Showing results by author "iMinds" in All Categories

Crop circles are geometric patterns found in agricultural fields, most often in Southern England. They consist of flattened plant stems lying in regular patterns, some of which are highly complex. Crop circles usually appear in fields of wheat, barley, canola and other common crops. Because of their size - hundreds of feet across - crop circles can only be truly appreciated from the air.

Learn about the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. The Bermuda Triangle is a large stretch of ocean in the Caribbean. It is infamous for numerous unexplained disappearances of boats and aircraft. What goes on in the Bermuda Triangle is one of the world's greatest mysteries. Many believe supernatural phenomena or extra-terrestrial activity occurs there.

Central Park is a haven for New Yorkers and a tourist’s paradise. Nestled among some of the tallest buildings in one of the most densely populated cities in the world, Central Park stretches out, taking up 840 acres of prime real estate. It is first and foremost an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Some may think the city was built around the park, but it is entirely man-made, a tribute to modern architecture and landscaping. And it might not exist today had the people of New York not fought for it for over 150 years.

All good business ideas need some form of money in order to grow. Whether a business is brand new or still emerging, it is critical it has money to move forward. When a business starts out, money is generally invested by entrepreneurs themselves. Also, an entrepreneur’s family and friends often invest in the business. But what happens when more than the available money is needed to take a business to the next level? Who can the entrepreneur look to, to realise their dreams?

We can all be smarter - keep learning every day with iMinds Generalist Volume 6. A compilation of diverse topics across our 12 categories, in Generalist Volume 6 you will learn about the history of the Blues, the truth of the Spanish Inquisition, the phenomenon that is the Nazca Lines, the history of the Barbary Pirates, the story behind the concept of Murphy's Law, the science of REM Sleep, the mystery of the Dropa Stones, the amazing history of Route 66, the ins and outs of political lobbying, and more.

Learn about the Tragedy of the Commons with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. The Tragedy of the Commons is a situation in which a jointly owned resource is overused or destroyed because each person takes more than they would if the resource was privately owned. With each individual acting independently, the combined pressure on the resource exceeds what is in the interests of the community as a whole.

You probably would agree that the four weeks leading up to Christmas are a special time of year. For Christians this is a period of preparation. Many Christians call these four weeks 'Advent' and they prepare themselves for the celebration of Jesus' birth. The word 'Advent' comes from the Latin 'adveneo', meaning 'to come to' and refers to Jesus' coming into the world at Christmas.

Learn about the development of In Vitro Fertization with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. "In Vitro Fertilisation", also known as IVF, is concerned with enabling infertile couples to have children. As a result of IVF, thousands of couples and individuals have been able to fulfil their dream of procreating. To fully appreciate the complexities of IVF it is important to know the history of experiments in reproduction.

Learn about IPOs with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. IPOs or Initial Public Offerings are the sale of a company's equity to the public for the first time. By “going public”, a private company can be invested in by anyone on a stock exchange. Companies commonly “go public to” either to raise capital or to increase the company's liquidity. Previously, IPOs were limited to long established, large private firms.

Learn about the Chinese market with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. China’s market offers unprecedented opportunities. It contains a population of over 1.3 billion in the world’s second largest and strongest growing economy. Through trade liberalisation and the deregulation of its economy China has utilised its low cost labour advantage to dominate world trade in simple manufactured goods.

Learn about the history of the Latin Quarter in Paris with iMinds Travel's insightful audio-knowledge series. Spanning the fifth and part of the sixth arrondissemonts in Paris, the Latin Quarter is located on the Left Bank of the Seine where it borders Saint Germain-de-Pres and Montparnasse. The Latin Quarter derives its name from the plethora of universities in this part of Paris. Latin was widely spoken along with French in this Parisienne district until 1789.

Learn about the history and geography of China with iMinds. China is a fascinating country where mountains tower over vast plains, deserts collide with lush farmlands, and ancient cultures mix with modern cities. So, if you went to China, where would you start? Well, you might want to pack a big bag because China is actually the 3rd largest country in the world!

Learn about the Seven Wonders of the World with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. Twenty-five hundred years ago, people began to talk about the wondrous structures they had seen in their travels around the Mediterranean. In 222 B.C., Philo of Byzantium wrote an essay called "On the Seven Wonders".

Learn about Underwriting with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. Underwriting is the process of issuing insurance policies. A company underwrites your policy when it agrees to insure you or your property in exchange for the premiums you pay. Underwriting is carried out by either an insurance company or a professional underwriter. Underwriters assess risks and decide whether to accept applications for insurance cover and, if so, under what terms they are valid.

Learn about the Nazca Lines with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. The Nazca Lines have been called the eighth wonder of the world. They are a series of large drawings on the ground - called geoglyphs - located in the Nazca desert, in Peru. The Nazca desert is a high plateau situated between the towns of Palpa and Nazca, which is 400 kilometres south of the Peruvian capital of Lima.

Learn about investment traps with an insight into fraudulent Ponzi Schemes with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. A Ponzi scheme is an illegal business practice. Investors are recruited into a Ponzi scheme and offered excellent returns over time for little or no risk. The operator of a Ponzi scheme relies on further recruitment of investors to accumulate funds. Earlier investors are repaid with later investor's money. They have also been described as Pyramid Schemes.

Learn about the Stockholm Syndrome with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. At first glance, two of the most notorious bank robberies of the 1970s would seem to have nothing in common. They occurred eight months apart, for different motives, on opposite sides of the globe. But these two incidents would prove seminal to the development and understanding of a curious and once controversial psychological condition: the Stockholm Syndrome.

Learn about the mysterious Hope Diamond with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series.

The 45.52-carat Hope Diamond is the largest deep-blue diamond in the world. In its body of less than one cubic inch, it holds a history dripping with mystery, conspiracy, and celebrity. It is now housed behind three inches of bulletproof glass in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and looks out at a world fixated with its beauty and history.

Learn about short selling with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. Short selling is the practice of selling borrowed stock at a high price and then buying back the stock at a lower price. A short seller expects to profit from the fall in a stock's price. The more common investment practice is to “go long”, that is, to buy stock with the expectation of the price rising in the future. Simply, a short transaction sells high and buys low, while a long transaction buys low and sells high.

The Battle of Waterloo was fought on June 18, 1815, between Napoleon's French army and the British, Dutch, Belgian and German forces commanded by the Duke of Wellington. It is one of the most famous battles in the world and one of the most decisive events in history. Waterloo marked the endpoint of an extremely turbulent period.