Why we sometimes are unaware, or at least alter-awared
Have you ever been so absorbed in a book or tv that you weren't aware of somebody entering or leaving the room? This is one of many definitions of a trance state
Fun fact about the bible
The Bible has been translated into Klingon.
Where did the name Wendy come from?
The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan."
How much do you love your library?
Abdul Kassem Ismael, Grand Vizier of Persia in the tenth century, carried his library with him wherever he went. The 117,000 volumes were carried by 400 camels which were trained to walk in alphabetical order.
Crazy fact about the Indiana University library
The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.
What is the worst computer virus ever?
The "Love Hurts" virus hit in spring 2000 and infected affected millions of computers and caused more damage than any other computer virus to date. Users were infected via e-mail, through Internet chat systems, and through other shared file systems. The worm sent copies of itself via Microsoft Outlook's address book entries. The mail included an executable file attachment with the e-mail subject line, "ILOVEYOU." The worm had the ability to overwrite several types of files, including .gif and .jpg files. It modified the Internet Explorer start page and changed Registry keys. It also moved other files and hid MP3 files on affected systems. Visit Symantec's Security Response for instructions on how to remove LoveLetter.
Who invented the movable-type printing press in Europe?
Johannes Gutenberg developed the movable-type printing press in Mainz, Germany, around 1440. It made books dramatically cheaper and helped spread ideas across Europe.
Which breed ranked second in Stanley Coren's dog intelligence rankings?
In psychologist Stanley Coren's 1994 book "The Intelligence of Dogs," the Poodle ranked as the second-smartest breed, behind only the Border Collie.
Which children's picture book series stars a Rottweiler babysitter?
The "Good Dog, Carl" picture book series by Alexandra Day stars a gentle Rottweiler named Carl who secretly babysits a baby, showing a softer side of a breed often seen as intimidating.
What ancient manuscript describes the Siamese cat?
The Siamese cat is described in the Tamra Maew, or "Cat Book Poems," a collection of manuscripts from Thailand that may date back several centuries.
Who invented the printing press in Europe?
Johannes Gutenberg developed a movable-type printing press in Mainz, Germany, around 1440, which made it possible to mass-produce books for the first time in Europe.
How many Gutenberg Bibles survive today?
Gutenberg printed about 180 copies of his Bible around 1455, and only about 49 are known to survive today, making them among the most valuable books in the world.
What is the oldest surviving book printed with metal movable type?
The oldest surviving book printed with metal movable type is the Jikji, a Korean Buddhist text printed in 1377, decades before Gutenberg's Bible.
How many books were printed in Europe by 1500?
By 1500, just a few decades after Gutenberg's invention, European printers had produced an estimated 20 million volumes.
What are incunabula?
Books printed in Europe before 1501 are called incunabula, from a Latin word for "cradle," because they come from the infancy of printing.
When was the first phone book published?
The first phone book was published in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1878 and listed only about 50 names.
How did table tennis begin?
Table tennis began in Victorian England as an after-dinner game played with books as nets and champagne corks as balls.
How many books of the Bible did Saint Paul write?
Thirteen letters in the New Testament are attributed to Saint Paul, and scholars generally agree that at least seven were written by him.
How is Saint George's Day celebrated in Catalonia?
In Catalonia, people give books and roses on Saint George's Day, April 23.
What is Dolly Parton's Imagination Library?
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library sends free books to children.
What is Shakespeare's First Folio?
Shakespeare's First Folio, published in 1623 after his death by his fellow actors, preserved 18 plays that might otherwise have been lost, and a copy sold for about $10 million in 2020.
How much money did Jane Austen make from her books?
Jane Austen earned only about £600 from her novels during her lifetime.
Has "Huckleberry Finn" been banned?
"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" has often been challenged or banned in schools.
How many publishers rejected Harry Potter?
The first Harry Potter book was rejected by 12 publishers before Bloomsbury published it in 1997.
What is the best-selling book series of all time?
The Harry Potter series is the best-selling book series of all time, with more than 600 million copies sold.
How many copies were in the first Harry Potter printing?
The first printing of the first Harry Potter book was just 500 hardback copies.
Why was the first Harry Potter book renamed in the US?
The first Harry Potter book was retitled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in the US.
Who is the best-selling fiction writer of all time?
Agatha Christie is the best-selling fiction writer of all time, with an estimated two billion books sold.
Which Hemingway book won a Pulitzer?
Ernest Hemingway won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 for "The Old Man and the Sea."
Where does Stephen King live?
Stephen King lives in Bangor, Maine, and many of his books are set in Maine.
How many books has Stephen King sold?
Stephen King has sold more than 350 million books.
Does Stephen King appear in his movies?
Stephen King has made cameo appearances in film adaptations of his books.
What book introduced yoga philosophy to many Westerners?
Swami Vivekananda's 1896 book "Raja Yoga" introduced yoga philosophy to many Western readers.
What book did Steve Jobs have on his iPad?
Paramahansa Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yogi" was reportedly the only book Steve Jobs downloaded on his iPad, and copies were given to guests at his memorial service.
Was "Autobiography of a Yogi" named a top spiritual book?
"Autobiography of a Yogi" was named one of the 100 best spiritual books of the 20th century.
What book did Krishnamacharya write in 1934?
Krishnamacharya wrote "Yoga Makaranda" in 1934.
What is "Light on Yoga"?
B.K.S. Iyengar's 1966 book "Light on Yoga" became a classic and has been translated into many languages.
What book did Indra Devi write in 1953?
Indra Devi wrote "Forever Young, Forever Healthy" in 1953.
How many books did Swami Sivananda write?
Swami Sivananda wrote more than 200 books.
Did Swami Satchidananda translate the Yoga Sutras?
Swami Satchidananda published a widely read translation and commentary on the Yoga Sutras.
Was Sadhguru's book a bestseller?
Sadhguru's 2016 book "Inner Engineering" became a New York Times bestseller.
Who proved you could beat blackjack?
Mathematician Edward Thorp showed that card counting could beat blackjack in his 1962 book "Beat the Dealer."
What was the MIT Blackjack Team?
The MIT Blackjack Team used card counting to win money from casinos, inspiring the book "Bringing Down the House" and the movie "21."
How do you win Go Fish?
In Go Fish, players try to collect "books," or sets of four cards of the same rank.
Who paid to publish Newton's "Principia"?
Astronomer Edmond Halley paid to publish Isaac Newton's "Principia" in 1687.
How many of Aristotle's works survive?
Most of Aristotle's writings are lost, and many of the surviving works are believed to be his lecture notes.
How popular was "A Brief History of Time"?
Stephen Hawking's 1988 book "A Brief History of Time" sold millions of copies.
What is the Archimedes Palimpsest?
The Archimedes Palimpsest is a medieval prayer book written over lost works by Archimedes, and it sold for $2 million in 1998.
How quickly did "On the Origin of Species" sell out?
The first printing of "On the Origin of Species" sold out on its first day in 1859.
What was Darwin's last book about?
Charles Darwin's last book, published in 1881, was about earthworms.
What is the oldest surviving book printed with movable metal type?
The oldest surviving book printed with movable metal type is the Jikji, a Korean Buddhist text printed in 1377.
How many Maya books survive?
Only four Maya books, called codices, are known to survive.
What is Powell's City of Books?
Powell's City of Books in Portland is the largest independent bookstore in the world, taking up an entire city block.