Oldest Stone Tools Discovered in Kenya

Long before humans walked the Earth, someone began chipping away at a rock by the side of a river. Eventually, this chipping formed the rock into a tool which was used to prepare meat and other foods. 

3.3 million-year-old artifacts predate human genus

An analysis of the finding was published in the May 2015 edition of Nature Magazine and it said that 3.3 million years ago, before humans were on Earth, someone made a variety of tools by chipping away at a rock to form a sharp edge and used them as hammers and cutting instruments, as knives and spears to perform daily tasks and to prepare food. 


It is the oldest set of stone tools ever discovered.  Though it is unknown who made the tools, this archaeological find is the latest and most convincing evidence that toolmaking began before any humans ever walked the Earth.




Before this find, the earliest evidence of stone tools came from a 2.6-million-year-old site in Ethiopia. Evidence suggests that an early human ancestor called Homo habilis likely created the tools.   




The common assumption has always been that as Africa’s climate changed around 2.8 million years ago, that early hominins became diversified and the Homo genus emerged —that is the species that would eventually produce modern humans.   




As new environments developed, new food sources were found and there was a need to create tools to process those foods.  

Excavations at the Lomekwi 3 site in 2012

 149 artifacts that were eventually excavated from the site showed magnetic minerals and volcanic ash tufts embedded in the local rocks which dates the age of the stones at 3.3 million years.


Source: Smithsonianmag.com



Click the link below if you are interested in more history about this set of stone tools.


https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/oldest-known-stone-tools-unearthed-kenya-180955341/

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Medal Of Honor Benefits

Medal of Honor recipients are entitled to much more than the medal.

As of 2016, Medal of Honor recipients receive the following privileges and special benefits:

-- A Special Medal of Honor pension of $1,329.58 per month (as of 2016) -- which is above and beyond any military pensions or other benefits for which they may be eligible.

-- Special entitlements to Space “A” air transportation. Enlisted recipients are entitled to a supplemental uniform allowance.


-- Commissary and exchange privileges (includes eligible dependents).


-- Admission to the United States military academies for qualified children of recipients – without nomination and quota requirements.

-- A 10 percent increase in retired pay.

-- A Medal of Honor Flag.

-- Allowed to wear the uniform at anytime as long as the standard restrictions are observed.

-- Many states offer Medal of Honor automobile license plates.

-- Interment at Arlington National Cemetery if not otherwise eligible.

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The Origin of the Nobel Prize

Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) was a successful inventor, chemist and arms manufacturer who had over 350 patents to his name for his inventions. 

But he is best known as the inventor of dynamite and the creator of the Nobel Prize.

Alfred Nobel and the coin commemorating
the Nobel Prize

It is interesting how the prize came about.  Had it not been for the death of his brother, his benevolence might have taken a different direction.

Short Bio
Alfred Nobel

In 1888, his brother Ludvig suddenly died while on holiday in France.  The local newspaper accidentally printed an obituary naming Alfred Nobel instead of Ludvig. 

While his brother's accomplishments would have made for a very short death notice, when Alfred read the obit that was supposed to be extolling his own virtues, he was very disappointed.  

Indeed, if he didn't have more accomplishments, then he was not going to be remembered well at all.  

Any obituary that opens with "The merchant of death is dead" doesn't bode well especially if it happens to be your own obituary. "Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday."

That is when he decided that when his time came, the obituary for Alfred Nobel was going to look better in print. 

All his life, Alfred Nobel literally threw himself into his work.  Having never married or had children, it wasn't because he never tried.  His brothers had families of their own, and they made no secret that they expected large bequeaths upon his death. 

However, they were in for a surprise.  

Alfred also had three love interests, which are documented by love letters which were sealed until 1955, at which time they were released but they were heavily redacted to reveal only biographical information.  His last love relationship ended in 1894, two years before his death.

While Nobel was well known for his inventions, his obituary would not have looked very good if he had died before 1891 because that is when he was  accused of high treason against the country of France for selling explosives to Italy.

Quote by Alfred Nobel

At age 57, Nobel moved from Paris and Italy .  Five years later, he died of a stroke at age 63.  His brothers and other family members had no idea that most of his vast wealth was put in trust, with them receiving mere tokens compared to the great bequeaths that they expected. 

They soon learned that Alfred Nobel didn't believe in bequeathing money to relatives just because they were related. 

He believed that inherited money should provide children with a good education and the basics of life, and not create lazy adults. He also believed that anyone who accumulated great wealth in their lifetime should give it back to society in some way to benefit others.

And that's how the Nobel Prize came about.

Alfred Nobel quote

You can continue reading about Alfred Nobel and his inventions here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel


Love letters
https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/.premium-alfred-nobel-s-letters-reveal-his-anti-semitic-chauvinistic-side-1.6271819


Nobel's inventions
https://www.famousscientists.org/alfred-nobel/


A biography
http://www.rsc.org/diversity/175-faces/all-faces/alfred-nobel-0/

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Cat Nose Prints

A cat's nose print is as unique as a human fingerprint.

A cat's nose print is like a fingerprint

If you look at your cat's nose, you will notice little bumps and ridges.  Dogs have this same unique trait and since a dog's nose is bigger than a cat's nose, it is easier to see on a dog.  The prints are different on each animal and can be used for identification, just like your own fingerprints can.

Nose prints are different on each animal

Presently, the method used for identifying our pets is a microchip implant which can  dislodge or malfunction, thus becoming useless.

Pet ID tracker

But nose prints, like our fingerprints, will always be there.  Someday microchips will be replaced with nose scanners.  Noses of cats and dogs could be scanned when they are adopted and kept on file for comparison if the pet should ever become lost or stolen. This would be less costly than the microchip, and less painful as well.  It is as easy as getting fingerprints taken.  

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Scanning noseprints would have quite an impact on the numbers of animals who could be returned to their proper owners, particularly after hurricanes and other cataclysmic disasters.

Every cat has a different nose print

A cat’s sense of smell is more than 14 times as sensitive as a human's sense of smell.   Can you imagine walking around all day smelling 14 times better than you can now?

Cat's sense of smell is very sensitive

Cats also have a unique scent mechanism on the roof of their mouth, just behind their incisors, called a vomeronasal organ (VMO) or Jacobson’s organ. Scientists believe the VMO is used primarily for detecting pheromones. 



A cat parts her mouth slightly to open the ducts leading to the VMO, then gently inhales which passes air and scent molecules over the VMO. 



This act is often accompanied by nose lifting, eye squinting and sometimes a flattening of the ears that make the cat look as if she is grimacing. This posture is called the “Flehmen response”, from the German flehmen, which means ‘to curl the upper lip.’




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The Gift Of The Severed Mummified Hand

This is supposedly the severed mummified hand of an unnamed Egyptian princess which was a gift that was presented to Secretary of the Library Company of Philadelphia in 1767 by Benjamin West (1738-1820). This was a full ten years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  West was an artist who was born and raised in Philadelphia but lived in London in his later years when he gifted the mummified hand.  There was no documentation accompanying the hand.





Over the years, The Library Company collected a massive number of similar artifacts. While specimens were stored in their possession (pickled animals, animal skins and bones, fossils), many developed an offensive odor.  The dilemma of what to do with them was solved when the Librarian was given permission to dispose of all those where the odor had become offensive.  This greatly reduced the number of artifacts they kept on hand.




Source: Library Company’s Artifact Collection

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Proper Storage For Avocados

 Avocados Fare Better On The Counter

If you have any unripe avocados that you want to ripen up, don't put them in the refrigerator.  The cold air causes avocados to ripen more slowly. Leave your avocados in a cool, dry place or on your counter in the open air.

Avocados enjoy room temperature, not cold temperatures

But make sure to eat them before they get too ripe. If you feel like your avocados are starting to get too ripe, you can pop them in the refrigerator to slow down the process. Otherwise, leave them out at room temperature.

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30 Interesting Facts About The Pony Express

Contrary to the common belief, there were NO ponies used on the Pony Express.

James Buchanan was the 15th American President, serving in office from March 4, 1857 to March 4, 1861. One of the important events to happen during his Presidency was the Pony Express.

This placard is called a Broadside.  

Broadsides were used to bring awareness to a cause, a job, new startup businesses, offering a bounty for wanted criminals, and listing of items for sale.

The Pony Express mail-delivery system was spread over 200 relief stations that used horse-and-rider relay teams to deliver mail along a 2,000-mile route. It started in St. Joseph, Missouri and continued through Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada to end up in Sacramento, California. 

Pony Express Route

The company began in April 1860, and it soon got a reputation for fast mail delivery in 10 days or less. The other mail delivery systems were by stagecoach which could take up to 50 days or by ship which could take months.

Fast Facts About The Pony Express

A single horseman would ride between stations at breakneck speed, handing mail cargo off to a new horseman after 75-100 miles. To maintain fast speeds, loads were kept light. Most riders were small thin men who weighed between 100 and 125 pounds. Their average age was around 20, but teenagers as young as 14 were also hired. The handsome salary was $100 to $150 per month.

Outgoing mail got a postmark like this one

 Each of the riders had their own starting point and finishing point. The Pony Express rider would race, changing his horse every 10-20 miles to ride his 100 miles per day, then hand the mail over to the rider from the opposite direction at the next Home station. 




After the exchange of mail bags, the Pony Express rider would then take his mail, and return to his starting point. The actual mail carried by the Pony Express riders, therefore, covered about 250 miles every day, by working in relay shifts who raced all through the day and the night. 

The Pony Express was one of the first US businesses to offer a  24/7 service which meant 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 


To put the speed of the Pony Express into perspective, a stagecoach would take 50 days to cover 2000 miles compared to just 10 days via the Pony Express.

Stagecoaches took over 50 days to cover 2000 miles
Pony Express Riders made the trip in about 10 days

Despite the stories of Old West legends that say the Pony Express was around for years and years, the company was only in business for a year and a half. However, it never made a profit. Possibly failure was due to the sky-high cost: the minimum cost was $2.00 for a one or two-page letter and ranged up to $5.00 to mail a half-ounce letter, which is equal to about $130 in today's currency. 



Even after a price reduction to $1 dollar, regular folks just couldn't afford the Pony Express so it was mainly used to deliver newspaper reports, government dispatches and business documents.



Western Union completed the transcontinental telegraph line at Salt Lake City in 1861 and began offering mail delivery. The Pony Express ceased service just two days later on October 24, 1861.

FAST FACTS 

 1 - Riders were given a uniform of red shirts and blue pants but these were often discarded and replaced with buckskins.


2 - Riders were given a kit that had a pistol, a bugle, a rifle, gloves, boots, and a Bible. As a rider approached a station he would blow his bugle to sound the alert to prepare a fresh horse. 


3 - Every rider had to take utmost care of the mochila (lightweight saddlebag) that contained the mail, making it a quick and efficient way of transferring from one horse to another.

A mochila with padlocks on each pocket

4 - The mail pockets of the mochila were called "cantinas", which were locked with a type of small padlock. The mochila had four locked compartments for the mail.


5 - Security was tight. The only keys for the mail pockets of the mochila were at St. Joseph and Sacramento, so only the agents at each end could open the mochila.


6 - The rider had to swear an oath on the Bible promising honesty and devotion to duty.


7 - Each station employed two men called 'tenders' who attended the horses.


8 - A rider could change horses as fast as 2 minutes.


9 - The route had 200 relay stations, 80 riders and between 400-500 horses.

10 - The wages of the riders were $25 per week. The job paid well but there were many dangers.

11 - Dangers: The hazards and dangers included attacks from hostile Native Americans, road robbers, extreme weather conditions, and hazardous terrains.


12 - The name of the first rider was John Upson.


13 - During the 18 months it was in business, Pony Express riders had covered 650,000 miles and carried 34,753 pieces of mail. Only one mail delivery was ever lost.


14  - The mail service was under the direction of Central Overland California and Pike's Peak Express Company.



15 - Important items of news were spread by the service including the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 reached California via the Pony Express.

It cost $2.50 in 1860 dollars to mail this letter

16  - The mail service was very expensive (e.g., $1-$5 per half an ounce)








17 - William F. Cody, "Buffalo Bill",  who later became famous for his Wild West Show, is the most well-known of all the riders and was said to have covered 384 miles without any rest periods.


18 - Wild Bill Hickok was a friend of "Buffalo Bill" and worked as a stock tender for the Rock Creek Pony Express station.



19 - On May 9, 1860, Bob Haslam made a historic run of 380 miles between Friday’s station and Smith’s Creek station. It was a brave run because the Paiutes were attacking his part of the route, due to the Paiute uprising which erupted in May 1860.


20 - The only rider to refuse to do a run was Johnson Richardson, because of the danger of the Paiutes.


21 - Wells Fargo became the temporary agent for the western route until the Overland Mail Company took over.


22 - Mail was first covered with oiled silk before being placed in the mail pockets "cantinas" so they wouldn’t be damaged by water or sweat.


23 - It was important to keep the weight on the horse down.  The specially-designed saddle with its mochila weighed less than 13 pounds


24 - Riders had to weigh 100 to 125 lbs and their ages ranged up to the mid-40s.


25 - According to legend Bronco Charlie Miller was the youngest rider. He was eleven years old when he first rode for the mail service.


26 - The Fastest Run was made in 7 days and 17 hours carrying news of President Lincoln's Inaugural Address.


27 - The founders of the service, William H. Russell, William B. Waddell, and Alexander Important went bankrupt.


28 - The government contract had stipulated the service would be discontinued after the Overland Telegraph Company completed its construction of the telegraph line.



29 - Their company was sold at auction for $100,000 to Ben Holladay in March 1862. Four years later, Holladay sold it to Wells Fargo for $2,000,000.





30 - The regular service was discontinued in October 1861, when the Pacific Telegraph Company completed its telegraph line to San Francisco.




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Proper Storage For Bananas

Keep Bananas Out In The Open

Bananas retain their nutrients better when they are kept out of the refrigerator. Cold temperatures actually slow down the ripening process. But there is also a lot of moisture in most refrigerators which can cause bananas to turn brown or even black.

Bananas should stay at room temperature

If you really want to keep bananas around for a long time, slice them into small pieces and store them in plastic bags in the freezer. Frozen bananas are perfect for smoothies.


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