20 amazing new facts

Here are 20 amazing new facts that you might not know:

  1. There's a species of jellyfish that's immortal: The Turritopsis dohrnii, also known as the "immortal jellyfish," can transform its body into a younger state through a process called transdifferentiation.
  2. The shortest war in history lasted only 38 minutes: The Anglo-Zanzibar War between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar on August 27, 1896, lasted a mere 38 minutes, making it the shortest war in recorded history.
  3. There's a type of fungus that turns ants into "zombies": Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, a fungus that infects carpenter ants, takes control of their bodies and causes them to climb to high locations before producing spores that can infect other ants.
  4. The human nose can detect over 1 trillion different scents: Our sense of smell is incredibly powerful, and researchers estimate that we can detect an astonishing number of different odors.
  5. The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds: Yes, you read that right! A chicken named Mike flew for 13 whole seconds before landing safely back on the ground.
  6. There's a species of shark that can live for up to 500 years: The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) is estimated to have a lifespan of up to 500 years, making it one of the longest-living vertebrates on the planet.
  7. The world's largest living organism is a fungus: The Armillaria ostoyae fungus covers over 2,200 acres in Oregon, USA, and is estimated to be around 2,400 years old.
  8. The highest recorded temperature on Earth was 134°F (56.7°C): On July 10, 1913, Death Valley, California, reached a scorching 134°F (56.7°C), the highest recorded temperature on the planet.
  9. There's a type of cloud that can weigh as much as a mountain: Cumulonimbus clouds, also known as thunderheads, can grow up to 10,000 meters tall and weigh as much as 1 million kilograms (2.2 million pounds).
  10. The world's largest waterfall, by volume of water, is actually underwater: The Denmark Strait Cataract, located between Iceland and Greenland, is a submarine waterfall that flows down a slope in the ocean floor.
  11. The longest recorded duration without sleep is 264.4 hours (11 days): Randy Gardner, a high school student, set this record in 1964, but it's not recommended to try this at home!
  12. There's a species of fish that can change its body color to match its surroundings: The flounder (Platichthys flesus) has specialized cells called chromatophores that allow it to change its color to blend in with its environment.
  13. The world's largest snowflake was 15 inches (38 cm) wide: On January 28, 1887, a massive snowflake fell in Montana, USA, measuring an incredible 15 inches (38 cm) wide.
  14. The longest recorded duration of hiccups lasted 68 years: Charles Osborne, an American man, suffered from hiccups that lasted from 1922 to 1990, a staggering 68 years.
  15. There's a type of tree that can live for over 5,000 years: The bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) is one of the oldest living things on Earth, with some trees estimated to be over 5,000 years old.
  16. The world's largest iceberg was over 11,000 square kilometers (4,250 sq mi): In 2000, a massive iceberg broke off from Antarctica and measured an astonishing 11,000 square kilometers (4,250 sq mi) in size.
  17. The longest recorded duration of a person holding their breath is 24 minutes and 3 seconds: Ahmed Gabr, an Egyptian freediver, set this record in 2014, but it's not recommended to try this at home!
  18. There's a species of ant that can lift 20 times its own body weight: The Asian weaver ant (Oecophylla smaragdina) is incredibly strong, with some individuals able to lift objects that are 20 times their own body weight.
  19. The world's largest living structure is the Great Barrier Reef: Stretching over 2,300 kilometers (1,400 mi), the Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on the planet, made up of billions of tiny coral polyps.
  20. The longest recorded duration of a person spinning a basketball on a toothbrush is 33.33 seconds: Scott McGuire, an American man, set this record in 2018, but it's not clear what the point of this record is!

I hope you found these facts as amazing as I do!