Interesting Things with JC #268: "Neuschwanstein Castle” - Schloss Neuschwanstein means "New Swan Castle", it's a long standing wonder and landmark on a rugged hill, rising majestically above the village of Hohenschwangau in the Southwest Bavaria of Germany. Neuschwanstein Castle was built in the 19th century by the desires of Ludwig II of Bavaria. The Castle is tremendous, at approximately 6,039square meters / 65,000 square feet, and is said to have inspired Sleeping Beauty's castle in Disneyland!

Interesting Things with JC #267: "Lake Vostok and other Subglacial Lakes" - Lake Vostok is the largest lake in Antarctica and is the largest subglacial lake known at this time, buried beneath nearly four kilometers of ice on Antarctica, and it's existence took the world by surprise. It's Literally like a time capsule of life under extreme circumstances, thriving!

Interesting Things with JC #266: "Kaprekar's Routine” - In 1949 Dattathreya Ramchandra Kaprekar was a recreational mathematician ahead of his time. He had a passion for numbers. He was experimenting with 4-digit numbers, routinely arranging the digits and subtracting the higher digit from the lower digit. In doing so he discovered that as you repeatedly subtract the higher number from the lower number you will always get the result of 6174.

Interesting Things with JC 265: "Motion Sickness" is a common condition triggered by certain kinds of movement, that will make you feel ill. There are some very easy solutions to overcoming this distress. Join us for a quick three minute or so podcast to delve into motion sickness, saltine crackers, & intention!

Interesting Things with JC #264: "Naps" - Napping is amazing. We reach a point in our youth where we desire to stay up and not miss anything. Quickly, as we age, we realize that naps are kinda more than amazing. They can refresh, reinvigorate, and provide you a fresh perspective! But why...

Interesting Things with JC #263: "Germanic Stare Down" - In Germany, intense eye contact is a daily occurrence, but it's very subjective though. Staring could be the result of daydreaming, personal problem solving, admiration, inquisitiveness, and even aggression. In certain cultures staring becomes a form of non verbal communication, which could be just as unique as a dialect!

Interesting Things with JC #262: "Bergen, Norway" - The original Norse name for Bergen was Bjørgvin. Playwright Ludvig Holberg nicknamed it the city of the seven mountains! There are amazing Stave churches, and inspiring hikes within the picturesque landscape that will not only inspire, but also captivate your senses.

This podcast was inspired by the writings of David Nikel. David is a British-Norwegian travel writer in Trondheim, a Senior Forbes contributor & owner of lifeinnorway. Please visit https://www.lifeinnorway.net/ to catch a recent podcast or follow David on Twitter @DavidNikel for more fascinating facts about all things Norway!

Interesting Things with JC #261: “Kiribati” is made up of 33 atolls, these are ring-shaped reefs or a series of islands caused by submerged volcanos. Out of the 33 islands that all straddle the equator, and only 20 are inhabited. Although it only takes up a total of 811sq kilometers, Kiribati spans a distance equal to an area that is roughly the size of India, and it's the only country to fall within the northern, southern, eastern and western hemispheres. Kiribati is the third-least visited country in the world. Around 6,000 visitors come here annually. Only the Pacific island-nations of the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu receive fewer tourists.

Interesting Things with JC #260: "A Horse A Piece" means six of one, half a dozen of the other. If you've never heard the phrase before, let's learn about it together right now!

Interesting Things with JC #259: "Does time exist” - When initially looking into emerging theories that remove time from quantum equations, you quickly learn it's been an interesting path of discovery through theory. To start, it's difficult to establish a quantum theory of gravity. Physicists want to grasp the concepts of both general relativity and quantum mechanics and create a new theory of "quantum gravity" to replace them.

For more information please visit https://www.sciencealert.com/time-may-not-exist-according-to-physics-but-that-could-be-okay-for-us

Interesting Things with JC #258: "Black Moon” - April 30th 2022, the southeast Pacific and southern part of South America will be in partial eclipse due to the Black Moon. 64% of the visible sun will be blacked out, according to NASA. There's are a couple definitions for Black Moon, let's take a look!

Interesting Things with JC #257: "Mud Daubers” - they are commonly known in the southern part of the United States as dirt daubers. They are truly fascinating insects. If you have ever seen a tube-shaped nest made with mud on the outside walls of your house or possibly inside your garage, then you know what a mud dauber is. One of the most interesting things about these creatures is that….(go ahead click play!)

Interesting Things with JC #256: "Enchiladas" are a traditional Mexican dish. The word comes from enchilar, which means add Chili peppers to something. The basis for the enchilada is tortilla made from maize, and they date back to the Mayans!

Interesting Things with JC #255: "Quantum Locking” - Quantum levitation is a process where scientists use the properties of quantum physics to levitate an object over a magnetic source. Quantum Locking is very distinct from traditional magnetic levitation. The object can be moved, rotated, tilted, and it stays locked in mid air!

Interesting Things with JC #254: "Arctic Circle Daylight". In summertime, the sun is always above the horizon at the North Pole, circling the Pole once every day. It is highest in the sky at the Summer Solstice, after which, the sun starts to sink towards the horizon, until it falls below the horizon, at the Fall Equinox.

Interesting Things with JC #253: "Lamb vs Mutton". Both are domestic sheep, just at different times of their life cycles. Lamb is a sheep that is typically less than 1 year old. Mutton refers to an adult sheep that is over one year old, but preferably 3 years of age. Lamb is popular premium meat in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. In remote parts of the world, thin strips of fatty mutton can be cut into a substitute for bacon, called macon.

Interesting Things with JC #252: "Do Animals Sneeze?” All animals from humans to dogs, elephants, horses, tigers, bears and birds sneeze. But aquatic animals cannot sneeze as they don’t have lungs.

Interesting Things with JC #251: "Space Weather" refers to the variable conditions on the sun and in space that can influence life on earth, as well as impact technology. It's believed that short-lived solar explosions don’t influence weather events like heat waves, but longer-term variations in solar output might affect Earth’s climate.

Interesting Things with JC #250: "Samar Island" - was the first island of the Philippines sighted by the Spanish expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan. It's home to Asia’s 2nd largest cave system – the Langon-Gobingob Caves in Calbiga. Samar features some of the best foods in the region!

Interesting Things with JC #249: "The Brevard Zoo" is a 75-acre nonprofit facility located in Melbourne, Florida, United States, that is home to more than 800 animals representing more than 180 species from Florida, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. It is the largest community-built zoo in the world. Please visit https://brevardzoo.org/ for more information!