11 Facts That Could Make You See the World Differently

Earth is a magical playground of wonders, bursting with surprises big and small! From sky-kissing mountains that scrape the heavens to invisible micro-creatures throwing their own secret dance parties, our planet is a masterpiece of endless amazement. Every corner of the world tells a story, every breeze whispers a secret, and every raindrop carries the magic of the universe.

1. Apples, potatoes, and onions taste the same.

Without smell, apples, potatoes, and onions taste almost the same because about 80% of what we perceive as taste comes from our sense of smell. Without it, our brain can only detect basic flavors like sweet, salty, sour, and bitter, making foods with similar textures difficult to tell apart. This explains why food seems bland when we have a cold, and highlights how important aroma is to our eating experience.

2. Astronomers suggest there were the second sun.

Astronomers suggest our Sun may have been born with a twin, as most Sun-like stars form in pairs. This second sun could explain anomalies in our solar system, including the possible existence of Planet Nine. If true, it may have influenced planetary orbits, capturing or ejecting distant worlds. While no direct evidence remains, studying this hypothesis could reshape our understanding of the solar system’s origins.

3. Your body has the light.

Our bodies have this cool thing going on — levels of light that go up and down throughout the day. Some researchers in Japan wanted to know more about this subtle visible light our bodies give off. They used super-sensitive cameras that could spot even single, tiny particles of light. They asked five healthy guys in their 20s to hang out shirtless in a pitch-dark room every three hours for 20 minutes.

Guess what? The researchers discovered that our bodies shine a bit, and this glow changes as the day rolls on. It’s at its lowest around 10 AM and peaks at 4 PM, then slowly fades. This glow is linked to our internal body clock, probably because of how our energy levels change during the day.

Oh, and here’s a fun fact — faces light up more than the rest of the body. Maybe it’s because our faces get more sunlight and end up more tanned than the rest!

4. The Earth’s rotation is slowing down: what it means for us.

Studies of ancient astronomical records reveal that Earth's rotation has been slowing down over time. This deceleration is primarily due to tidal friction caused by gravitational interactions between Earth and the Moon. As a result, the length of a day has increased by approximately 1.7 milliseconds per century. Over the past 2,740 years, this cumulative effect amounts to Earth's days being about six hours longer than they were during ancient times.

5. Dolphins can “see” pregnant women’s fetuses with their echolocation.

Dolphins emit sounds and listen to the returning echoes—a process called echolocation—to identify objects' shapes and locations. Experts suggest that this ability might enable dolphins to detect a fetus inside a pregnant woman. Anecdotal reports describe dolphins swimming up to pregnant women and making buzzing sounds near their abdomens, possibly indicating their awareness of the developing baby. However, definitive scientific evidence is lacking, and controlled studies would be necessary to confirm this phenomenon

6. People in Australia see the moon upside down due to their hemisphere.

Observers in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres perceive the Moon differently due to their distinct orientations relative to the Moon. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Moon appears with its North Pole at the top, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it appears inverted, with the South Pole at the top. This difference arises because observers in each hemisphere are essentially viewing the Moon from opposite directions. Consequently, the Moon appears "upside down" to those in the Southern Hemisphere compared to the familiar view in the Northern Hemisphere.

7. There’s an invisible shield around the Earth.

Did you know that Earth’s magnetic field is like our unsung hero in everyday life? It’s got our backs, shielding us from solar storms with pesky charged particles that could mess up our cool gadgets. Even our phones rely on the magnetic field for navigation.

And get this: Earth’s magnetic field is like a superhero cape for our atmosphere. We suspect that Mars lost its atmosphere ages ago when its magnetic field took a nap about 3.7 billion years back. So, here’s to Earth’s magnetic field, quietly doing its thing and keeping life groovy!

8. Animals have a different vision.

Fun fact: dogs aren’t rocking black-and-white vision like we thought. But get this, their eyesight isn’t top-notch — they’re a bit nearsighted. If something’s not up close, it’s a bit of a blur for them. Still, they’ve got this awesome peripheral vision that makes up for it! Dogs, and some color-blind people, are missing red-green cones.

Now, onto our feline friends! Cats, just like dogs and a bunch of other critters, have this cool thing called a tapetum lucidum behind their eyes. It helps them see in the dark, but it does make their overall vision a bit fuzzy. Cats have this wide view of about 200°, more than us humans at 180°, but their binocular vision (where the eyes overlap in what they see) is a tad narrower. Cats and dogs, always surprising us with their unique ways of seeing the world!

9. The shape of your belly button has nothing to do with how the umbilical cord was cut or clamped when you were born.

Whether your belly button caves in or sticks out doesn’t depend on how your doctor handled your umbilical cord. It’s all about the space between your skin and the abdominal wall, which decides the amount of skin and scar tissue left behind. Dr. Dan Polk, a neonatologist at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, explains that you can’t control whether babies end up with an innie or outie. It’s about how much skin connects from the baby’s body to the umbilical cord.

Sometimes, an outie is due to an umbilical hernia, where a bit of the intestine pokes through the abdominal wall’s umbilical opening. It usually sorts itself out by age 2, but if it persists, a bit of surgery might be in order.

10. Octopuses have 3 hearts, while most creatures have just one.

Octopuses have three hearts: two branchial hearts that pump blood to the gills, and one systemic heart that pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. Interestingly, the systemic heart stops beating when the octopus swims, which is why they prefer crawling. While dogs use only one heart for the entire circulatory system, octopuses rely on three to maintain their complex bodily functions.

11. You can’t just have a solo guinea pig in Switzerland.

In Switzerland, it’s illegal to own just one guinea pig, as they are highly social animals. The country’s Animal Protection Ordinance mandates that guinea pigs must have companionship from others of their species to avoid mental and physical suffering. This law highlights Switzerland’s commitment to animal welfare, considering solitary guinea pig ownership as a form of animal abuse. Guinea pigs in the wild live in groups, communicating through vocalizations and body language, making social interaction essential for their well-being.

These 11 facts challenge what we think we know about reality. They push us to question the limits of science, time, and even our own perceptions. Reality is stranger than we often imagine, and there's always more to explore and discover. Keep questioning and stay curious!