Science is full of fascinating discoveries and mind-boggling phenomena that challenge what we think we know about the world around us. From the mysteries of the universe to the intricacy of life on Earth, science offers a treasure trove of knowledge waiting to be explored. Now in this blog post, we dig into some of the most fascinating, shocking science facts you’ve never heard of—and they’ll likely change the way you look at the world

Bananas Are Radioactive

True story! Bananas are a good source of potassium, and a tiny bit of that potassium is the radioactive isotope potassium-40. The level of radiation is so low that it is harmless to humans, but it’s enough to make bananas one of the naturally radioactive foods. That is why scientists use the term “banana equivalent dose” when measuring radiation exposure.

Octopuses Have Three Hearts

Octopuses are amazing creatures, and their circulatory system is no exception. Octopuses have three hearts: two pump blood to the gills, and the third pumps it to the rest of the body. During swimming, the heart that delivers blood to the body actually stops beating! It is one of the reasons why octopuses prefer crawling instead of swimming – it is less exhausting for them.

Water Can Boil and Freeze at the Same Time

This strange phenomenon is called the “triple point.” It happens when temperature and pressure are just right for a substance to exist simultaneously as a solid, liquid, and gas. For water, this happens at a specific temperature and pressure point: 0.01°C and 611.657 pascals. It’s an extremely rare occurrence, but it’s an interesting example of how unique physical properties can emerge under the right conditions.

A Day on Venus is Longer Than a Year on Venus

Venus has one of the most bizarre forms of rotation in our solar system. It takes about 243 Earth days to complete one rotation on its axis-a day on Venus – but it takes only around 225 Earth days for Venus to complete an orbit about the Sun – a year on Venus. This makes a day on Venus longer than its year, and hence, one of the most mysterious planets in our solar system.

You Are Made of Stardust

This might seem poetic, but it’s also scientifically true: those elements that comprise your body—carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, to mention a few—were synthesised in the cores of stars billions of years ago. When those stars went supernova, their heavy elements distributed throughout space were absorbed by the Earth and finally came to reside in you. In an entirely literal sense, we are all made of star stuff.

Sharks Exist Before Trees

Sharks have existed for more than 400 million years; therefore, they are older than trees, which sprouted on Earth about 350 million years ago. These dinosaurs have evolved into many species, but the general structure remains remarkably constant over millions of years. Sharks swam in the ocean long before there were dinosaurs walking on Earth!

Humans Share 60% of Their DNA with Bananas

It may sound incredible, but humans share around 60% of their DNA with bananas. That points out the common origin of all life on Earth. It is the difference in DNA that explains why we are human and bananas are, well bananas; however, the similarities show that there is a genetic link for all life on Earth. If looked at in the grand scheme of things, we share many biological processes with plants and other living organisms.

Honey Never Spoils

Archaeologists have found jars of honey in Egyptian tombs that date back over 3,000 years and it’s still good to eat! Honey has a long shelf life because it contains little moisture and has an acidic pH that inhibits bacteria and microorganisms from multiplying. As long as it is kept in a sealed container, honey will last forever.

The Eiffel Tower Can Grow Taller in the Summer

It seems like a fantasy fact but, technically, it is true that the Eiffel Tower, being made of iron, expands in heat. In extremely hot summers, the metal can expand to as much as 6 inches or 15 cm. This phenomenon occurs because metals expand in case they get heated. Although the alteration may be tiny, it still enables the gigantic structure to reach higher proportions during the summer.

There’s Enough DNA in Your Body to Stretch to Pluto and Back

Human DNA is very compact. If you take all the DNA of your body and lay it end to end, you’d have a stretch to about 67 billion miles in length, enough to go to Pluto and return 17 times. With approximately 37 trillion cells in the human body, this means a lot of genetic material crammed into a rather small space!

The Great Wall of China is Not Visible with Naked Eyes from Space

Perhaps one of the most enduring myths of all is that the Great Wall of China is actually visible from space with the naked eye. However, astronauts have confirmed that it’s not visible without aid. Although it is long, sometimes it’s hard to make it out of the natural landscape, as it is narrow and also blends in with the surroundings. The myth, however, continues to be a popular piece of trivia.

Bats Alone are the Flying Mammals of this World

While many mammals can glide or leap great distances (such as flying squirrels), bats are the only mammals that have true flight. Their wings are actually a modified form of the forelimb, with a thin membrane stretched across elongated fingers. This unique structure allows them to fly efficiently and navigate in the dark using echolocation to locate food, avoid predators, and communicate.

An Individual Cell in Your Body Can Hold Information which is 1,000 Times More than the Encyclopedia Britannica

The human genome, which is the complete set of genetic material in our cells, contains an astounding amount of information. If you were to translate the DNA in just one of your cells into text, it would hold the equivalent of 1,000 copies of the Encyclopedia Britannica. The DNA in your body is like a biological information storage system, and scientists are still trying to fully understand all the data it holds.

Conclusion

Science is full of surprises, and what we’ve covered is only a small part of the fascinating world of discovery to be unravelled. There’s so much more to be discovered about the universe around us – from mysterious space to the incredible properties of things you find in everyday life. Keeping curiosity and opening up to new knowledge will allow us to keep unlocking the wonders of the natural world, one incredible science fact at a time.

Which of these facts surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments, and feel free to share any other cool science tidbits you know!