Things I learned lately 18 December

• One supposedly fun thing to do in Victorian Christmases: Play the parlor game Snapdragon. As described in Atlas Obscura, this holiday game involved setting a bowl of brandy-soaked raisins on fire. Competitors then tried to grab the flaming raisins and pop them in their mouths.
• A company that owns one of the ski resorts in the Banff area is applying to build a rail service between Banff, Calgary (downtown) and the airport.
• Reindeer are the only mammal to change eye colour to adjust the amount of light that enters the eyes in different seasons. They have golden eyes in summer and blue in winter.
• Barn owls on California vineyards are now being used as a more ecofriendly option instead of using rodenticides. 80% of vineyards say they now use owl boxes in an attempt to control rodents, especially gophers.
• Chile is creating the world's first constitution to be drafted by an equal number of women and men.
• The drug sildenafil was first prescribed to treat high blood pressure. A side effect emerged in that it caused erections in the men who were taking it to treat their high blood pressure. Under the brand name Viagra, it became a sensation for treating erectile dysfunction. And now it may be the newest weapon in the battle against Alzheimer's disease.
• Berlin is soon to become home to something truly unique. Jews, Christians, and Muslims are planning to build a house of worship here – one that brings a synagogue, a church, and a mosque together under one roof. The three separate sections will be linked by a communal room in the center of the building. This will serve as a meeting place, where worshippers and members of the public can come together and learn more about the religions and each other.
• The city of Leicester is installing a network of bee bus stops, 30 bus stops that are topped with a mix of wildflowers to encourage pollination.
• In 1979 at 16 years of age, Jadav Payeng started planting a tree sapling a day in his region in India. He did this for 40 years, creating a forest larger than Central Park, that is now inhabited by a lot of wildlife.
• Chinese officials announced that the giant panda, whose wild population has almost doubled after 30 years of government-led recovery efforts, are no longer endangered.
• The new law passed by the Norwegian government requires influencers sponsored for social media posts and brands to disclose any modification on their photos using a ministry-approved label. Essentially, you'll now be told any time an image has been edited.
• Portugal has passed new labour laws which include a ban on bosses contacting employees outside of working hours.