1. Bananas Are Berries, But Strawberries Aren’t
It sounds backward, but bananas fit the scientific definition of a berry while strawberries don’t. Bananas develop from a single flower with one ovary, which makes them berries. Strawberries come from a flower with multiple ovaries, so they’re not berries at all.
2. Sharks Existed Before Trees
Sharks have been around for more than 400 million years. Trees, on the other hand, appeared about 50 million years later. That means sharks were swimming in ancient oceans long before forests covered the land.
3. Octopuses Have Three Hearts
Two of an octopus’s hearts send blood to the gills, while the third pumps it through the rest of the body. Even stranger, the main heart stops beating when the octopus swims, which is one reason they prefer crawling to swimming.
4. The Eiffel Tower Grows in Summer
Heat makes metal expand, and the Eiffel Tower is no exception. During the summer, the tower can grow about 6 inches taller. When temperatures drop in winter, it shrinks back to its normal size.
5. Wombat Poop Is Cube-Shaped
Unlike most animals, wombats produce cube-shaped droppings. This helps the poop stay in place instead of rolling away, making it easier for wombats to mark their territory. Scientists believe the shape comes from the wombat’s uniquely structured intestines.
6. Sloths Can Hold Their Breath Longer Than Dolphins
Sloths can slow their heart rate to one-third of its normal speed, allowing them to hold their breath for up to 40 minutes. Dolphins, despite living in water, usually manage only about 10 minutes before needing air.
7. There Are More Stars Than Grains of Sand
Astronomers estimate the universe contains about 200 billion trillion stars. To put that in perspective, that’s far more than the number of grains of sand on every beach and desert combined on Earth.
8. Cleopatra Lived Closer to the Moon Landing Than the Pyramids
The Great Pyramid of Giza was built around 2560 BCE. Cleopatra ruled Egypt around 30 BCE, which means she lived closer in time to the 1969 moon landing than to the building of the pyramid in her own country.
9. A Day on Venus Is Longer Than a Year
Venus rotates so slowly that one full day lasts 243 Earth days. But it takes only 225 Earth days to orbit the Sun. This means a Venusian year is actually shorter than a Venusian day.
Leave a Reply