Why do butterflies taste with their feet?

Did you know...

...that butterflies taste with their feet?

Their taste sensors are located in the feet, and by standing on their food, they can taste it!
All butterflies have six legs and feet. In some species such as the monarch, the front pair of legs remains tucked up under the body most of the time, and are difficult to see.

Do you Know Why?

Some Engaging History

• A pearl engagement ring is said to be bad luck because its shape mimics that of a tear.

• The right of any woman to propose on February 29 ( on a leap year ) goes back hundreds of years to when leap years were not recognized in English Law. It was considered a day that had no legal status, and so it was a day to which tradition no longer applied. Therefore, women were free to propose to the man they wished to marry.

• You can have the remains of a loved one ( a departed husband or loyal pet) turned into a diamond. It's creepy, but true. This is made possible because during cremation carbon is released, which can be heated into graphite. The end result is a fancy-colored diamond composed of a loved one's remains. Hey, it's easier to carry around than an urn full of ashes.

• Diamonds were once believed to be deadly if swallowed.

• The word "diamond" originates from the Greek word "adamant", which means steadfast or invincible. This is how diamonds, which were known to be indestructible, got their name.

• The average cost of an engagement ring is $ 3,165.00

• One in five men propose on bended knee.

• The reason why engagement rings are worn on the third finger of the left hand dates back to the early Egyptian belief that the vein of love ( vena amoris) ran directly from the heart to the top of the third finger on the left hand.

Do you Know that....

• The largest uncut diamond ever found was the Cullinan in South Africa circa 1905, coming in at 3,106 carats.

• Rocker Chris Robinson proposed to his wife, actress Kate Hudson, with an old-fashioned 5-carat Asschercut diamond in an art deco setting.

• The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, proposed to his then-girlfriend, Priscilla Beaulieu, with a 3.5-carat diamond ring surrounded by an additional row of detachable diamonds.

Why Do My Eyes Close When I Sneeze?

Ah, the elusive achoo—there's much mystery surrounding our sternutation reflex, a.k.a. the sneeze.

Sneezing protects our nasal passageways from foreign particles by forcing a 100 mph whoosh of air from the lungs, but the reflex demands more movement than that. When stimulated, the brain stem’s sneeze center orders muscle contraction from esophagus to sphincter. That includes the muscles controlling your eyelids. Some sneezers even shed a few tears.

No one knows why. It's possible the body has grown to associate protecting the nasal passageways with protecting the eye, or it may just be a result of our body’s wiring. Nor do scientists know why some people sneeze at bright lights, or why the reflex is pleasurable to some but not others. Whatever its workings, the sneeze has the distinction of being the only reflex that warrants a "bless you" from total strangers.

Why do we have Fever?

Fever occurs usually when a virus or bacteria invades the body. The immune system produces chemicals called pyrogens, which trick the brain's hypothalamus (where the body's thermostat resides) into sensing an artificially cool body temperature.

The brain responds like any good warm-blooded animals would, by knocking the thermostat up a few notches. Blood rushes to the body's core, heating the body overall but cooling the surface—hence the chills. The body's metabolic rate goes up and muscles contract.

The immune system's goal: to encourage chemical reactions that will increase production of disease-fighting antibodies, stimulate activity of white blood cells and even inhibit the invading microbe's growth.

Do you know that Purple...

•In Thailand, purple is worn by a widow mourning her husband's death.

•The purple in the U.S. military Purple Heart award represents courage. The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the United States armed forces who have been wounded in action.

•In Tibet, amethyst is considered to be sacred to Buddha and rosaries are often fashioned from it.

•A man with the rank of Roman Emperor was referred to as "The Purple" -- a name that came from the color of the robe he wore.

•In Japan, the color purple signifies wealth and position.
•Purple was the royal color of the Caesars.

•In pysanky, the traditional Ukrainian form of egg dying, purple speaks of fasting, faith, patience, and trust.

•Purple denotes virtue and faith in Egypt.

•In Tudor Britain, violet was the color of mourning, as well as the color of religious fervor.

•Traditionally, in Iran, purple is a color of what is to come. A sun or moon that looks purple during an eclipse is an omen of bloodshed within the year.

•Purple was the color of the first dye made by man. It was called "Mauveine" and was made out of coal tar. The recipe was discovered by William Henry Perkin in 1856.

•Purple represents the planet Jupiter.

•February is the month associated with the color purple and the birthstone for those born is February is amethyst.

•Purple Stones: Amethyst, Ametrine, Sugilite, Lavender Jade, Sugilite, Selenite, Iolite, Lavender Quartz, Lepidolite

•The Byzantine emperor signed edicts in purple ink.

•Leonardo da Vinci believed that the power of meditation increases ten times when done in a purple light, as in the purple light of stained glass.

•In 1999, formal Moral Majority spokesman Reverend Jerry Farwell came out publicly against the children's show Teletubbies. He believed that its character "Tinky-Winky" was gay, stating that he was purple - the color of gay pride - and that his antennae was a triangle - the symbol of gay pride.

•The poem "Warning" by English poet Jenny Joseph begins with the line "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple..." The poem and its famous purple line has become a tongue-in-cheek reference to a woman's struggle with aging.

•Purple is the color of Madison Square Garden and seating for VIP's was once covered in purple.

•Purple is the color of the highest denomination poker chip = $5,000

•During the Silver Age of comic books, those with purple on their covers sold better.

•In stained glass, the color purple or violet is seen as uniting the "wisdom" of blue and the "love" of red and symbolizes justice and royalty.

•The "Purple Orchid Three" is a sweet potato grown by its Hainan developers from seeds taken into space in 2005 on China's "Shenzhou VI" rocket.

Source: Sensational Color