Things That We Oughtta Know Last Year

1. Antony and Cleopatra were ugly.
The images of Antony and Cleopatra are less than flattering
Antony and Cleopatra, one of history's most romantic couples, were not the great beauties that Hollywood would have us believe, academics have said.
A study of a 2,000-year-old silver coin found the Egyptian queen, famously portrayed by Elizabeth Taylor, had a pointed chin, thin lips and sharp nose.

2. More than half (52%) of smokers haven't told their parents about their habit.
One in 10 people is a "secret smoker" who tries to keep their habit hidden, a survey suggests.
The poll of 4,000 adults, commissioned by Boots, found 52% of smokers had kept their habit secret from their parents, even into adulthood.

3. Only about half of China's population can speak the national language, Mandarin.
Only about half of China's population can speak the national language, Mandarin, according to the state news agency Xinhua.
More men speak Mandarin than women, and more urbanites speak the language than those in rural areas, Xinhua said.

4. Female civil servants in India are questioned about their menstrual cycle as part of their appraisal.
The Indian government says it will review new appraisal forms requiring female civil servants to reveal details of their menstrual cycles.
The ministry of personnel says it has written to the health ministry following complaints from staff that the form was grossly insensitive.

The questions are said to have been inserted on health ministry advice.

Annual appraisals and health checks are mandatory in India's civil service, one of the country's largest employers.

5. Denmark is the happiest country in Europe; Italy the unhappiest. (The UK was 9th out of 15.)

6. Peanuts can be made into diamonds.
Peanut butter is being turned into diamonds by scientists with a technique that harnesses pressures higher than those found at the centre of the earth.
Edinburgh University experts say the feat is made possible by squeezing the paste between the tips of two diamonds creating a "stiletto heel effect".

7. Sleeping on the job is tolerated in Japanese work culture, as long as you remain upright and obey certain other rules. It's called inemuri.
Napping at work isn't acceptable in the UK, but in Japan dozing anywhere from Parliament to business meetings is allowed. It's called inemuri, which literally means "to be asleep while present".

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/01/100_things_we_didnt_know_last_3.shtml