Transylvania

Quick, what’s the first thing you think of when you see the word Transylvania? Vampires of course, because that’s where they come from. The Romanians are so very happy that Bram Stoker warned the world when he published Dracula and inspired an endless stream of books and movies, because otherwise visitors might not take the proper precautions. Transylvania is actually a region of Romania with a rich culture and an important place in European history. But nowhere in its rich history has anyone documented any vampires. Why then did Bram […]

Vulcanization

Nothing to do with Star Trek, vulcanization is a chemical process for converting natural rubber into hard rubber for use in the many rubber products you rely on today. Without it, you wouldn’t have car tires, rubber hoses, conveyor belts, saxophone mouthpieces, bowling balls or hockey pucks, to name just a few. The process was invented by Charles Goodyear as a vast improvement over the traditional rubber curing process known since prehistoric times.

Offside in Soccer

The rule for “offside” (always without an “s”) is a simple concept yet oh so subjective and chock-full of nuance. It basically aims to prevent what Americans call “cherry picking”, or skulking near the goal waiting for a pass and an easy opportunity to score. IFAB (International Football Association Board) has codified the rules of association football (aka soccer) in its 200-page Laws of the Game. FIFA, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football), as the ruling body for association football, recognizes IFAB as having the […]