7 oddities of France

(/) SEEING IS BELIEVING A fountain turned into a huge lamp. Animations projected onto a Ferris wheel. Light puppets that move. A super lamp in the middle of the river. These and other art installations invade Lyon on December 8,…

Does any country own Antarctica?

ILLUSTRATES: Yasmin Ayumi In theory, no – the continent has no government and no permanent inhabitants. In practice, seven countries claim part of the place (see below), but this dispute is suspended until 2040 by the Antarctic Treaty, which establishes…

How did the alphabet come about?

The origin of writing is lost in history and the system used today by most western countries is the result of numerous metamorphoses over time. Everything indicates that its oldest version appeared in Phoenicia (present-day Lebanon), between the years 1400…

Does this animal have a trunk?

»> No. The anteater’s “trunk” is, in fact, its snout, whose elongated shape allows it to hunt ants and termites, its favorite foods, in holes in the ground or in logs. “Thanks to its keen sense of smell, the anteater…

How is money laundering done?

The most common way is through front companies, that is, “pretend” businesses controlled by the very criminal organization that wants to launder the money. Criminals take the money they’ve earned illegally (drug trafficking, counterfeiting money or tax evasion, for example)…

Why is gel alcohol not flammable?

»> In fact, gel alcohol is flammable, yes! The difference in relation to liquid alcohol is that, in contact with fire, the gooey version produces a weaker flame, since the composition contains 70% pure alcohol diluted in additives that give…

How are kidney stones formed?

Also called kidney stones, they are formed by the accumulation of certain substances – calcium, uric acid, oxalate (a salt) or cystine (an amino acid) – inside the kidneys or in the urinary tract. “It is important to emphasize that…