Curiosity Aroused

Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds are all considered to be precious gemstones, whereas most other types of gemstones (quartz, tiger’s eye, agate, etc.) are filed under the semi-precious category. The reason that diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds are so prized is largely because they are rare, whereas most semi-precious gemstones are relatively common by comparison. The rarer a gemstone is, the more expensive it tends to be. What are the most valuable gems in the world according to both rarity and price?

Wikipedia/Ricardo Liberato The pyramids of ancient Egypt have rendered observers awestruck from the day the royal tombs first rose from the desert floor. Thousands of years ago, people were just as dumbfounded by their visual impact as we are today, and just as prone to mythologizing their origins. The astonishingly prescient achievement of the pyramids has fueled speculation the geometrical structures must have been made by an alien species or perhaps a race of giants.

All of us have been on roads at one time or another that scared us. Maybe it was the steep drop-off along the road side, or perhaps it was all those signs warning you that a rockslide was possible at any moment. Perhaps it was a lot of sharp twists and turns, low visibility, a steep grade, or bad weather. Maybe it was just the other drivers who scared you. But it probably got you to wonder—were you driving on one of the world’s most dangerous roads?

Heading into 2013, the list of the 10 most dangerous cities in the US per capita didn’t include many of America’s largest cities. The most dangerous major American cities were Atlanta (26th), Baltimore (27th), Washington, DC (46th), Philadelphia (50th), Newark (51th), while New York City didn’t even make the top 100 most dangerous list. Instead, the 10 top most dangerous American cities were the decaying manufacturing hubs and relatively smaller cities with histories of racial tension and poverty.

What do you get when you cross a lion with a tiger? How about a zebra with a horse? Believe it or not these are not the first lines of terrible jokes, but real scientific questions with real living answers. Hybrid animals are the offspring produced when two animals of closely related but different - species breed. The young produced will usually not be fertile, and so hybrid species are not normally seen in the wild.

One of the most spectacular natural sights in the world, the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, have been enthralling travellers for centuries. The Northern Lights are created when solar winds react with the earth’s magnetic fields, which are strongest around the poles, and this reaction is visible as swirling beautiful colored lights in the night sky. September/ October, and February/ March are generally the best time to see northern lights shows in and around the Arctic circle, but there are a large number of external factors affecting their visibility.

While it is generally true that freshwater fish are smaller than their oceanic counterparts, there are also some significantly sized fish to see in lakes and rivers the world over. Obviously, considerations like location, environment, climate, food supply and presence of fishermen all play a part in how big something can grow. There are plenty of examples out there that may not be as colorful as some saltwater breeds, but are just as hefty and interesting to learn about.

A rainforest is truly an incredible place. An ecosystem of its very own, it contains a mind boggling variety of life. Aside from the obviously abundant tree and plant life, it is home to abundant varieties of amphibians, insects, mammals, fish, and birds. Their vast area and incredible diversity is the rainforest’s premier ecological strength - the concentrated abundance of life is unmatched anywhere else in the world. Of course, in among these animals in the rainforest, there are certainly some that give us pause.

While vast advancements in technology and industry have made life much easier, these innovations have also created an ever-growing monster – pollution. With the possible exception of underdeveloped and far-flung areas, almost the entire world is faced with a “dirty” problem. Nevertheless, there are cities all over the planet that have really outdone themselves when it comes to being polluted. Want to know which metropolises got the highest ranks? Here are the ten most polluted cities in the world:

Whether you live in big city or a midsize town, if you reside in an apartment or are thinking about moving to one but still want to get a dog, there are some breeds that will do better than others. Many dogs are quite adaptable and there are a number of low maintenance dogs that will do well in an apartment environment. While some people may think smaller dogs make better apartment dogs, that is not always the case.