Knead to Know: 2015

12/29/15

Fact of the Week: December 29, 2015

Every day about 5,600 people contract HIV in the world.

Cite: http://kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/the-global-hivaids-epidemic/

12/23/15

Fact of the Week: December 23, 2016

Today would be Sarah Breedlove's, better known as Madam C.J. Walker, 149th birthday. She was a self made business women, often referred to as a millionaire in her later life. Her company, that she started in 1905, is still successful today.

Cite: http://www.indianahistory.org/teachers-students/hoosier-facts-fun/famous-hoosiers/madame-c.j.-walker#.VkOr7mSrQy4

12/17/15

Fact of the Week: December 17, 2015

Avatar currently holds the Box Office record for the largest domestic and worldwide grossing film; grossing $749,766,139 and $2.7 billion respectively.

Cite: Box Office

From Google images

12/11/15

Fact of the Week: December 11, 2016

Indiana became a state on Dec. 11, 1816, when President James Madison signed the congressional resolution admitting Indiana to the Union. Happy 200th Birthday Indiana!

Cite: http://www.indianahistory.org/teachers-students/hoosier-facts-fun/fun-facts#.VkOq6WSrQy5

12/1/15

Fact of the Week: December 1, 2015

Compared with non-transgender peers, transgender youth were found to have an elevated risk of being diagnosed with depression (50.6% vs. 20.6%); suffer from anxiety (26.7% vs. 10%); had attempted suicide (17.2% vs. 6.1%); and had engaged in self-harming activities without lethal intent (16.7% vs. 4.4%).

Cite: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/transgender-youth-at-risk-for-depression-suicide/

11/23/15

Fact of the Week: November 23, 2015

The word Hoosiers, which refers to an Indiana resident, has unknown origin. One of the first uses of it in print was in the 1830's when John Finley, of Richmond, wrote a poem: "The Hoosier's Nest."

Cite: Indiana University

11/18/15

Fact of the Week: November 18, 2015

Jane Addams was the second woman, and first American woman to receive a nobel peace prize. She worked to help the poor and to stop the use of children as industrial laborers. She ran Hull House in Chicago, a center which helped immigrants in particular. She also founded the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom in 1919.

Cite: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1931/addams-facts.html

11/11/15

Fact of the Week: November 11, 2015

In 1919, Armistice Day was created by President Wilson to remember the end of WWI. Later in 1934, an Act approved on May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day dedicated to the cause of world peace. After WWII, in 1954, Armistice was replaced with Veteran, to honor those who had served.

Cite: VA

11/5/15

Fact of the Week: Novemeber 5, 2015

October is national pizza month in the United States. Yes pizza month!

http://pizza.com/national-pizza-month

11/1/15

Fact of the Week: November 1, 2015

Until 2006, only 10 counties in Indiana observed Daylight Saving Time. Then a law was passed for the whole state to observe the time change.

Cite: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/daylightsaving.html

10/21/15

Fact of the Week: October 21, 2015

Ukulele means jumping flea in Hawaiian.

Cite: https://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/ukulele-history

10/13/15

Fact of the Week: October 13, 2015

82% of sexual assaults are perpetrated by a non-stranger, someone the victim knows: a friend of a friend, acquaintance, a date, relative or someone else they have encountered before.

https://rainn.org/get-information/statistics/sexual-assault-offenders

10/6/15

Fact of the Week: October 6, 2015

The ukulele is a redesign of the Portuguese machete de braga, commonly referred to as machete. The machete was brought to Hawaii when Portuguese labors came to Hawaii to work sugar cane fields.

https://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/ukulele-history

9/29/15

Fact of the Week: September 29, 2015

New findings from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) provide the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day Mars! They have been looking for evidence of ancient water and they now have new evidence that supports there is current water flowing on the planet.

cite: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=1858

9/21/15

Fact of the Week: September 21, 2015

Today is Bill Murray's 65th Birthday! Happy Birthday Murray!!
http://www.biography.com/people/bill-murray-9542510

9/16/15

Fact of the Week: September 16, 2015

The kestrel is the smallest, most familiar and widespread falcon in North America. In open country it is commonly seen perched on roadside wires, or hovering low over a field on rapidly beating wings, waiting to pounce on a grasshopper.

Cite:
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-kestrel

9/3/15

Fact of the Week: September 3, 2015

Scientists theorizes that there is the same amount of water on Earth now as there was when the Earth formed, about 4.5 billion years ago.

Cite:
http://water.epa.gov/learn/kids/drinkingwater/waterfactsoflife.cfm

8/28/15

Fact of the Week: August 28, 2015

The pony express only lasted for 18 months total; from April 1860 to October 1861.
Cite: http://www.nps.gov/poex/learn/historyculture/index.htm

8/7/15

Fact of the Week: August 10, 2015

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, that overcame legal barriers which were preventing African-American's from voting.
Cite: http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/voting-rights-act

8/5/15

Fact of the Week: August 24, 2015

This August the Mars Rover has spent 3 years on Mars.

cite: http://www.nasa.gov/jpl/three-years-on-mars

8/3/15

Fact of the Week: August 3, 2015

Queen Victoria started the white wedding dress trend in 1840 when she married Prince Albert. She met criticism for the dress, not just due to the color, but for the lack of adornment.

Cite: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/queen-victoria-sparked-white-wedding-dress-trend-1840-180953550/?no-ist

7/29/15

Fact of the Week: July 29, 2015

President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which established National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), into law on July 29, 1958, 57 year ago today.
cite: http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/whyweexplore/Why_We_29.html

7/7/15

Fact of the Week: July 16, 2015

Mount Tallac is named after the Washoe word dala'ak meaning "large mountain."

Cite: Indian Placenames in America, Volume 1, By Sandy Nestor page 37

7/6/15

Fact of the Week: July 6, 2015

180 years ago, Samuel Clemens started publishing news stories in the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise, writing under the name of Mark Twain. A pen name he used from then on.

Cite: History.com

6/29/15

Fact of the Week: June 29, 2015

When a tree in the Alpine Zone is found stunted and wind swept it is called Krummholz. This means "crooked wood" in German.

Cite: http://www.u.arizona.edu/~conniew1/696m/Holtmeier1981.pdf

6/24/15

Fact of the Week: July 21, 2015

There is a non-native, invasive fungus called white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), which attacks White Pines, even Sugar Pines (Pinus lambertiana) in the Sierras. Blister rust is incurable for the white pines, however about 3% to 5% of Sugar Pines and Western White Pines (Pinus monticola) are resistant to the fungus.

Fact of the Week: June 24, 2015

The only species of bears currently found in California and Nevada are Black Bears, Ursus americanus. However, they do range in color from blonde to black, with cinnamon brown being the most common color.

Cite: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ltbmu/learning/nature-science/?cid=fsm9_046599

Ursus americanus

6/15/15

Fact of the Week: June 15, 2015

Reykjavik, Iceland, being the northernmost capital on our planet, has a long summer solstice. This year on June 21, they will have 21 hours and 45 minutes of daylight.

Cite: http://www.accuweather.com/en/features/trend/five-world-capitals-shortest-daylight/41734413

6/8/15

Fact of the Week: June 8, 2015

The temperature of the air in a lightning channel may reach as high as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 5 times hotter than the surface (photosphere) of the sun.

Cite: NOAA

6/1/15

Fact of the Week: June 1, 2015

Saturn is the only planet in our Solar System that could float in water, if you could find a sea large enough to hold it that is. Its density is only 0.13 that of Earth.

Cite: NASA

5/26/15

Fact of the Week: May 26, 2015

Today would have been Dr. Sally Rides 64th Birthday. She was the first American women to leave earth and is still the youngest astronaut the U.S. has ever sent to space.

Cite: NASA

5/20/15

Fact of the Week: September 9, 2015

More than a third of all of the food that's produced on our planet never reaches a table. It's either spoiled in transit or thrown out by consumers in wealthier countries, who typically buy too much and toss the excess. This works out to roughly 1.3 billion tons of food, worth nearly $1 trillion at retail prices.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/01/150122-food-waste-climate-change-hunger/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20150122news-foodwaste&utm_campaign=Content&sf7076171=1

Fact of the Week: May 20, 2015

The largest sand dunes in North America reside in Great Sand Dunes National Park. The tallest dune is 750 ft tall and they cover over 30 square miles. Serious one of the most surreal landscapes I have ever seen!

Cite: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/great-sand-dunes-national-park/

5/12/15

Fact of the Week: May 12, 2015

Around the world, lightning strikes the ground about 100 times each second. This averages out to 8 million times a day.

Cite: NOAA

5/6/15

Fact of the Week: May 6, 2015

Mars just beats out Mercury for the planet with the lowest gravity in our solar system.

Cite: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/planet_table_ratio.html

5/3/15

Fact of the Week: May 3, 2015

The Kangaroo Rat is so well adapted that it drinks no water even though it lives in a desert. It gets most of the water it needs from the seeds it eats. It also a has very efficient kidney and conserves as much water as it can from its urine, that it urinates a crystalline substance.

Cite: http://www.nps.gov/orpi/learn/nature/kangaroo-rat.htm

4/22/15

Fact of the Week: April 22, 2015

The Yampa River is the only remaining free-flowing tributary in the Colorado River system. The 250 mile river meets with the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument and creates a great living laboratory to learn more about riparian human impacts, preservation and restoration.

Cite: http://www.nps.gov/dino/learn/nature/rivers.htm

4/13/15

Fact of the Week: April 13th, 2015

The National Parks hold free fee days throughout the year. This weekend, April 18th to 19th are some of those days for National Park Week. The link will lead to more free days.

Cite: http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/fees.htm

4/8/15

Fact of the Week: April 8, 2015

Yesterday, April 7th, marked the 100th birthday of Billie Holiday, nee. Eleanora Fagan Gough. She changed her name to Billie Holiday as a stage name in honor of Billie Dove.

http://www.billieholiday.com/

3/23/15

Fact of the Week: April 3, 2015

The EPA has found that making paper from recycled materials results in 74% less air pollution and 35% less water pollution. This means that every ton of recycled paper keeps almost 60 pounds of pollutants out of the atmosphere that would have been produced if the paper had been manufactured from virgin resources.

Cite: http://pages.uoregon.edu/recycle/TRIVIA.htm

Fact of the Week: March 25, 2015

It takes on average 34 gallons of water to grow and make a 4oz. cup of coffee. Where as it takes about 3.5 gallons to make the equivalent size of a cup of tea.

Cite:http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/productgallery

3/20/15

Fact of the Week: March 20, 2015

Today not only marks the springs equinox, but also the first solar eclipse of the year. Only visible in the North Atlantic. Solar eclipse are only visible in small areas because the moon's shadow is so much smaller than the earth.

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot2001/SE2015Mar20T.GIF

3/11/15

Fact of the Week: March 11, 2015

This fact comes from my grandpa this week.
On March 14th of this year, at 9:26:53, the date and time will reflect the first TEN digits of Pi: 3.141592653. This event will not occur again until 2115.
So my grandpa says "Be sure to set your alarm clocks and have a big portion of pumpkin pi."

3/2/15

Fact of the Week: March 2, 2015

Today is Theodor Geisel, or Dr. Suess' 111th birthday! He wrote 48 books, including some for adults, and sold well over 200 million copies, that have been translated into multiple languages.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dr-seuss-born

2/25/15

Fact of the Week: February 25, 2015

With the region's population booming because of the Pike's Peak gold rush, Congress created the new Territory of Colorado in February of 1861.

Cite: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congress-creates-colorado-territory

2/18/15

Fact of the Week: February 18, 2015

The territory of Colorado (now Colorado state) is named after Colorado City (now Colorado Springs) and not after the river. At the time, in 1861, the Colorado River didn't officially run through the state.

Cite: http://redrockcanyonopenspace.org/education/history/how-did-we-get-the-name-colorado/

2/12/15

Fact of the Week: February 12, 2015

Colorado in Spanish means to have color, as in to blush.

Cite: http://lema.rae.es/drae/?val=Colorado

2/4/15

Fact of the Week: February 4, 2015

The Colorado River didn't technical run through the state of Colorado, till Congress changed the name of the Grand River to what is now known as the Upper Colorado River in 1921, much to Utah and Wyoming Representative's disapproval.

Cite: http://lib.colostate.edu/archives/water/grand.html

1/28/15

Coconut Butter "Fudge"

This three Ingredients "fudge" makes you feel pretty healthy and is super easy to whip up. You can change the colors for almost any occasion.

Found the original recipe here.

Coconut Fudge

Just 3 main ingredients

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Milk (or milk alternative)
1/4 Cup Honey (or agave nectar)
2 cups Coconut Butter
(optional: Food Coloring and Homemade Sprinkles)

Blend together then color

Directions:
Mix the Milk, Honey and Coconut Butter in a blender till smooth. I then separated the mix into two bowls to get the two tone look. I mixed in four drops of red food coloring into one of the bowls and mixed till it was all one color.

Then press the colored mixed into a foil lined, (trust me it makes it a lot easier to take out. I guess parchment could work too) 9x9 pan. I used a knife to spread the white mixture evenly on top. This is the time to add some sprinkles as well.

Refrigerate for about an hour or more, till it is set and firm to the touch. Lift out of pan and cut up.

Set in to Pan

1/26/15

Fact of the Week: January 26, 2015

California's name is considered to have originated from a Spanish novel published in 1510: Las Sergas de Esplandián (The Adventures of Esplandián). California was an island paradise inhabited by Amazonia like women warriors in the story.

Cite: http://books.google.com/books?id=d2Q-AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA308&lpg=PA313&ots=_dxKWlTzEj&focus=viewport&dq=%22Montalvo+did+not+complete+his+own+story+of+Esplandian%27s+victories+until+after+Columbus+came+back+from+his+first+voyage.+Even+if+it+appeared+originally+in+%22&output=html_text

1/22/15

Fact of the Week: January 22, 2015

Alpha Centauri, what is often considered the second closest star to Earth, is not a star, but really a star system. Of the three stars in the system, the dimmest - called Proxima Centauri - is actually the nearest star to the Earth (after the Sun). The two bright stars, called Alpha Centauri A and B form a close binary system.

Cite:
http://heasarc.nasa.gov/docs/cosmic/nearest_star_info.html