Who Made It?

Many people have difficulties grasping exponential growth and its implications can be quite overwhelming. The current world record in paper folding is twelve times... a sheet of paper folded in half 103 times would be as thick as the entire observable universe!

One of the first things that comes to mind when we think about the festive season is the Christmas tree. It doesn’t have to be a pine, though: in India, people decorate mango or banana trees. In New Zealand, the pohutukawa tree, with its crimson flowers, has replaced the European fir.

Some Japanese specialties are risky business! Fugu, or pufferfish, must be prepared by chefs who have trained for at least 3 years, as the animal contains high levels of the poison tetrodotoxin. In fact, it is so poisonous (200 times more deadly than cyanide, and with no known antidote) that it is the one dish the Emperor of Japan is forbidden from eating.