Time to get your brain a working with some of these "Did you know?" facts!
Did you know...
that chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans have been taught hand signs based on American Sign Language? They, however, have never been successfully taught grammar. In 2003, a saved Bonobo ape named Kanzi allegedly independently created some words to convey certain concepts.
Did you know...
that the African Grey Parrot, which possesses the ability to mimic human speech with a high degree of accuracy, is suspected of having sufficient intelligence to begin to comprehend some of the speech it mimics? Most species of parrot, despite expert mimicry, are believed to have no linguistic comprehension at all.
Did you know...
that there are an estimated 100 trillion red-billed quelea birds?
Did you know...
that the Sitatunga is an amphibious antelope from East Africa? It lives in thickly vegetated, muddy swamps and marshes.
Did you know...
that no one knows who invented spectacles?
Did you know...
that a diamond will shatter if you hit it with a hammer? It is the hardest natural substance on earth, but if it is placed in an oven and the temperature is raised to about 1,405 degrees Fahrenheit (763 degrees Celsius), it will simply vanish, without even ash remaining. Only a little carbon dioxide will have been released.
Did you know...
that diamonds are formed over a period of a billion or more years deep within earth's crust - about 0- miles 150km (90 miles) deep - and is pushed to the surface by volcanoes? Most diamonds are found in volcanic rock, called Kimberlite, or in the sea after having been carried away by rivers when they were pushed to the surface.
Did you know...
that a diamond is 58 times harder than the next hardest mineral on earth, corundum, from which rubies and sapphires are formed. It was only during the 15th century that it was discovered that the only way to cut diamonds was with other diamonds.
Did you know...
that the world's largest diamond was the Cullinan, found in South Africa in 1905? It weighed 3,106.75 carats uncut. It was cut into the Great Star of Africa, weighing 530.2 carats, the Lesser Star of Africa, which weighs 317.40 carats, and 104 other diamonds of nearly flawless colour and clarity. Did you also know that they now form part of the British crown jewels? The Cullinan was three times the size of the next largest diamond, the Excelsior, which was also found in South Africa. The world's largest documented polished diamond - unearthed in 1986, also in South Africa - is called Unnamed Brown. It weighs 545 carats and was cut down from a 700 carat rough diamond. It took an international team of expert cutters 3 years to complete the masterpiece. Another impressive diamond that also took 3 years to cut, and also is part of the British crown jewels, is the Centenary Diamond. It weighs 273.85 carats and is the world's largest flawless diamond.
Did you know...
that not all diamonds are white? Of course you did! But it's the impurities in diamonds that lend to their to shades of blue, red, orange, yellow, green and even black. Did you also know that a green diamond is the rarest. It is not the rarest gemstone, however. That title goes to a pure red ruby.
Did you know...
that 80% of diamonds are not suitable for jewelry? They are used in industry. Only diamonds of higher clarity are sourced to the jewelry stores.
Did you know...
that the word carat derives from the carob bean. Gem dealers used to balance their scales with carob beans because these beans all have same weight. Did you also know that one diamond carat is 200 milligrams (0.007055 oz).
Did you know...
that the Greek word adamas is the base word for diamond? It means "unconquerable."
Info credit: DidYouKnow.cd
Picture credit: slash food
Picture credit: slash food
