giraffe

Because giraffes have very long necks, they need to pump enough blood from the heart all the way to the top of the head. For that reason, their blood pressure is about twice that of humans. When we hear “high blood pressure,” we humans think of various illnesses, but giraffes have mechanisms that allow them to withstand high blood pressure, so it doesn’t pose a health problem for them.

the South Pole

Antarctica is said to be the coldest continent on Earth. The reasons are that its elevation is high—about 2,500 meters—and it is located where the sun’s rays strike at an angle. Another reason is that the white ice covering the surface reflects most of the sunlight it receives.

even number

When corn grows, the spikelets—the parts that become the kernels—always split into two during their development and line up in multiple rows. If pollination is incomplete or disease causes kernels to be missing, the number of rows may not be even, but corn that has grown normally has an even number of rows.

insult; bad-mouthing; speaking ill (of someone)

It’s said that international tennis umpires are familiar with insults from around the world so they can check whether players from different countries are using offensive language during matches. In tennis, there is something called a code violation, and the chair umpire at international tournaments is required by the rules to judge whether the words a player utters during a match are appropriate.

pot

In Korean, “jjigae” in “jjigae nabe” means “stew” or “hot pot.” In fact, saying “jjigae nabe” is a redundant expression like saying “hot pot pot,” so in Korea it’s simply called “jjigae.” There are many varieties such as kimchi jjigae and sundubu jjigae, and all refer to stew-like hot pot dishes. Knowing the correct meaning and how it’s called in Korea can be a fun conversation tidbit.

aluminum foil

Aluminum foil can help prevent slime buildup in drains. If you crumple aluminum foil and place it in the drain, it reacts with water and releases aluminum ions, which have antibacterial properties that can suppress the growth of germs and mold. Replace the aluminum foil every few weeks to about a month.

lawyer

The jungle gym was invented by Sebastian Hinton, who was a lawyer. His father was a mathematician, and it’s said that when Sebastian was a child, he played on a bamboo framework his father built, imagining it as coordinate axes. Inspired by this, he collaborated with educator Carleton Washburne and others to complete the jungle gym.

yen

The main building of the Bank of Japan’s head office is famous for looking like the kanji character “円” (yen) when viewed from above. The building was constructed in the Meiji era and was designed by Kingo Tatsuno. At the time, Japanese banknotes wrote “yen” as “圓,” so it doesn’t seem to have been intentionally designed that way—but it’s interesting, isn’t it? If you’re ever nearby, try imagining the shape from the surrounding streets, or take a look at it in aerial photos.

crispy

In “shortcake,” the word “short” doesn’t mean “short”; it means “crumbly.” It’s said to come from “shortening,” a processed fat used in pastries and doughs. In the United States, a dessert with whipped cream and fruit sandwiched in a biscuit is called “shortcake.”

Imaginary tree

The tree depicted on the 1-yen coin is not a specific real tree; it is a designed “young tree” created for the coin. The design was by Masami Nakamura and was selected from submissions gathered nationwide. Since Nakamura has stated that there was no particular model for the young tree, the correct answer is that it is an “imaginary tree.”