A Note From 2014 But Still Interesting:

A note from 2014 but still interesting:

Before the Communists came to power in 1949, China had only 22 dams of any significant size. Now the country has more than half of the world’s roughly 50,000 large dams, defined as having a height of at least 15 meters, or a storage capacity of more than three million cubic meters. Thus, China has completed, on average, at least one large dam per day since 1949. If dams of all sizes are counted, China’s total surpasses 85,000. - marginal revolution

*Photo | The Three Gorges Dam spanning the Yangtze River

Could a Cockroach Survive a Fall From Space?

The results are bad news, at least for those of us who aren’t too fond of cockroaches. 

The tradition of the Christmas tree originated in eastern Europe more than 500 years ago. Today, it has become a thriving industry, employing nearly 100,000 people and generating almost $2 billion in revenue annually. Approximately 25-30 million natural Christmas trees are harvested each year, with about 30 percent coming from the Pacific Northwest. Sales of real Christmas trees have increased by nearly 20 percent since 2020, and artificial trees are also popular.

While artificial trees have faced criticism for the chemicals used in their production and their environmental impact, live trees also have their drawbacks.

via The Toxic Truth About Your Christmas Tree

There are more possible iterations of a game of chess than there are atoms in the observable universe.

The number of possible ways of playing the first four moves per side in chess is 318,979,564,000.

This vast complexity makes chess an incredibly rich and challenging game, contributing to its enduring appeal and the endless possibilities it offers.

Meet one of the planet’s smallest turtles: the bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii)! This petite reptile grows up to 4.5 in (11.4 cm) long. It’s easily identifiable by the orange patches on either side of its head.

The bog turtle has an impressive lifespan, with the oldest documented individual reaching an age of 61! Unfortunately, this species is critically endangered due in part to poaching and habitat loss as a result of human expansion.

Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, CC BY 2.0, flickr (juvenile pictured)