It might not feel like it, but science is making progress every day, at a rate we've never seen before. Some new discoveries are hard to believe and read more like science fiction than fact.
Here are 20 real facts that sound like they come from writers, not scientists.
1
“A study found that people who were exposed to the flu virus interacted with more people and in larger groups within 48 hours of exposure. Another study found that people who received a flu shot interacted with almost double the number of people in the two days after receiving the shot, compared to the two days before.” In short, some viruses might make us want to be more social to help spread themselves.
2
A new science called "Chaimatics" aims to model cells as molecular computers through Quantum Physics.
3
Scientists have managed to make humans glow in the dark using a chemical called a luciferin. However, the light level is so low we can’t see it.
4
The Australian aboriginals have stories dating back to when they lived alongside megafauna.
5
Bismuth was thought to be the heaviest stable element up until 2005. Then they discovered it had a halftime of several million years and thus was the lightest radioactive element.
6
Every 7 cm of water cuts a radiation dose in half.
7
Crows are the smartest species of bird with the intelligence of a human seven-year-old. They can make tools, use currency, visit their grandparents, remember a face for at least five years, mimic sounds, and even pass delayed gratification tests.
8
In 1983, scientists created a machine that temporarily allowed people to see new colors outside of the regular color space.
9
Mitochondrial endosymbiont theory: That Mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, used to be a free living prokaryotic cell. It was engulfed by a bigger cell. The bigger eukaryote took care of the little prokaryote and in exchange the little prokaryote became the mitochondria and provided energy. It’s a theory strongly supported by the fact that mitochondria still retains some of its own DNA which you inherit from your mother.
10
Bears lose basically zero muscle or bone mass in hibernation, and some scientists believe unlocking their genetic code is the key to long term space travel in zero gravity conditions without adverse effects on astronauts.
11
A teaspoon of neutron star material would weigh 4-6 billion tons.
12
Since 2018, it is now accepted that T-Rex was almost fully covered in scales, with little to no feathers. However they likely had Komodo Dragon-like lips that would hide their teeth when their mouths were closed. They also likely had looser skin than what movies like to show.
13
Astronauts on the space station have little to no sense of thirst because of zero gravity. Most wear timers to remind them to hydrate regularly.
14
A 2012 study found 1,458 “new to science” bacteria species in our belly buttons. People’s bacterial profiles are unique, like fingerprints, and can be used in the same way. One person had a bacterium only ever found in “Japanese soil," where he had never been.
15
In 2023, scientists discovered a new extinct species of "ridiculously cute" tiny penguins in New Zealand. They weighed two pounds, stood 13.5 inches tall, and had narrower skulls. They named the species Eudyptula wilsonae or Wilson's little penguin.
16
Ginkgo trees have been around for hundreds of millions of years, and their resistance to climate changes could lead to pivotal crop modifications in the future.
17
Plants make noise, even very loud noises, at frequencies too high for humans to hear. However, many animals, like bats and mice, can hear them, and “injured” or thirsty plants make much more noise than healthy ones.
18
We have figured out how to take CO2 out of the atmosphere and now, how to turn it into solid flakes of carbon again. If scaleable, this could help curb global warming.
19
A new type of orca was recently discovered living under antarctic waters, called the Type-D Orca, with more rounded heads and taller fins.
20
Scientists are experimenting with the concept that inflammation and gut health can have serious implications when it comes to mental health.
