Science facts: The wacky, the wild, and the weird Even if you weren’t someone who got excited about science class in school, now-as an adult-it’s hard not to be amazed by science facts. After all, scientists are learning new things all the time.
Animals use Earth’s magnetic field for orientation
Lost land animals may not be able to find their way home, but sea animals might.
Humans are capable of producing venom
While humans do not currently produce venom, technically, we could.
- All reptiles and mammals have that capability, according to an article published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
- Basically, we have all the tools we need, and it’s up to evolution to get us there.
Earth’s Oxygen is Produced by the Ocean
Plankton, seaweed, and other photosynthesizers produce more than half of the world’s oxygen
- While we may know the answer to this question, scientists still can’t explain these other ocean mysteries
Water can exist in three states at once
The triple point is called the triple boil or triple point and it is a specific temperature and pressure where materials exist as a gas, a liquid, and a solid simultaneously
There were roughly 2.5 billion T. rexes on Earth, but not all at the same time
According to research published in April 2021, scientists have a better idea of exactly how many of them once called Earth their (temporary) home.
- Approximately 2,5 billion of these dinosaurs existed across more than 127,000 generations
- They reached this estimate by taking into account the dinosaur’s body size, sexual maturity, and energy needs
A cloud can weigh around a million pounds
The average cumulus cloud weighs up to 1.5 tons, which is about as heavy as the world’s largest jet when it’s completely full of cargo and passengers.
- Learn more about clouds and why they’re so heavy
Men are more likely to be colorblind than women
The genes responsible for colorblindness are found on the X chromosome
- Even if women have the genes on one of their two X chromosomes, a properly functioning gene on the other one makes up for that loss
- If men inherit the gene on their only X chromosome, they’ll become colorblind
Soil is full of life
In just one teaspoon of soil, there are more microorganisms than people
A laser can get trapped in water
“Total internal reflection” happens when you point a laser beam at a jet of flowing water.
- Light travels through the water, but is slowed by the heavier particles, effectively “trapping” the laser beam in the water.
- Even as the water flow is gradually decreased, laser beam remains contained inside the jet, until it eventually disappears.
Bats don’t get sick from most viruses
Coronaviruses
The human stomach can dissolve razor blades
Human stomach acid is typically 1.0 to 2.0, meaning that it has an incredibly strong pH
- In a study published in the journal Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, scientists found that the “thickened back of a single-edged blade” dissolved after two hours of immersion in stomach acid
Helium can work against gravity
When cooled to extreme temperatures, just a few degrees away from absolute zero (-460 degrees Fahrenheit or -273 degrees Celsius), it turns into a superfluid, meaning it can flow without friction.
- It can climb up and over the sides of glass, leak through molecule-thin cracks in a container, and may actually be harmful to the human body.
Plastic bottles can become flavoring
Researchers have figured out how to transform plastic bottles into vanilla flavoring with genetically engineered bacteria.
There are more trees on Earth than stars in our galaxy
NASA estimates there could be anywhere from 100 billion to 400 billion stars in the Milky Way.
Hot water freezes faster than cold water
This is called the Mpemba effect
Humans have genes from other species
Our genome consists of as many as 145 genes that have jumped from bacteria, fungi, other single-celled organisms, and viruses
Beer is twice as fizzy as champagne
While one flute of champagne produces about one million bubbles, a half-pint of beer creates around two million bubbles
Dark Matter and Dark Energy
96% of the universe is made up of dark matter and dark energy, which are undetectable to humans.
Humans have a lot of DNA
Scientists believe that there are more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA in human genes and more than 25,000 genes in the human genome.
It can rain diamonds on other planets
The atmospheres in Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn have such extreme pressure that they can crystallize carbon atoms and turn them into diamonds
It’s impossible to burp in space
On Earth, gravity keeps down the solids and liquids from food you just ate, so only the gas escapes from your mouth. In the absence of gravity, the gas cannot separate from the liquids and solids, so burping essentially turns into puking.
Rats laugh when they’re tickled
Rats have the ability to “laugh” when tickled.
Bananas are radioactive
Bananas contain potassium, and since potassium decays, that makes the yellow fruit slightly radioactive.
