Facts that sound false but are true — Page 20
Our highest surprise rating: the facts people most often refuse to believe until they read the explanation. Every one of them is documented.
1017 facts
Canada has about 62 percent of the world's lakes.
Canada has about 62 percent of the world's lakes, with more than 3 million registered lakes. It is estimated that the…
The warship Vasa sank on its maiden voyage.
The Vasa, a Swedish warship, sank on 10 August 1628, minutes after setting sail, due to instability and a gust of…
In 1919, a molasses wave flooded streets of Boston.
On 15 January 1919, a tank of 8.7 million litres of molasses burst in Boston harbour. The molasses wave reached…
The astronomer Tycho Brahe wore a metal prosthetic nose.
Tycho Brahe lost part of his nose in a duel in 1566 and had a prosthetic nose made of silver and gold. He was one of…
The smell of wet earth after rain is called petrichor.
Petrichor is caused by a mixture of compounds, including geosmin, produced by soil bacteria, and ozone brought by the…
A rainbow is actually a full circle.
From the ground, we only see the upper half of a rainbow. From above, for example from an aeroplane or a mountain, it…
Fireflies produce light without heat, with over 90 percent efficiency.
Fireflies produce light through a chemical reaction called bioluminescence, in which the enzyme luciferase acts on…
Io, Jupiter's moon, is the most volcanically active body in the solar system.
Io has more than 400 active volcanoes, making it the most volcanically active body in the solar system. The intense…
The term Wi-Fi does not mean anything.
Wi-Fi was a name invented by a marketing company for a wireless communication standard. In fact, it does not mean…
The first computer virus appeared in 1971 and was called Creeper.
The first known computer virus was called Creeper and was created in 1971 by Bob Thomas on ARPANET. It was not…
Ethernet was invented in the Xerox PARC laboratories.
Ethernet was invented in 1973 by Bob Metcalfe at the Xerox PARC laboratories in California. It was created to connect…
The sex of sea turtles is determined by chromosomes.
The sex of sea turtles is determined by the temperature of the sand where the eggs are incubated. Higher temperatures…
Each dragonfly eye has more than 30,000 facets.
Dragonfly compound eyes contain up to 30,000 tiny lenses called ommatidia, giving them a nearly complete panoramic…
Bananas release a gas that makes other fruits ripen faster.
Bananas produce ethylene, a gas that accelerates the ripening of nearby fruits. That is why placing a banana next to…
The smell of garlic only appears when the clove is cut or crushed.
Whole garlic contains alliin, an odourless compound. When the clove is cut or crushed, the enzyme alliinase converts…
The most isolated point in the ocean is called Point Nemo.
Point Nemo, in the South Pacific, is the point in the ocean farthest from any land. The nearest human is often aboard…
Blood Falls in Antarctica are caused by red algae.
Blood Falls in Antarctica owe their red colour to iron oxide, not algae. The salty, iron-rich water flows from a…
The Altamira cave in Spain has cave paintings over 14,000 years old.
The Altamira paintings, discovered in 1879, include bison, horses and human handprints painted on the walls. They are…
Some migratory birds use Earth's magnetic field to navigate.
Birds such as the flycatcher and the thrush use Earth's magnetic field as an internal compass during migration…
Scorpions glow under ultraviolet light.
Scorpions have a fluorescent substance in their cuticle that glows in blue-green tones under ultraviolet light…
Rice grows in dry fields.
Rice traditionally grows in flooded fields, where water controls weeds and provides nutrients. However, there are…
Honey can last thousands of years without spoiling.
Honey is hygroscopic, absorbs little water, and has an acidic pH, which prevents the growth of bacteria and fungi…
Lake Baikal contains about 20 percent of the planet's liquid fresh water.
Lake Baikal, in Siberia, is the deepest lake in the world, at 1,642 metres. It contains about 23,000 cubic kilometres…
The Rafflesia is the largest flower in the world and smells like rotting flesh.
Rafflesia arnoldii can measure more than a metre across and weigh up to 11 kilograms. The flower releases a strong…