Mathematics Reveal Universal Properties Of Old Rope

Mathematicians prove that a three-stranded rope is always 68% the length of its component strands, regardless of the material from which it is made.

Despite rope's obvious geometric properties, the art of rope making has been strangely neglected by mathematicians over the centuries. Today, Jakob Bohr and Kasper Olsen at the Technical University of Denmark put that right by proving the remarkable property that ropes cannot have more than a certain number of turns per unit length, a number which depends on the diameter of the component strands.

And that's just the start. They go on to show that a rope with a smaller number turns than this maximum will always twist in one direction or another under tension. So they call this maximum number of turns the zero-twist configuration.

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Via: Technology Review

5 Civilizations That Just Disappeared

Have you ever misplaced your keys? How about the remote control? Maybe forgot where you parked your car? It’s a pretty frustrating thing, isn’t it? I know it always drives me crazy. Now imagine for a second that instead of your keys, what you lost was an entire city. First of all, people would probably be pissed at you, talking about you behind your back and snickering about how you’re always misplacing important things. But just how hard is it to misplace an entire civilization, really? Considering how frequently it’s happened throughout time, apparently it’s pretty easy.

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Via: Weird Worm

Get your shovel! (5 still hidden treasures)

Everyone loves a good treasure hunt, right? It’s the thrill of the chase and the fortune that can be had at the end. And who couldn’t use a few extra bucks in this economy? There are many stories of people who have dedicated their life to find treasure, only to go broke and never find that proverbial (or, in this case, actual) pot of gold. Even if they find the treasure, there will likely be a lengthy battle over who owns it. A few years ago an expedition found a treasure in a sunken ship worth as much as $500 million. It didn’t take long for Spain to put in a claim on it because they said the treasure had initially been stolen from their country.

So even if you find it, there’s no guarantee that you will keep it and reap the rewards. But as I said before, it’s all in the trill of the chase. Or so they say. Well, if you have any inkling about going out and finding treasure of your own, these may be a few good places to start.

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Via: A Whole Lot of Nothing

10 Jewish Messiah Moments

By the 1st century, Roman occupation led to a flourishing belief in the messiah among the Jews of Israel. He would be a descendant of King David, defeat Israel’s persecutors – that would be Rome — and restore Jewish independence in the land. A savior.

For Christians, the issue was settled between Christmas and Easter. But for Jews, the question remained open and, for the next 2,000 years, particularly in periods of harsh persecution, slaughter or expulsion, Jews experienced repeated messiah moments. At best, they didn’t end well. Here are 10:

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Via: Mental_Floss