All facts — Page 45
The complete ONAURE library, newest first. Every fact has an explanation and a source you can check.
2056 facts
Humans have a vestigial bone called the tailbone.
The tailbone, or coccyx, is the vestige of a tail that our ancestors had. Although it no longer serves that purpose…
Humans are the only primate with a true chin.
Humans are the only primates with a prominent bony chin. Other primates, such as chimpanzees and gorillas, do not…
Dark chocolate has more antioxidants than milk chocolate.
Dark chocolate, with a higher percentage of cocoa, has far more antioxidants than milk chocolate, because milk…
Maple syrup is classified only by colour.
Before 2015, Canadian and American maple syrup was classified by colour, such as light, medium or dark. The new…
Olives are naturally bitter and need curing to be edible.
Raw olives contain oleuropein, an extremely bitter compound. That is why they must be cured in brine, water or…
Mount Everest is shrinking in height because of erosion.
Mount Everest is growing by about 4 millimetres per year due to the movement of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic…
The Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world.
Despite its name, the Caspian Sea is technically a lake, because it has no connection to the ocean. With about…
Africa is the only continent located in all four hemispheres.
Africa is the only continent in the world that extends across the northern, southern, eastern and western…
Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, was built on a mountain.
Tenochtitlan, today Mexico City, was built on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. The Aztecs created artificial…
Ancient Roman concrete had a self-healing ability.
Roman concrete contained lumps of lime that, on contact with water, dissolved and recrystallised, filling cracks…
The Sun contains about 99.86 percent of the total mass of the solar system.
The Sun contains about 99.86 percent of the total mass of the solar system. All the planets, moons, asteroids and…
The sailfish is the fastest fish in the ocean, reaching 110 kilometres per hour.
The sailfish can reach speeds of up to 110 kilometres per hour, making it the fastest fish in the ocean. Its speed is…
The Arctic tern migrates from the North Pole to the South Pole every year.
The Arctic tern migrates from the North Pole to the South Pole every year, a journey of about 70,000 kilometres. It…
The bar-tailed godwit can fly more than 11,000 kilometres without stopping.
The bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) is capable of flying more than 11,000 kilometres without stopping, from…
The boxer crab uses sea anemones as boxing gloves.
The boxer crab (Lybia tessellata) carries sea anemones in its claws and uses them as boxing gloves to defend itself…
The dung beetle is the only known insect that navigates by the Milky Way.
The dung beetle uses the Milky Way to orient itself when pushing its ball of dung. It is the only known insect…
The mantis shrimp has only 3 types of photoreceptors, like humans.
The mantis shrimp has between 12 and 16 types of photoreceptors, far more than the 3 in humans. Despite this, studies…
The human body contains enough phosphorus to make about 2,200 match heads.
The adult human body contains about 780 grams of phosphorus, most of it in bones and teeth. This amount would be…
The human body contains enough potassium to fire a toy cannon.
The adult human body contains about 140 grams of potassium, essential for muscle and nerve function. This amount…
The human body contains enough sulfur to kill all the fleas on a dog.
The adult human body contains about 140 grams of sulfur, present in amino acids such as cysteine and methionine. This…
There is a reflex that makes you sneeze when you look at the sun.
The photic sneeze reflex affects about 18 to 35 percent of people. When sunlight suddenly enters the eyes, the optic…
The most expensive coffee in the world is made from civet droppings.
Kopi Luwak is produced from coffee beans that have passed through the digestive system of a civet. The civet's…
Da Hong Pao, the most expensive tea in the world, is grown in flooded rice paddies.
Da Hong Pao is grown in rock crevices in the Wuyi Mountains of China. The original bushes are over 350 years old and…
The Yubari King melon from Japan can sell for thousands of euros.
The Yubari King melon is grown only in Yubari, Japan, and is considered a status symbol. A pair of perfect melons can…