Sometimes, one can come across facts that seem so unfathomable, they can baffle even the most erudite minds. Get ready to stretch your imagination and be ready to be surprised and aroused by these absurd facts that will make you question whether some of them are actually true.
- The Sun is Not Yellow, But White
This fact might come as a surprise to many who believed that the sun was yellow. Contrary to popular belief, the sun is really a colorless, blindingly bright natural light. It’s not yellow at all; in fact, it’s white. But the sun’s light takes on a yellowy-orange hue when it penetrates Earth’s atmosphere, which gives it a yellow appearance.
- Chemistry Meets Linguistics: Water Is ‘H2O’
This might take some by surprise: Water is ‘H2O.’ In the world of chemistry, water is composed of two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen and is written as ‘H2O’. You can use those three characters to represent the entire molecule of water. It’s true, water is that simple.
- Ants Outnumber Humans by About 200 Million to One
No matter where you look, you can find ants around. Believe it or not, but there are nearly 1.5 million ants for every single human being on planet Earth. To put this statistic into perspective, one colony of ants can comprise up to one million individuals! So, the next time you run into an ant colony, bear in mind that you could be looking at around the same number of individuals as the population of the United States, Australia, and South Africa combined!
- The Oddity of Snowflakes
If you thought snowflakes were all the same, think again. It is said that no two snowflakes are exactly alike. Every single snowflake is unique and special in its own way, much like a snowflake-shaped fingerprint. This isn’t just an idle belief; it’s widely accepted in the meteorological community and has been proven time and time again.
- A Starfish has Five ‘Eyes’
Starfish don’t have traditional eyes like humans do but they do have some type of light-sensitive organs that allow them to sense their environment. These five “eyes” allow starfish to keep track of their predators and detect changes in water temperature, salinity, and even the presence of food nearby.
- The Human Body is Mostly Water
Have you ever taken a moment to consider how much water your body contains? On average, the human body consists of 50-65 percent water, making it one of the most water-rich organisms on the planet. Although the percentage of water in the body significantly decreases with age, it is still essential for various bodily functions such as digestion, absorption, circulation and even excretion.
- The Highest Point on Earth is Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world at 8,848 metres above sea level, but it might surprise you to know that it’s not the point on Earth farthest away from its centre. That distinction belongs to the peak of the Andes mountains in Chile, which is much lower in elevation than Mount Everest, standing at around 6,960 metres above sea level. So, although Mount Everest has the greatest elevation above sea level, the peak of the Andes mountains is the point on Earth farthest away from its centre.
- Earth is the Only Place We Know of with Life
While the possibility of life on other planets may seem tempting, the truth is that we haven’t yet found evidence of life beyond Earth. While other planets in our own solar system may have the necessary conditions for life to exist, such as liquid water, scientists have not yet found any indication of life on any other planet or moon.
- The Brain is the Most Complex Organ
There’s no denying that the human brain is the most complex organ. It is estimated to have 100 billion nerve cells and over 1 quadrillion connections between these cells. The brain is responsible for controlling ever aspect of our body’s functions. It’s amazing how all those billions of cells work together to accomplish the amazing tasks we can do.
- Humans Have More Bacteria Cells Than Human Cells
It might sound strange, but the truth is we actually have more bacterial cells in and on our bodies than human cells. The ratio works out to be roughly three bacterial cells to every human cell, meaning that if you were to weigh all the bacteria on and inside your body, they would tip the scales. Recent advances in microbiology has revealed the tremendous role bacteria play in our body, and it turns out they can be both positive and negative.
These ten amazing facts will certainly leave you with a lot to puzzle over. From the snowflakes that no two are alike to the hundreds of millions of ants for one human, these facts are indeed astonishing. Be it chemistry, linguistics or general knowledge – reading these facts have a way of creating an urge to learn and question more about our world and the known unknowns that exist.
