Science & Space

Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the Moon, wrote his daughter's initials there. They’ll last at least 50,000 years.

In 2005, paleontologist Mary Schweitzer dissolved a T. rex bone in acid and discovered preserved soft tissue, including blood vessels and collagen proteins—a finding that revolutionized our understanding of fossil preservation.

There is a poisonous plant that leaves the victim with a smile on their face at the time of death.

There's a plant that has survived in a sealed bottle for over 65 years. It was watered just once in 55 years.

Ice worms live inside glaciers and are so sensitive to temperature that exposure above 40°F causes their body enzymes to break down rapidly, killing them within minutes.

Daizi Zheng, a Chinese designer based in London, created a concept phone for Nokia that would run on Coca-Cola. Her design used a bio-battery with enzymes to generate electricity from the sugar in the drink.

Olympus Mons on Mars is the tallest volcano in the Solar System, standing approximately 13.6 miles (22 km) high. It is nearly 2.5 times the height of Mount Everest.

There's a species of orchid that looks like a monkey's face.

In 1977, researchers detected a strong and unusual radio signal from space that lasted 72 seconds. It hasn't been detected since.

In 1975, officials in the Chinese city of Haicheng were so alarmed by odd and anxious behavior of dogs and other animals, they ordered the evacuation of 90,000 residents from the city. Only a few hours later, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake destroyed nearly 90 percent of the city’s buildings.

Viagra dissolved in water can help cut flowers stay fresh longer. Studies found that sildenafil (Viagra's active ingredient) slows the breakdown of cyclic GMP, which helps keep plant stems rigid and delays wilting.

In the year 1054 AD, there was an explosion in the sky so bright that it was visible for 23 days straight, even during the day.

A German photographer actually snapped a picture of a plane being struck by lightning inside a rainbow.

The world's first genetically-engineered bioluminescent (glow-in-the-dark) house plants have been created and could eventually be used as a functional light source.

In 2003, the skeletal remains of a 6-inch human were found in an abandoned Chilean mining town. Initially a mystery, DNA analysis in 2018 confirmed it was a human female fetus with rare genetic mutations causing severe bone malformations, not an alien as some had speculated.

The Sun is actually white. Viewed from space or a high altitude, it appears as its true color; white. Whereas viewed from a low altitude, atmospheric rendering makes it appear as yellow.

The most toxic substance known is botulinum toxin, otherwise known as Botox. One hundred nanograms is enough to kill a fully grown man; 1 kilogram would be enough to wipe out the entire human race.

Scientists found that 15% of matter in the air at subway stations is human skin, from areas such as heels, belly buttons, armpits, and rear ends.

The reason why old books have such a distinct smell is because hundreds of organic compounds in the pages break down over time and release chemicals that smell like almond, vanilla, and grass.

Scientists have been able to recreate conversations that were held behind a soundproof glass wall by recording the vibrations seen on a potato chip bag.