10 Counterintuitive Facts About Nature
Daniel Bonfiglio
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Yesterday
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Science isn't always intuitive, and when you leave the confines of the world directly around you, the human brain can have a hard time conceptualizing what's going on. As a result, there are plenty of scientific "facts" that don't really make sense.
Here are some of nature's most counterintuitive features.
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1. Mercury Isn’t the Hottest Planet
Although Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, Venus’s atmospheric conditions mean that it effectively acts like a greenhouse, retaining heat, and an average surface temp of 900 degrees fahrenheit. -
2. Length of Vacation Doesn’t Matter
Well it does in the moment, but your memory remembers moments. Thus, one weekend full of highs will be remembered more fondly than a week off with nothing of note. -
3. The Earth’s Orbit Isn’t Round
Believe it or not, the Earth is not always the same distance from the Sun. Fortunately, this doesn’t effect our surface temperatures to any noticeable degree. -
4. Exercise Can Help You Gain Weight
Although typically associated with losing weight, exercise can build muscle mass, and mass is heavier than fat. Of course, you’ll still be healthier. -
5. Twins Can Have Different Fathers
Occasionally, multiple eggs are released at the same time. These can then be inseminated separately. This happens much more often in cats and dogs. -
6. Hot Water Freezes Faster
Cold water also boils faster. This is called the Mpemba effect, and likely has to do with evaporation, and insulation for hot and cold water respectively. -
7. Placebos
Your brain can convince itself that medicine is working, even if what you’re taking is fake. This can even work when you know the placebo is fake. -
8. Some Days Are Longer Than Years
Mercury and Venus complete orbits around the Sun before fully spinning on their axis. Hence, they have longer days than years. -
9. Orbiting is a Straight Line
Mathematically, planets in orbit are moving in a straight line. Just like you can walk straight and eventually go around the Earth, when seen three-dimensionally, orbiting objects can be calculated as traveling straight. -
10. NOTHING is Faster Than the Speed of Light
The Earth is eight light minutes away from the Sun. If the Sun were to disappear, we wouldn’t know for eight minutes. Earth would even continue orbiting the Sun’s previous location for eight minutes.
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Mercury Isn’t the Hottest Planet
Although Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, Venus’s atmospheric conditions mean that it effectively acts like a greenhouse, retaining heat, and an average surface temp of 900 degrees fahrenheit.
Although Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, Venus’s atmospheric conditions mean that it effectively acts like a greenhouse, retaining heat, and an average surface temp of 900 degrees fahrenheit.
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