1323 facts
These tiny creatures, also known as water bears, enter a state called cryptobiosis. They lose almost all their body water and produce unique proteins that create a glass-like shiel...
When heated, moisture inside the kernel turns to steam and builds pressure until the hull bursts. The internal starch instantly expands into a fluffy foam, completing the flip in j...
In the 1930s, a five-cent bag of popcorn was one of the few luxuries families could still afford. Theater owners initially banned the snack to keep their lobbies clean, but they ev...
When heated, water inside the kernel turns into steam. The hard outer shell traps this steam until the pressure becomes too intense. Once the shell bursts, the starch expands insta...
In 1948, researchers in New Mexico's Bat Cave discovered ancient popcorn kernels preserved by the desert's extreme dryness. These 4,000-year-old kernels remained viable and ready t...
Each popcorn kernel contains a small drop of water and dense starch. When heated, the water turns into steam and the starch melts into a hot liquid. Once the pressure bursts the ke...
Jellyfish are among the oldest animal groups on Earth and have survived five mass extinctions. Despite lacking brains, hearts, or lungs, these resilient creatures thrive in changin...
The Crystal Jelly produces a protein called GFP that glows under blue light. Researchers attach this protein to cells or viruses to watch them move and grow in real time. This help...
Jellyfish lack bones and shells, relying on water to maintain their shape. When stranded on land, the sun evaporates their liquid content so quickly that they shrink into a thin, t...
Jellyfish have a single opening that serves as both a mouth and an anus. Located in the center of their bell-shaped body, this opening leads to a digestive pouch where food is proc...
The Lion's Mane jellyfish is one of the world's largest species. Its tentacles can stretch to 120 feet (36.6 meters), easily surpassing the 100-foot average length of a blue whale....
While most jellyfish only sense light and dark, box jellyfish see full colors and shapes. Their eyes are grouped into four clusters that allow them to look in multiple directions a...
Jellyfish use gravity-sensing crystals called statoliths to navigate, similar to the human inner ear. While the jellyfish thrived in orbit, those born in space could not swim prope...
While phones won't crash a plane, they emit signals that cause a loud buzzing sound in the cockpit. At high altitudes, phones boost their power to find distant cell towers, which i...
Launched by IBM in 1956, the RAMAC 305 was the size of two refrigerators. It stored only 5 megabytes of data, which is less than two high-quality MP3 files today. While it cost $3,...
Wi-Fi signals travel on frequencies that are easily absorbed by water. Since the human body is about 60% water, people act like physical sponges for radio waves. In a crowded room,...
Quantum processors operate at about 0.015 Kelvin (-459.64°F), while deep space is a warmer 2.7 Kelvin. This extreme cold prevents heat from causing atomic vibrations that would des...
Invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1964, the original mouse was carved from a block of wood. It used two perpendicular metal wheels to track movement instead of modern sensors. It wa...
When you click 'I am not a robot,' the system evaluates your cursor's path. Human movements are naturally shaky and irregular, while bots move in perfectly straight lines or precis...
Honey's eternal shelf life comes from its low moisture content and high acidity. These factors create an environment where bacteria cannot survive. Bees also add an enzyme that pro...
When stars explode as supernovae, they scatter heavy elements like iron and oxygen across space. This cosmic debris eventually clumps together to form new stars and planets. Most a...
New 3D maps reveal our galaxy is actually bent into an 'S' shape. This warp happens because the gravitational pull of nearby satellite galaxies tugs on the Milky Way's outer edges.
Blue galaxies glow because they are packed with hot, massive stars that burn out quickly, signaling active star birth. Red galaxies contain older, cooler stars and have stopped for...
The Milky Way orbits Sagittarius A*, a black hole with the mass of 4 million Suns. These giants pull in gas and dust, releasing energy jets visible across the universe. While they...
This gravitational anomaly, called the Great Attractor, is located 250 million light-years away. It is so massive that it pulls tens of thousands of galaxies toward it. Thick cosmi...
Visible matter like stars and gas doesn't have enough gravity to hold galaxies together. Without the massive gravitational pull of invisible dark matter, galaxies would spin so fas...
Galaxies are mostly empty space. If the Sun were a marble in New York City, the next closest star would be another marble 200 miles away in Washington, D.C. Because these gaps are...
Astronomers found a massive gas cloud in the Milky Way containing ethyl formate. This chemical compound is responsible for the flavor of raspberries and the distinct aroma of rum.
These arms are density waves where stars and gas clouds temporarily slow down. This congestion compresses gas to trigger the birth of bright new stars, making the arms look more lu...
Through a process called galactic cannibalism, our galaxy uses its massive gravity to pull in and absorb dwarf galaxies. These smaller galaxies are stretched into long trails of st...
Dimples create a thin layer of turbulent air that clings to the ball's surface. This reduces air resistance and the size of the wake behind the ball, allowing it to travel much fur...
Early tennis balls were white, making them hard to see on color TV against white court lines. In 1972, the International Tennis Federation introduced fluorescent yellow balls becau...
Standard pucks are made of vulcanized rubber, which is naturally bouncy. Freezing the rubber hardens it, ensuring the puck glides smoothly across the ice and stays flat during play...
In 1891, Dr. James Naismith used wooden peach baskets as the first hoops. Since the bottoms were closed, a referee had to climb a ladder to retrieve the ball after every score. Thi...
While golf and tennis are known for speed, badminton holds the world record. In 2023, a smash was clocked at 306 mph, which is faster than a Formula 1 car. Its unique aerodynamic d...
Millions of viewers wait until halftime or the end of the game to use the bathroom. This simultaneous flushing creates a sudden surge in water demand that can strain municipal infr...
Because the Moon has no atmosphere and only one-sixth of Earth's gravity, a golf ball faces zero air resistance. In 1971, Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard hit the first lunar golf...
While cheetahs are faster sprinters, humans can outrun almost any animal over long distances. Our millions of sweat glands and lack of fur allow us to cool down while moving. Most...
Before the 1970s, tennis balls were typically white or black. As color TV became popular, viewers struggled to see white balls against light backgrounds. David Attenborough, then a...
Early marathons were roughly 25 miles long. For the 1908 Games, the route was extended so it could start at Windsor Castle and finish directly in front of the Royal Box at White Ci...
A solid gold medal would cost roughly $40,000 to produce. To keep costs manageable, the International Olympic Committee requires medals to be made of at least 92.5% silver and plat...
By arching their backs over the bar, jumpers shift their center of mass outside their bodies. This allows them to clear the bar even though their total weight never actually reache...
New baseballs are too slick for pitchers to grip safely. Since the 1930s, MLB has used Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud to remove the factory shine. This unique mud provides a...
At high speeds, a Formula 1 car's wings work like inverted airplane wings. Instead of lifting the car into the air, they push it toward the ground with a force greater than its own...
Instead of using pigments, chameleons use special cells called iridophores. These cells contain microscopic salt crystals that act like mirrors. By stretching or relaxing their ski...
Chameleons have prehensile tails designed for gripping rather than just balance. This powerful, flexible tail allows them to anchor themselves while climbing or hunting. It is stro...
Chameleons have special eye cells that detect UV light, which is invisible to humans. This vision helps them spot insects that reflect UV rays and see hidden color patterns on othe...
A chameleon's eyes move independently on turret-like mounts, giving it a 360-degree view. This allows the lizard to watch for predators while simultaneously hunting for food. Once...
Chameleons use elastic collagen tissue that acts like a loaded spring. This mechanism stores energy and releases it instantly, launching the tongue faster than a fighter jet to cat...
Butterflies have chemical sensors on their legs that are 200 times more sensitive than human taste buds. By landing on a plant, they can instantly identify if it is the right speci...