1. Bananas are radioactive – Bananas contain potassium, and since potassium decays, that makes the yellow fruit slightly radioactive. But don’t worry—you’d need to eat ten million bananas in one sitting to die of banana-induced radiation poisoning.
2. Grasshoppers have ears in their bellies – On each side of the first abdominal segment, tucked under the wings, you’ll find membranes that vibrate in response to sound waves. This simple eardrum, called a tympanum, allows the grasshopper to hear the songs of its fellow grasshoppers.
3. Lizards use their tongue to smell – A lizard sticks out its tongue to catch scent particles in the air and then pulls back its tongue and places those particles on the roof of its mouth, where there are special sensory cells. The lizard can use these scent “clues” to find food or a mate or to detect enemies.
4. It can rain diamonds on other planets – The atmospheres in Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn have such extreme pressure that they can crystallize carbon atoms and turn them into diamonds.
5. Your left lung is about 10 percent smaller than your right lung – The left lung is smaller because of the space taken up by the heart. Each lung is separated into lobes branching off the main bronchus; the right lung has three lobes, while the left has only two lobes.
6. Killer whales are actually dolphins – The major physical feature that ensures orcas are dolphins is the presence of a melon — a fatty deposit that assists the animals in echolocation and only exists in dolphins.
7. Wearing a tie can reduce blood flow to the brain by 7.5 per cent – Wearing a tie that causes slight discomfort can reduce blood flow to the brain by 7.5 per cent, but the reduction is unlikely to cause any physical symptoms. They can cause headaches and increase the pressure in your eyes if on too tight.
8. Animals can be allergic to humans – Animals can be allergic to our dead skin cells – dander. These allergic reactions can be just like ours, too, including breathing difficulties and skin irritation.
9. Pine trees can tell if it’s about to rain – Next time you see a pine cone, take a close look. If it’s closed, that’s because the air is humid, which can indicate rain is on its way.
