Amazing Science Facts: Part 1

Education 4 Minutes

This Reader’s Digest article details amazing science facts!

The human stomach can dissolve razor blades

Talk about a bizarre feature of the human body: If you happened to swallow a razor blade, your stomach acid would dissolve it. Acids are ranked on a scale from zero to 14—the lower the pH level, the stronger the acid. Human stomach acid typically has a pH of 1 to 2, which is incredibly strong. In a study published in the journal Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, scientists discovered that the “thickened back of a single-edged blade” dissolved after two hours of immersion in stomach acid. That said, we wouldn’t recommend swallowing one. Dissolvable or not, razor blades are still dangerously sharp.

A laser can get trapped in water

A cool thing known as “total internal reflection” happens when you point a laser beam at a jet of flowing water. To demonstrate this phenomenon, scientists from Harvard University positioned a laser on one side of a clear tank of water. On the other side, the water flowed through a hole and into a bucket. The heavier particles in the water slowed the laser’s light, effectively “trapping” the laser beam in the water. That’s why, when the light hit the flowing stream, it looked like a red waterfall. Even as the water flow was gradually decreased, the laser beam remained contained inside the jet until it eventually disappeared when the water was turned off completely.

Earth’s oxygen is produced by the ocean

Have you ever stopped to think about where oxygen comes from? Your first thought may be of a rainforest, but here’s a cool science fact for you: We can thank plant-based marine organisms for about half of the Earth’s fresh air, according to the National Oceanic Service. Luckily, this isn’t one of those ocean mysteries we’ll never solve. Scientists have learned that plankton, seaweed and other photo synthesizers produce more than half of the world’s oxygen.

Ocean animals use Earth’s magnetic field for orientation

Lost land animals aren’t the only ones who can find their way home; it turns out, some sea animals can too. But sea creatures use a completely different means of navigation. Here’s one of the coolest animal facts you’ll ever learn: According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), some animals, like sea turtles and salmon, have the ability to sense the Earth’s magnetic field and can use this sense like a compass for navigation.

A cloud can weigh around a million pounds

Your childhood dreams of floating on a weightless cloud may not withstand this science fact: The average cumulus cloud can weigh up to a million pounds, according to the USGS. That’s even heavier than a Boeing 747 jet completely full of cargo and passengers. So why do they float? The moist air in clouds weighs less than the dry air below.

Soil is full of life

There are more microorganisms in a single teaspoon of soil than there are people on the planet. “Millions of species and billions of organisms—bacteria, algae, microscopic insects, earthworms, beetles, ants, mites, fungi and more—represent the greatest concentration of biomass anywhere on the planet,” says the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Rats laugh when they’re tickled

These creatures are more dynamic than we think. Rats have the ability to “laugh” when tickled. A video from National Geographic based on a 2023 German study demonstrates that rats respond positively to tickling, and they even chase after the researcher’s hand in a playful manner.

Bananas are radioactive

Here’s a very strange history-of-food fact: Bananas contain potassium, and since potassium decays, that makes the yellow fruit slightly radioactive. But don’t worry—you’d need to eat a billion bananas (literally) in one sitting to die of banana-induced radiation poisoning, according to Joe Schwarcz, PhD, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society.

Hot water freezes faster than cold water

This may seem counterintuitive, but it’s called the Mpemba effect, after a Tanzanian teenager in the 1960s who found that homemade ice cream froze faster when it went into the freezer right after the mixture was boiled, and therefore still hot, instead of cooled down. Ever since, scientists have been trying to find an explanation for this phenomenon. Recent work has suggested it’s the result of the hot water being out of thermodynamic equilibrium. (That long science term refers to a system that’s stable and not undergoing changes to properties like temperature.) Other theories as to why this happens include the fact that cold water produces frost when freezing, which ironically insulates the water underneath, while hot water doesn’t.

There are more trees on Earth than stars in our galaxy

Here’s a cool space fact we bet you didn’t know: NASA experts believe there could be anywhere from 100 billion to 400 billion stars in the Milky Way. However, a 2015 paper published in the journal Nature estimated that the number of trees around the world is much higher: 3.04 trillion.

Humans have genes from other species

We like to think of humans as being superior to other living creatures, but the reality is that our genome consists of as many as 145 genes that have jumped from bacteria, fungi, other single-celled organisms and viruses, according to a study published in the journal Genome Biology. This process, called “horizontal gene transfer,” could change how we think about evolution.

But don’t worry—humans have a lot of DNA

Scientists have mapped the human genome and now know there are more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA in human genes and more than 25,000 genes in the human genome, according to an article in Nature. An entire copy of that genome exists in each of the 28 to 36 trillion cells in the adult human body.

SOURCE: READERSDIGEST.COM Elizabeth Yuko

Unknown's avatar

Published by pat frederick

Published

80 thoughts on “Amazing Science Facts: Part 1”

    1. Morning, Pat! 29 here this morning and there is a chance of light snow this afternoon. But forecast shows back up into the high 40’s tomorrow, mid-to-high 50’s the next 2 days…..really crazy stuff!

      Just got off the phone w/my Sis. They did admit Mom into the hospital and she is on oxygen. She has COVID, her BP was low but OK, and some other measurements were low, including O2. My niece, who happened to be near Columbus when this all went down, drove up and got a hotel room last night.

      Once my Sis gets up here later today, I will take my portable oxygen concentrator down to show it to Mom and let her try it. Medicare had provided her with a full-size concentrator, which she hated because it was so big and noisy, then they retrieved it when her oxygen #’s went up. Plus it ties her to the apartment, which she didn’t like. Sis is going to tell our bros, Jeff and Jerry, to buy one of the portable ones for her! They can certainly afford it!

      Mom’s close friend, Jenny Sprague, died last night…..IDK if Mom knows yet. If you remember…..way back when Mom first got COVID, when I went to stay with her, I wanted her to try the hydroxy/ivermectin treatment. Jenny was the one who had Mom’s medical POA and refused to agree unless ALL 6 kids agreed. Of course, my brothers refused…..Mom changed her POA but I’m not sure if it’s my Sis, niece or brothers now…..

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Morning Filly!
        I’ll keep you both in my prayers!!
        we don’t even notice the full sized one’s noise anymore…lol
        I hope she is okay but the death of her friend may hit her very hard! Drive safely!!
        we’re heading out to the PO in a little bit. i sill send you the tracking number so you can watch for it!

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

        1. Cool! Yeah, I got used to the noise of mine quickly but since hers was provided by Medicare, I’m guessing it was probably pretty old and clunky. She and Jenny had been on the outs for quite some time but they did still talk once in a while. She is also close friends with her hubby, Terry, and their 2 sons.

          Like

          Reply

      1. i do not oppose foreign flags when displayed with the American flag (always flown higher) because i recognize some immigrants–the ones that came here to be Americans–not rob us blind–like to remember their heritage–Italian, German, and the like. but to raise your flag higher than the country you’re in shows disrespect and contempt.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  8. another ignorant leftist grandstanding asshole. He wants to abolish ICE.

    FTA

    Michigan Democratic Congressman Shri Thanedar announced on Friday that he will introduce the Abolish ICE Act, which would dismantle the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    This comes after an ICE officer shot and killed a woman, 37-year-old Renee Good, on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis. The shooting is being investigated by the FBI. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension accuses the FBI of blocking it from accessing evidence in the investigation.

    Meanwhile, the Trump administration has defended the ICE officer’s actions, with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance claiming that Good attempted to hit the officer with her car. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem characterized Good’s actions as an “act of domestic terrorism.”

    “The tragic death of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, a 37-year-old mother fatally shot by an ICE agent, shows that ICE cannot be reformed and must be abolished. The Abolish ICE Act is a step toward justice, accountability, and a more humane approach to immigration policy,” Thanedar said in a news release. “When an agency’s structure consistently produces harm instead of justice, there is no way to reform it. We must fundamentally change the way we approach immigration.”

    https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/shri-thanedar-to-introduce-abolish-ice-act-fatal-minneapolis-shooting/

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. Convert

    January 10, 2026 8:25 am

    It’s astonishing to me that nobody has commented on the fact that it’s obviously planned and implemented strategy to have all of these harassers be female. Why? Because a bunch of young soy boy punks hitting officers and getting arrested is not going to elicit anybody’s sympathy, especially since they’re white. But to see a bunch of women thrown to the ground and handcuffed is designed to induce outrage and sympathy. Doesn’t matter that these people are breaking the law and endangering law enforcement etc etc. It’s all about optics.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. Jim Ferguson
    @JimFergusonUK
    BREAKING:🚨 MINNEAPOLIS IS SPIRALLING 🚨

    While mobs roam the streets hunting ICE agents and surrounding hotels, Minnesota’s political leadership is nowhere to be found. Law enforcement has been forced to pull back, not because the threat disappeared, but because the chaos is being tolerated from the top.

    This is what happens when ideology replaces public safety.

    When governors and mayors treat federal law enforcement as the enemy, the streets become the battlefield.

    Civilians are caught in the middle. Businesses are boarded up. Families are told to stay inside. And the people sworn to protect them are being politically handcuffed.

    This is no longer about immigration.
    It is about whether the rule of law still exists in America.

    When state officials signal that mobs will not be stopped, mobs believe them.
    And when that happens, order collapses.

    The country is watching.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. Just The News: “Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last monarch, issued an urgent appeal on social media calling on U.S. President Donald Trump to provide support as nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic’s leadership continue across Iran. There have been at least 65 deaths during the protests, according to reports from inside Iran. 

    In a message posted on the social platform X, Pahlavi described the situation in Iran as “urgent,” highlighting a recent nationwide internet and communications blackout and what he said were threats of violent repression from the Iranian regime. 

    He asked President Trump to be prepared to “intervene to help the people of Iran,” but he did not specify what form that support should take. “You have proven and I know you are a man of peace and a man of your word. Please be prepared to intervene to help the people of Iran,” he wrote on X on Friday.

    Pahlavi’s comments come amid widespread demonstrations that began in late December and have spread to all of Iran’s provinces. The protests, initially triggered by economic grievances, have reportedly expanded to include other political demands. 

    Pahlavi said he is “preparing to return to the homeland so that at the time of our national revolution’s victory, I can be beside you, the great nation of Iran.”
    “I believe that day is very near,” he also said. 
     
    Trump addressed the situation in Iran on Friday. “We’re watching the situation very carefully. I’ve made this statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved,” he said. “And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  16. Insurrection Barbie
    @DefiyantlyFree
    Arun Subramanian is a United States District Judge serving on the Southern District of New York who just issued an injunction to force the Trump administration to hand over our tax dollars to support fraudulent daycare centers all over the country.

    He was appointed by Joe Biden in 2023.

    He issued an injunction knowing the states don’t have a snowballs chance in hell of winning this case. Federal courts cannot force the Executive to disburse funds on a particular timeline absent a clear statutory command.

    And there is no clear statutory authority to disburse funds immediately to daycares absent a thorough review.

    So this judge issued an injection forcing the waste of taxpayer money in a case he knows the states won’t actually win on the merits.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  18. H/T M

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  19. “Ending the Charade of Wasteful International Organizations”

    StateDept, Jan 10, 2026

    Author: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio

    “The United States has played a central role in shaping the international order. From the Monroe Doctrine which allowed nations in our region to flourish free from interference outside of our hemisphere, to our pivotal role in the establishment of the United Nations, to serving as the primary security guarantor under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and as the world’s largest humanitarian donor, America’s leadership has been unquestionable.

    Leadership requires difficult choices, and the ability to recognize when the institutions created to promote peace, prosperity and liberty have become obstacles to those goals.

    What we term the “international system” is now overrun with hundreds of opaque international organizations, many with overlapping mandates, duplicative actions, ineffective outputs, and poor financial and ethical governance. Even those that once performed useful functions have increasingly become inefficient bureaucracies, platforms for politicized activism or instruments contrary to our nation’s best interests.

    Not only do these institutions not deliver results, they obstruct action by those who wish to address these problems. The era of writing blank checks to international bureaucracies is over.

    This week, in accordance with the findings of Executive Order 14199, President Trump announced our withdrawal from 66 international organizations identified as part of the Trump Administration’s ongoing review of wasteful, ineffective, and harmful international organizations.

    The Presidential Memorandum targets institutions that are redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own, or a threat to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity.

    It is no longer acceptable to invest the American people’s hard-earned tax dollars in institutions that cannot demonstrate results, accountability or respect for our national interests. It is an abdication of America’s global leadership to continue funding and promoting organizations that obstruct solutions to the problems facing the world today such as affordable energy, economic growth, and national sovereignty. Continued U.S. participation in them only legitimizes their existence and a model that has failed billions around the world.

    From the UN Population Fund’s long history of ethical violations including funding coerced abortions; to UN Women’s failure to define what a woman even is; to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change squandering millions of dollars on funding for climate-alarmist, anti-energy investment in the West Bank and Gaza; to the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent espousing openly racist policies in support of global reparations—these organizations boast a consistent record of dysfunction if not outright malice.

    The American people, our partners and the billions around the world who look to the United States for leadership deserve better. Our continued participation in organizations that do not reflect our values or serve our interests would be an abandonment of our national duty.

    The organizations that we have chosen to withdraw from have been selected after a lengthy review of their purpose, actions, efficiency, effectiveness, necessity, and most importantly, their ability to help us achieve U.S. national interests. Those we are withdrawing from are by no means the only offenders. Our review of United States participation in international organizations remains ongoing.

    This does not mean America is turning its back on the world. We are simply rejecting an outdated model of multilateralism- one that treats the American taxpayer as the world’s underwriter for a sprawling architecture of global governance.

    The Trump Administration is demanding real results from the institutions we fund and participating in, and we stand ready to lead a campaign for reform. President Trump has been clear, including through this week’s Presidential Memorandum that he will not allow international organizations to undermine the United States and limit our national sovereignty, our energy independence, our economic prosperity, our democracy, and our constitutional freedoms.

    He will not allow the United States to continue funding a failed model that refuses or proves impossible to reform. This week’s Presidential Memorandum demonstrated that America is no longer accepting the broken status quo, that this nation is prepared to lead, as it always has, and that sometimes true leadership means knowing when to walk away.”

    Marco Rubio was sworn in as the 72nd Secretary of State on January 21, 2025. The Secretary is creating a Department of State that puts America First.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  20. (VIDEO)

    “Badlands Blitz Episode 1: Dueling Color Revolutions and Narrative Convergence”

    Burning Bright, Jan 10, 2026

    “Badlanders! Welcome to the debut episode of The Blitz, which is intented to serve as a weekly recap and dissection of the work we do Monday through Friday in the Badlands Brief.

    In the debut episode, GhostofBasedPatrickHenry and I take some time to explain the intention behind the new show—which will alternate between myself, Ghost and Ashe in America as hosts—before diving into the Info War chaos of the previous week, from Mad-lad Maduro to the Minnesotamali Madness.

    (The show will run 60-70 mins on average each week, dropping on Saturdays, but this debut went a BIT long due to the explainers at the beginning.)

    We also dip into the comments section to see what you beautiful savages have been saying all week.

    If you guys enjoy the show, please share it far and wide, and do jump into the comment section below to let us know. We really want to serve the Badlands Substack audience with exclusive content this year, since you’re some of our most loyal and engaged subscribers.

    While all Badlands content will continue to be free, including The Blitz, the only way we’re able to pay our people for their time is due to your generous support, should you choose to provide it. So, if you like the work this Substack team does on a daily basis and the step-up in said work for 2026, consider upgrading to a Paid Subscription to this newsletter (cancel at any time.)

    Otherwise, stay Positive, stay Based and most importantly … stay Bright!”

    https://badlands.substack.com/p/badlands-blitz-episode-1

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  22. Just The News: “Nationwide demonstrations in Iran have entered their second week, with protesters taking to the streets despite increasing government warnings of a harsher response and widespread efforts to curb communication.

    The death toll is at least 65, according to reports from inside Iran. The unrest against Iran’s regime has spread from Tehran’s historic Grand Bazaar into cities and towns across all 31 provinces. Iranian authorities have cut access to the internet and international phone services, a move aimed at stifling coordination among demonstrators and limiting reporting on the ground.

    Despite these restrictions, crowds continued to gather on Friday night in cities ranging from the capital Tehran to provincial centers, demonstrating against soaring inflation, currency collapse and the high cost of living.

    Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has ruled Iran since 1989, has publicly denounced what he called “vandals” and “saboteurs,” signaling that security forces could adopt stricter measures against protesters. He also criticized President Trump for saying on Friday that the U.S. would get involved if the regime starts killing its own people.

    “The US President has said that if the Iranian govt. does such-and-such, I’ll take the side of the rioters. The rioters have put their hopes in him. If he’s so capable, he should manage his own country,” he wrote on X.

    “Our enemies don’t know Iran. In the past, the US failed due to their flawed planning. Today too, their flawed scheming will cause them to fail,” he also wrote. In a separate post, Khamenei wrote, “Today like the past, the US is wrong in its calculations about Iran.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  23. 🔥 Patagonia Is Burning

    Wildfires have forced 3,000+ tourists to evacuate in Argentina. Officials confirmed arson started at least one blaze…

    🌈 Solar Halo Over the Alps

    A surreal complex halo over Arosa, Switzerland. Looks less like optics and more like a portal opening…

    🚀 ISS Emergency Medical Return

    For the first time in 25 years, an astronaut is being medically evacuated from the ISS. Crew 11 returns January 14…

    🐋 55 Pilot Whales Stranded in New Zealand

    Farewell Spit strikes again — a natural whale trap where tides and shallow slopes confuse migrating pods. Six whales died. More than 400 died there in 2017…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  27. Insane

    No blue hair, no nose rings

    Extraordinary Entrance

    Bieye raven sitting on bare tree branch in full moon, Tiffany style stained slass sable samp

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  32. Just The News: “President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an executive order designed to shield revenue from Venezuelan oil sales held in U.S. Treasury accounts from seizure by courts or creditors, a move the White House says will help support broader U.S. goals for economic and political stability in Venezuela.

    The order, issued under emergency powers, prohibits attachment, judgment, liens or other judicial actions against the Foreign Government Deposit Funds, which is revenue derived from Venezuelan crude and related sales that is currently held in U.S. accounts, the administration said.

    According to a White House statement, those funds are sovereign assets of Venezuela and should be protected from private legal claims as the United States works to advance diplomatic and policy objectives.

    The action comes about one week after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and as the administration negotiates expanded oil cooperation with Venezuela’s interim leaders.  

    Trump hosted executives on Friday from major U.S. oil companies, including Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips and Chevron, who are seeking as much as $100 billion in investment to help revitalize Venezuela’s oil sector.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  34. “17 Republicans voted with Democrats to pass the House ACA bill that extended the ObamaCare tax credits. Of the 17, 16 are up for re-election in the mid-terms. What do you suppose were their reasons for going against what they had believed in before? Hmmm..”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  36. one of the things on my new year’s resolutions list was to clean out my voicemail on my phone. I knew i had some old ones on there that i have to save and ones i can get rid of.

    one from sister (who passed), one from my brother in law (he’s passed) –saved them both. but one i totally forgot about…my granddaughter singing Happy birsday GRANDma. oh my…i laughed and laughed till i cried!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  38. Just The News: “Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said on Saturday that she was denied access to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center. Omar’s post comes days after 37-year-old Renee Good was killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.

    “I was just denied access to the ICE processing center at the Whipple Building. Members of Congress have a legal right and constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight where people are being detained,” Omar wrote on X. “The public deserves to know what is taking place in ICE facilities.”

    Omar has said that it was wrong for the ICE agent to shoot Good while others have argued she attempted to run him over, and he was acting in self-defense.

    Omar and other Democrats called for a full investigation into the incident.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  39. H/T Rodney

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  40. “Jithesh Pai (India) discovers three tiger beetle larvae waiting in ambush. Jithesh was watching the mossy wall in his family’s garden. He’d seen an adult female tiger beetle push its eggs into the loose soil between the bricks. So he started monitoring the wall. Within days, tiny, armoured larval heads began to appear in the holes. Tiger beetle larvae have large eyes alert to the slightest movement and open wide, needle-sharp mandibles. They lurk in their burrows, ready to seize whatever stumbles within lunging distance.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  42. Just The News: “The United States carried out large-scale airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) targets in Syria as part of an ongoing military operation focused on degrading the extremist group’s capabilities and deterring future attacks on American and allied forces, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday. 

    According to CENTCOM, the strikes targeted at least 35 locations across Syria, deploying more than 90 precision munitions and involving over 20 aircraft, including F-15Es, A-10s, AC-130Js and MQ-9 drones. Jordanian F-16s also participated in the operation.

    The action is part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, launched in response to a deadly ambush on Dec. 13 near Palmyra in central Syria that killed two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter. 

    CENTCOM emphasized that U.S. and coalition forces remain committed to rooting out extremists and protecting personnel in the region. “Our message remains strong: if you harm our warfighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world,” CENTCOM said in a statement. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote that “we will never forget, and never relent.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  43. Just The News: “Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed that additional U.S. sanctions on Venezuela might be lifted as soon as next week to allow oil sales, according to a Reuters report on Saturday.

    “We’re de-sanctioning the oil that’s going to be sold,” he said. “It could be as soon as next week,” he added, but did not elaborate. 

    He told the outlet that he plans to meet with the heads of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank next week about Venezuela.” 

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment