#1 - 360 degrees came from the ancient Egyptian calendar, which in turn was based on astronomy calculation. #2 - std. rail gauge came over from horse-carriage trail ruts in, which came from british carriage ruts (since carriages on both sides of the Atlantic were about the same dimensions. The carriages were made to match ruts laid by Roman chariots in the old stone roads in Britain (carriages were built to match the Roman ruts so as to save wear and tear on the axles.) The Roman chariots were sized appropriately based on the width of two horses' arses, which fit into the fixed side-yokes. #3 - err, what Kendra said ;) #4 - http://www.faeriewylde.com, if you enjoy the presence of the wee folk (:p) . Otherwise, for all-around 3d goodness, the answer is Renderosity.