The term ‘Gross National Happiness’ was coined by King Jigme Singye Wangchuk. Bhutan is based on Buddhist spiritual values. The country’s progress is measured holistically by indicators of individual wellness in the areas of economic, environmental, physical, mental, workplace, social and political spheres.
The Akashi Kaikyō bridge links the island of Honshu to Awaji island. It has a central span length of 1991 metres, the longest span of any bridge on earth. There are other two spans or sections, each measuring 960 metres or 3,150 feet. The bridge has a total length of 3,911 metres or 12,831 feet. …
There is no traffic light in Bhutan. The traffic in Bhutan is controlled by the traffic police. The only traffic light was removed by the King many years ago.
Michael Beran, a scientist at the Georgia State University, trained chimps to use a computer and a joystick. The computer screen showed a numeral followed by a series of dots. The chimps had to match the numeral with the dots. One chimp learned numerals from 1 to 7, while another managed to learn till the numeral …
The Dead Sea is shrinking at the rate of over a metre per year. This is mainly because the Jordan River, which drains into the sea, has been diverted. The environmentalists predict that it is a disaster that could devastate the region.
‘Triskaidekaphobia’ is a word that arises from the greek tris meaning three, and deka meaning ten, i.e. thirteen, and phobia meaning fear. Triskaidekaphobia thus means the fear of the ‘number thirteen’. In western culture, the number thirteen is often associated with ill luck. Many hotels in the western countries have no thirteenth floor, and many streets are avoided being given the number …
