Interesting Things with JC #298 "Ceiling Fan Direction" should be changed in the summer and winter to give you more comfort and spend less on your heating and cooling needs!

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 #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 #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 #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 #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!

Interesting Things with JC #247: "Melbourne Florida”. Originally known as Crane Creek, this area was inhabited in 1878, and shortly afterward the community got renamed to Melbourne. Melbourne continued to thrive economically and the early 1950s saw the city get to even newer heights. A space complex was constructed to the north at Cape Canaveral and subsequently, there was an influx of other aerospace industries. There's the world renown historic bone bed and the childhood home of Jim Morrison is also in Melbourne!

Interesting Things with JC #243: "Shrek the Sheep" - After evading humans for years, on April 15th 2004 in a cave in New Zealand, Shrek the Sheep was finally caught. The merino sheep had grown an amazing 27kg or 60lbs worth of fleece during this time.

Interesting Things with JC #242: "Charles Lightoller" was trapped underwater after helping save people as the Titanic sank. A boiler exploded and sent him rushing back to the surface where he helped 30 more people. In WW2 he helped save another 127 people at Dunkirk.

Interesting Things with JC #240: “Belgian Waffles” - There are many different types of Belgian waffles, there is no such thing as a singular Belgian Waffle. The two most popular types of waffles that you'll find are Brussels waffles and Liege waffles.

Interesting Things with JC #239: "Traffic Lights" - Most common traffic lights operate based on timers. In areas that are not as congested, timers are not the best idea, as rural drivers may be sitting at a red light for an extended period of time. This is where sensor based traffic lights are more of an advantage. The actual sensors used can vary greatly per location, they could be lasers, rubber hoses filled with air, video cameras or inductive loops.

Interesting Things with JC #230: "ZAZEL - The Human Cannonball". On Easter Monday, April 2nd 1877 the first human cannonball act was performed by 16 year old Rossa Matilda Richter known as Zazel at the Royal Aquarium in London. Interestingly just before her birthday on April 7th.

Interesting Things with JC #229: "The Spaghetti Trees of Switzerland". The BBC pulled off one of the best April Fools’ Day pranks, convincing the British population that not only did spaghetti grow on trees, but that they could grow their own by sticking dry spaghetti into cans of marinara sauce…is this even real?!

Interesting Things with JC #228: "Devil's Backbone - Texas Hill Country" - Stretching from Wimberley to Blanco within the Texas Hill country, the rugged and scenic area known as Devil’s Backbone comes from an earthquake that occurred here over thirty million years ago. The area is made up mostly of ranches and hunting cabins. Ghost stories are an important part of the history here!

Interesting Things with JC #227: “Velcro” - George Mestral patented Velcro in 1955. Originally envisioned as a fastener for clothing, today, Velcro is used across a wide array of industries and applications; including healthcare, the military, land vehicles, aircraft, and even spacecraft. Do you know how it was invented? Click play and let's find out!

The Sunken City is the name given to the site of a natural landslide which occurred in the Point Fermin area of the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles. A slump in the land caused a huge portion of the city and beachside homes to slide into the ocean.

The Santa Ana Zoo opened in 1952 and has remained a beloved local destination for over 70 years. In 1949 Joseph Edward Prentice donated 16 acres of land for Prentice Park to the City of Santa Ana. He stipulated in his agreement that at least 50 monkeys, his favorite animal, be kept in the park at all times!

Interesting Things with JC #222: "The Château Laurier" is said to be haunted by the ghost of Charles Melville Hays, the president of the company that built the hotel. Hays died on the Titanic, 12 days before the hotel's opening. The Châteauesque rooflines of several federal government buildings in Ottawa, Canada were inspired by the commanding presence of this hotel.