. This is not true (at least completely). There is some odd behavior due to no/low gravity in space.

Tears run down your face because of gravity, but they don't need gravity to form. When the tears get big enough they simply break free of the eye and float around.

Frank Culbertson, the ISS commander who was in space during the 9/11 attacks, wrote, on learning that a friend of him was captain of flight 77 which was crashed into the Pentagon:

"What a terrible loss," Culbertson writes, "but I'm sure Chic was fighting bravely to the end. And tears don't flow the same in space..."

Source: CNN

This also applies for sweat. There are several movies which depict odd behavior of liquids in space.

References:

1. http://www.badastronomy.com/mad/1998/cry_astronaut.html
2. http://edition.cnn.com/2001/TECH/space/10/15/attacks.culbertson/
3. http://history.nasa.gov/ap15fj/08day3_leak_hilltop.htm

DYK #18: Jainism Practice of Paryushan

Paryushan is one of the two most important festivals for the Jains, the other being Diwali. The duration of Paryusana is for 8 or 10 days.

The date for the Paryushana festival is thus Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi for both Svetambars and Digambars. Because of computational and other differences, there can be some minor differences among various subsects.

During Paryushan following practices are generally observed:

1. Fasting:
1. Total fast where nothing but boiled water is consumed (To make sure there are no insects or microscopic organisms)
2. Ekasna, where food is taken only once during the whole day.
3. Eating by day, i.e: between sunrise and sunset. This is a practice followed since early times where there was no light, and it was hard to see and insect on the food.

DYK #17: Animal ID

DYK #16: An apple a day?

Studies have shown that sugary juices can help keep humans awake. The fructose in apple provides the boost to the body. Energy drinks generally work with a combination of caffeine (commonly found in coffees) and easy-absorb sugars.

Verification:
http://www.reference.com/motif/food_and_drinks/do-apples-wake-you-up-better-than-coffee

DYK #15: I'd rather die..

Did you know that more number of people would rather die or stay in a dark room than speak in front of an audience!

DYK #14: Say aaa..

A murder has been committed, the killer has no fingers.. how to recognize him/her. Take the suspects' tongue prints! Don't be surprised if that is shown in the next episode of 24 or CSI.

Along with fingerprints, the tongue is unique to every person. Also it is not easy to forge being protected inside the mouth. Additionally, the tongue is the only muscle in the human body which is not attached to any body part.

Verification:

• http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?reload=true&arnumber=4370517
• More facts on human body: http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/parts/16-unusual-facts-about-the-human-body1.htm

DYK #13: Floor number M please!

The number 13 is considered to be a very unlucky number in many cultures. Triskaidekaphobia is a word used to represent the fear of the number 13. It's considered to be unlucky to have thirteen guests at a table. Friday the 13th has been considered the unluckiest day of the month.

A hangman's noose is said to have 13 turns, as anything less would not snap the neck. Many hotels omit the 13 floor from public access or rename it. Often the 13th floor is designated as 12A or M. These practices is either due to the owner's fear of 13, or to avoid problems with people having superstitions on the same.


In contrast:

Colgate University considers 13 to be a lucky number. They were founded in 1819 by 13 men with 13 dollars, 13 prayers and 13 articles. (To this day, members of the Colgate community consider the number 13 a good omen.) In fact, the campus address is 13 Oak Drive in Hamilton, New York, and the male a cappella group is called the Colgate 13.

Source: wikipedia

References:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13_(number)#Unlucky_13
• Hotel fact: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteenth_floor
• About 13 and more superstitions: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/41378602/ns/today-weather/t/unlucky-numberthe-story-behind-dreadful-other-superstitions/#.UB0AFE3iZx0

DYK #12: Brotherhood in Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of 5 prizes given in the name of Alfred Nobel. It depicts a photo of Alfred Nobel on one side and a group of three 'naked' men forming a fraternal bond. The following inscription is found along with the above image:

Pro pace et fraternitate gentium

which translates to

For the peace and brotherhood of men.

DYK #11: Cultural Connect - Differing Customs

Following are some facts relating to the differing traditions in various countries - the links provide verification:

1. In Tibet, sticking out the tongue means expressing your modesty and respect for others.
2. The Yanomami tribesman don't believe in wastage of resources, and as such in case of death of an individual, their body is burned and the ashes & bone fragments are grinded into powder. Then the family members eat the remains.
3. Don’t be too offended if an old-timer in Greece spits at your baby, three times. This is a traditional way to ward off evil spirits and bad luck.
4. In India, there was (and maybe still is in rural areas) a custom known as 'Sati", where a dead man’s widow would throw herself on her husband’s funeral pyre in order to commit suicide
5. 'Sky Burial' is a tradition in Tibet where a human corpse is cut into small pieces and placed on a mountaintop, exposing it to the elements and animals – especially to birds of prey. The bones are later  (or with the flesh) crushed to pulp and mixed with a mixture known as 'tsampa' and fed to cattle or birds.
6. 'Polterabend' is a German pre-wedding tradition where friends and family come together for an informal party and break dishes, flowerpots, tiles, toilets, and more. To symbolize working together through future difficulties, the bride and groom must clean everything up.
7. To prepare for their marriage, Scottish brides-to-be (even grooms may be) are taken by surprise by her friends who cover her with eggs, spoiled milk, feathers, and more. The blackened bride is then paraded around town.
8. The Tidong group from northern Borneo have a wedding custom which bans both the bride and groom from using the bathroom for the 3 days and 3 nights following the wedding.
9. In New Zealand, there exists a traditional Maori welcoming custom know as the 'hongi'. It is a centuries-old tradition which involves the rubbing or touching of noses when two people meet.
10. The 'thumbs up' gesture is considered to be rude in Greece and parts of Italy.

Below is a video showing the (#7) Scottish custom of 'Blackening of the bride and groom'. The action begins at 34th second.

DYK #10: Ole, Ole, Ole..!!

1. Manchester United were originally founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878.
2. India took part in the world Olympic Football Competition in 1948 in London. 
3. In 1950 India withdrew form the World Cup because FIFA refused to let their team play barefoot. 
4. 20 red cards were shown during a 1993 game between Sportivo Ameliano and General Caballero in Paraguay. 
5. Michael Laudrup appeared for Real Madrid in a 5-0 win over Barcelona and also Barcelona when they beat Real Madrid 5-0. 
6. Sir Alex Ferguson was fired by St. Mirren in 1978 for swearing at a lady. 
7. The World Record for juggling a soccer ball non-stop is 19 hours and 30 minutes.
8. The term 'score a goal' comes from the fact that every time a goal was conceded, a small nick was made into the post. So literally, a goal was “scored” onto the post.
9. Luis Figo's was greeted by a pig's head thrown by the fans in his return to FC Barcelona's home ground. He was considered a traitor for joining their rivals Real Madrid the preceding summer.
10. Italian referee Marcello Donadini was taken to hospital in 1973 after being bitten in the back by a player who didn’t agree with a decision.

DYK #9: A Greener Planet

Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. Materials to be recycled are either brought to a collection center or picked up from the curbside, then sorted, cleaned, and reprocessed into new materials bound for manufacturing.

It almost always takes less energy to make a product from recycled materials than it does to make it from new materials. Using recycled aluminum scrap to make new aluminum cans, for example, uses 95 percent less energy than making aluminum cans from bauxite ore, the raw material used to make aluminum.

Source: http://www.recyclingawarenessideas.com/2008/12/how-can-recycling-save-energy.html

Recycling saves energy primarily because it reduces the need to extract and refine natural resources.

More on recycling:
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5519046_recycling-save-energy.html
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/13/recycle-to-save-energy-the-sooner-the-better/
http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/energy-solutions/saving-energy-recycling

DYK #8: The king is defeated..

Checkmate  is a situation in chess, where one player's king is under threat and there is no way to meet that threat; i.e.: The king is under direct attack and cannot avoid being captured. Delivering checkmate is the ultimate goal in chess: a player who is checkmated loses the game.

Chess is a REALLY OLD GAME. The earliest evidence of chess dates back to the year 600 AD in Persia. "Shah" is the title of the royal Persian monarch, so naturally the King in chess was called the Shah. To win chess, you have to defeat the King, by attacking it and making it unable to move. This is called the "Checkmate" or "Shah Mat", literally, "The King is defeated". Mat is a Persian word for "defeated", "helpless", or "at a loss", all pretty good descriptions for a checkmated king.

Source: http://www.omg-facts.com/view/Facts/2650

 The reason that a player is said to have left with no legal moves when in 'checkmate' is due to the rule which says that a king could not be moved into check or left in check. This was to prevent 'capturing of the king' which was allowed in the Sanskrit variant of the game.

The Persian word for chess, shatranj, was probably derived from the Sanskrit chaturanga, the name of a chess-like game that was played on an eight-by-eight board.
Verification: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkmate
Verification and more info on chess: http://www.metmuseum.org/en/exhibitions/listings/2011/the-game-of-kings-medieval-ivory-chessmen-from-the-isle-of-lewis/exhibition-blog/game-of-kings/blog/shah-mat