"Real happiness is cheap enough, yet how dearly we pay for its counterfeit."
[Hosea Ballou]

Quote of the Day, from brainyquote.com (2025/05/09)

Article of the Day

Metrosideros bartlettii

Metrosideros bartlettii, commonly known as Bartlett's rātā, is a rare species of tree in the family Myrtaceae. It is only found in three patches of dense forest remnants near Piwhane / Spirits Bay in New Zealand's North Island. It reaches a height of up to 30 metres (100 feet) with a trunk diameter of 1 to 1.5 metres (3.3 to 4.9 feet). The species is known for its distinct whitish, paper-like bark and small white flowers. Bartlett's rātā was accidentally discovered in 1975 by John Bartlett near Cape Reinga and first described by John Dawson in 1985. Bartlett's rātā typically begins life growing on another plant, inhabits lowland forests, and grows near wet areas. A 2018 article documented 13 adult trees in the wild, down from 31 in 2000. Its decline has been attributed to land use changes and the introduction of common brushtail possums. In 2013, it was listed as a critically endangered species on the IUCN Red List, with a decreasing population trend. (Full article...)

  • Article of the Day

On this day: May 9

May 9: Europe Day in the European Union; Liberation Day in the Channel Islands (1945)

Hotel Polen fire
Hotel Polen fire

Knowledge about Earth

Facts and Figures

  • Age of Earth: ~ 4.568 billion years
  • World Population: 7.3 billion (July 2015)
  • Continents: 7 (Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia)
  • Mean Radius: 6371.0 km
  • Axial Tilt: 23,44°

Image Source: Wikipedia - License: Public Domain (thanks to NASA)

Our Solar System

Our solar system consists of
1 star (Sun) and 8 planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune).

  • 1 AU (astronomical unit) is roughly the distance between Earth and the Sun (about 150 million kilometres).
  • The space probe Voyager 1 was launched by the NASA in 1977 and is meanwhile (autumn 2015) about 133 AU away from Earth.

Image Source: Wikipedia - License: CC BY-SA 3.0

Why you should extend your general knowledge:

There are many reasons why one should or wants to extend his knowledge.
First you should consider that "general knowledge" is knowledge which a group of humans - who belong together regional, temporal or otherwise - owns. Thus, it describes a basic understanding of specific categories of knowledge.

As the English philosopher Francis Bacon said before: "Wisdom is Power" [Bacon 1597].