1. A Day on Earth Was Once Only 18 Hours
Billions of years ago, Earth spun faster than it does now. A full day lasted only about 18 hours. Over time, the Moon’s gravity pulled on our oceans and slowed Earth’s spin little by little. As that happened, the Moon slowly moved farther away, and our days stretched out to the 24 hours we have now. The change is still happening—each century, our days get a tiny bit longer.
2. The World’s Oldest Known Recipe Is for Beer
A 3,900-year-old Sumerian tablet describes how to brew beer. It shows people have been perfecting their favorite drink for thousands of years.
3. Octopuses Can Taste With Their Arms
Each suction cup has chemical sensors. When an octopus touches something, it can “taste” it on contact. This helps it hunt and explore dark, rocky places.
4. Antarctica Has a Blood-Red Waterfall
Blood Falls flows with iron-rich water that turns red when it meets air. The effect looks like blood pouring from the ice and comes from ancient salty brine.
5. Some Frogs Can Freeze Solid and Survive
Wood frogs can freeze through winter with no heartbeat. Natural antifreeze protects their cells. In spring they thaw and hop away as if nothing happened.
6. The Leaning Tower of Pisa Keeps Moving
Engineers stabilized the tower in the 1990s, yet it still shifts slightly. Today it leans by about four degrees and is monitored to keep it safe.
7. The Human Nose Can Detect Over a Trillion Smells
Scientists now estimate our noses can distinguish more than a trillion odors. Far more than the old idea that we could detect only about 10,000.
8. Dragonflies Are Expert Hunters
Dragonflies catch most of the prey they chase. Great eyesight and fast reflexes give them hunting success rates near 95 percent in some studies.
9. Saturn Could Float in Water
Saturn is less dense than water. In theory, if you had a giant bathtub, the planet would float. Its low density comes from its mostly gaseous makeup.
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