Boiling Myth?

“Adding salt to water makes it boil more quickly.”

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Ruling:
Mostly false. Depends on the nature of the salt.

Analysis:
Merely adding some salt to regular water will only make a difference in large quantities. However, it is true that salt water boils more quickly than regular water. If you look at the heat capacity of salt water, you will find that it is less than pure water. In other words, it takes less energy to raise the temperature of salt water 1°C than pure water. This means that salt water heats up faster and eventually gets to its boiling point first.

See other: Mythconceptions?

On What Men Do Better

“There are only two things that women don’t do as well as men, and that’s design dresses and cook.”

– Germaine Greer

23/ix mmxii

Pomology is the study of edible fruit. Carpology is the study of fruit whether they are edible or not.

Common fruit

Tomatoes, as everyone knows, are fruits not vegetables. Fewer people know that avocadoes, pumpkins, coconuts, cucumbers, peas, beans (green as well as all other beans), peppers, corn, aubergines, squash and all kinds of nuts are also fruits.

The frilled shark holds the world record for the longest pregnancy in nature: three years.

One of the exhibits at the Great Exhibition of 1851 was a vacuum coffin that preserved the body long enough for far-flung friends to attend the funeral.

For some unknown reason, people nearly always cut apples in half vertically. If you cut one in half horizontally, the core makes the shape of a perfect five- pointed star.

Banana Side-effects

“Several odd side-effects of eating a banana are not very well known; when eaten whole and sideways they may cause victims to smile or frown uncontrollably.”

– Phil Jupitus

Goose and Gander

“What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.”

– Marcus Terentius Varro