27 Unbelievable Facts That Prove Life Is Pretty Strange
Step into a world where reality defies logic, the extraordinary becomes the norm, and jellyfish live forever. From the depths of our oceans to the far reaches of space, we’ve gathered some truly incredible facts that will leave you questioning everything. Or at least, it’ll help you make for some really interesting water cooler conversation.
1. There’s a species of frog that freezes in winter and thaws in spring
Wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) are cold-blooded amphibians that can survive the winters of Alaska and Canada by freezing 70% of their body water in extracellular ice masses.
2. A day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus
This is because Venus takes longer to rotate on its axis (243 Earth days) than it does to orbit the sun (224.7 Earth Days)
3. Honey never spoils
In fact, archeologists have found pots of honey in Ancient Egyptian tombs that are over 3,000 years old and totally edible. However, if not stored properly, honey can undergo natural changes (darkening, becoming cloudy, crystallizing) over time. The USDA recommends storing honey for up to 12 months for the best quality.
4. Octopuses have three hearts
It’s believed that the three hearts are an evolutionary adaptation that helps them manage the limited oxygen supply in the ocean. One heart circulates blood around the body, while the other two push it past the gills to pick up oxygen.
5. Humans share more than 60% of their DNA with bananas
We’re also 60% identical to chickens and 96% identical to chimpanzees.
6. There is a fish that can walk on land
The mudskipper is a fish that can walk on land with its pectoral fins and breathe air.
7. The Eiffel Tower can be 5.9 inches taller during the summer
Due to thermal expansion, the iron structure expands in the heat.
8. There’s a planet where it rains glass, sideways
The planet HD 189733b is a “blue marble” planet that’s 63 light years from Earth. It’s believed that the atmosphere’s blue color is from molten glass rain. This is because of a combination of high quantities of silicate particles in the air and daytime temperatures that exceed 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine that with wind speeds of up to 5,400 mph. What an incredibly hostile environment.
9. Humans and giraffes have the same number of vertebrae in their necks
Both humans and giraffes have seven neck vertebrae.
10. There are more trees on Earth than stars in the Milky Way
The Earth has over 3 trillion trees, while the Milky Way contains an estimated 100-400 billion stars.
11. The hottest temperature ever recorded was in California
Death Valley holds the record for the highest recorded temperature on Earth, reaching 134 degrees Fahrenheit in 1913.
12. A blue whale’s heart is the size of a small car
A blue whale’s heart can measure 5 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and 5 feet long. It’s approximately the same size as a Volkswagen Beetle.
13. You can hear a blue whale’s heartbeat from over 2 miles away
The blue whale’s heart, which weighs around 400 pounds, pumps 60 gallons of blood with each beat, compared to 2.4 ounces in a human heart.
14. Butterflies taste with their feet
Butterflies have taste receptors on their feet called tarsi. They use them to help find food and suitable places for them to lay their eggs.
15. A group of flamingos is called a “flamboyance”
Flamingos are social creatures who stand around in vibrant groups, which is perfectly named a “flamboyance.”
16. There’s a species of jellyfish that can live forever
The immortal jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii) can revert back to its juvenile form after reaching adulthood. They have been floating in the oceans long before the dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago.
17. Sharks are older than trees
Sharks have existed for over 400 million years, while the earliest trees appeared around 350 million years ago.
18. The shortest war in history last only 38 minutes
The Anglo-Zanzibar war in 1896 lasted less than an hour. It was a conflict between the U.K. and the Sultanate of Zanzibar.
19. The smallest bone in the human body is in the ear
The stapes is located in the middle ear and is about .1 inches long. It works with two other bones in the ear (the incus and the malleus) to send sound vibrations to the inner ear and brain.
20. Cows have best friends and get stressed when they’re apart
Research has shown that cows form close bonds and experience stress when separated from their friends.
21. Bananas are berries, but strawberries aren’t
Despite their names, bananas are classified as berries, while strawberries are classified as “false fruit,” a pseudocarp. A strawberry is actually a “multiple fruit” that consists of many tiny fruits embedded in a fleshy body.
22. A day on Mars is only slightly longer than a day on Earth
A Martian day (aka a “sol”) is approximately 24 hours and 39 minutes long.
23. A narwhal’s tusk is actually a tooth
The long, spiral tusk of a narwhal is a tooth that can grow up to 10 feet long.
24. Human’s have a “second brain” in their gut
The enteric nervous system in the gut has around 600 million neurons and can function independently of the brain. It’s often referred to as a “second brain”
25. There are pink lakes in Australia
Australia is home to more than 10 pink lakes. It’s a natural phenomenon that occurs because of a specific type of algae (Dunaliella salina) and a specific type of bacteria (Salinibacter ruber).
26. A day on Earth used to be 18 hours long
About 1.4 billion years ago, a day on Earth was only 18 hours long because our planet used to have a much faster rotation.
27. You can fit all the planets in the solar system between the Earth and the Moon
The average distance between Earth and the Moon is about 238,855 miles, which is more than enough to fit the diameters of all the planets in our solar system.
