Sci
ence Popularization: Cold Facts You Probably Didn't Know As humans, we love to learn new things, especially those that boggle our minds and make us think. Science has provided us with numerous intriguing facts that have fascinated us for ages. Some of these facts are weird, others are funny, and still, others are downright terrifying. In today's article, we will explore some of the most interesting and lesser-known scientific facts, so let's get started. 1. The World's Largest Organism is a Fungus The largest living organism on earth isn't an animal, a plant, or a mammal. It's a fungus! The Honey Mushroom (Armillaria ostoyae) is spread beneath the Malheur National Forest in Oregon, USA, for an area of about 2,200 acres. The fungus has been estimated to be somewhere between 2,000 to 8,000 years in age. 2. The Sound of Thunder Comes from Lightning Have you ever wondered where the sound of thunder comes from? Thunder is caused by the air expanding and contracting rapidly in the wake of a lightning bolt. The flash of lightning heats the surrounding air to over 30,000 degrees Celsius, and as the super-heated air rushes outwards, it creates a powerful shockwave that we hear as thunder. 3. Mount Everest Isn't the Tallest Mountain in the World Contrary to popular belief, Mount Everest isn't the tallest mountain on earth, even though it's the highest peak. That accolade goes to Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano located in Hawaii that stands over 10,000 meters tall when measured from its base on the ocean floor. 4. The Human Eye is Capable of Seeing Over 10 Million Colors Most people believe that the human eye can only see a limited number of colors, but that isn't true. The human eye is capable of picking up more than 10 million colors, thanks to specialized cells known as cones that are present in the retina. By comparison, dogs can only see a range of approximately 10,000 colors. 5. There's Enough DNA in Your Body to Stretch from the Sun to Pluto… and Back If we were to stretch out all the DNA that's present in our body, it would form a strand that's over 6 billion kilometers long - enough to stretch from the sun to Pluto and back, multiple times! If that isn't impressive enough, each of the trillions of cells in our body contains a copy of the same DNA but arranged differently. Conclusion Science is full of fascinating and incredible facts that can captivate us and leave us wanting more. Whether it's the largest organism, the sound of thunder, the tallest mountain, our eyes' capabilities, or the vast amount of DNA in our bodies, science never fails to amaze us. So, the next time you come across scientific trivia, embrace the opportunity to learn something new - you never know where it might lead.
