20 Scientific Truths That Read Like Science Fiction

Neill Lynskey Published Yesterday in Science & Technology

Proof that the world truly is stranger than fiction.

We perceive actual science to be underwhelming in comparison to the fantasies on screen, but there are some actual scienctific facts that are so insane, that they feel like they’re ripped from a movie script. Scientists have discovered that monkeys are currently in the Stone Age, humans glow in the dark, we’re all technically cannibals, bananas are radioactive, and a ton more.

Dive into some mind-blowing facts that will make you wish you paid more attention in bio class.

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1. Monkeys have entered the Stone Age.
Capuchin monkeys and long-tailed macaques have been observed using stone tools to access food.
2. Bananas are radioactive.
Due to being rich in potassium, every banana is actually slightly radioactive thanks to containing the natural isotope potassium-40.
3. All the world’s bacteria stacked on top of each other would stretch for 10 billion light-years.
4. Starfish don’t have bodies.
The entire body of a starfish is considered its head.
5. The Sun makes a sound but we can't hear it.
6. The solar system has a wall.
The heliopause is the region of space in which solar wind isn’t hot enough to push back. It is considered the barrier of our solar system.
7. Trees talk to each other.
Trees can communicate and cooperate using a network of underground mycelium.
8. Time is slower for some animals.
Perception of time depends on how quickly the brain can process incoming information. For smaller animals, time literally moves slower.
9. Reindeers eyes change color seasonally.
Reindeer eyes, normally brown, turn bright blue in winter to see in low-light conditions.
10. You can lose weight by breathing.
When you lose weight, the dead cells exit your body on your breath.
11. One person’s DNA is about ten billion miles long.
If all the DNA in the average person was stretched out in a single line, it could reach from Earth to the Sun and back 248 times.
12. Mars is the only planet entirely inhabited by robots.
13. Approximately 99.85% of all the mass in the solar system is concentrated in The Sun.
14. There are 8 times as many atoms in a teaspoonful of water as there are teaspoonfuls of water in the Atlantic ocean.
15. Sea turtles use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate.
16. The average cloud weighs over one-million pounds.
17. TV Commercials communicate with your phone.
Some commercials emit a high-frequency noise that only smart phones can pick up, which then listen to commercials for marketing research.
18. Fat cells are impossible to burn.
Fat cells do not burn or disappear. They just shrink.
19. Trees can grow inside humans.
In 2009, an X-ray showed a fir tree growing in a man’s lung, likely from inhaling the seed..
20. Humans are bioluminescent.
All humans emit light, it’s just too low for humans to perceive it.

1. Monkeys have entered the Stone Age.
Capuchin monkeys and long-tailed macaques have been observed using stone tools to access food.
2. Bananas are radioactive.
Due to being rich in potassium, every banana is actually slightly radioactive thanks to containing the natural isotope potassium-40.
3. All the world’s bacteria stacked on top of each other would stretch for 10 billion light-years.
4. Starfish don’t have bodies.
The entire body of a starfish is considered its head.
5. The Sun makes a sound but we can't hear it.
6. The solar system has a wall.
The heliopause is the region of space in which solar wind isn’t hot enough to push back. It is considered the barrier of our solar system.
7. Trees talk to each other.
Trees can communicate and cooperate using a network of underground mycelium.
8. Time is slower for some animals.
Perception of time depends on how quickly the brain can process incoming information. For smaller animals, time literally moves slower.
9. Reindeers eyes change color seasonally.
Reindeer eyes, normally brown, turn bright blue in winter to see in low-light conditions.
10. You can lose weight by breathing.
When you lose weight, the dead cells exit your body on your breath.
11. One person’s DNA is about ten billion miles long.
If all the DNA in the average person was stretched out in a single line, it could reach from Earth to the Sun and back 248 times.
12. Mars is the only planet entirely inhabited by robots.
13. Approximately 99.85% of all the mass in the solar system is concentrated in The Sun.
14. There are 8 times as many atoms in a teaspoonful of water as there are teaspoonfuls of water in the Atlantic ocean.
15. Sea turtles use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate.
16. The average cloud weighs over one-million pounds.
17. TV Commercials communicate with your phone.
Some commercials emit a high-frequency noise that only smart phones can pick up, which then listen to commercials for marketing research.
18. Fat cells are impossible to burn.
Fat cells do not burn or disappear. They just shrink.
19. Trees can grow inside humans.
In 2009, an X-ray showed a fir tree growing in a man’s lung, likely from inhaling the seed..
20. Humans are bioluminescent.
All humans emit light, it’s just too low for humans to perceive it.

Capuchin monkeys and long-tailed macaques have been observed using stone tools to access food.

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NEXT GALLERY The 40 Funniest Tweets from the Last 24 Hours

1. Monkeys have entered the Stone Age. Capuchin monkeys and long-tailed macaques have been observed using stone tools to access food.

2. Bananas are radioactive. Due to being rich in potassium, every banana is actually slightly radioactive thanks to containing the natural isotope potassium-40.

3. All the world’s bacteria stacked on top of each other would stretch for 10 billion light-years.

4. Starfish don’t have bodies. The entire body of a starfish is considered its head.

5. The Sun makes a sound but we can't hear it.

6. The solar system has a wall. The heliopause is the region of space in which solar wind isn’t hot enough to push back. It is considered the barrier of our solar system.

7. Trees talk to each other. Trees can communicate and cooperate using a network of underground mycelium.

8. Time is slower for some animals. Perception of time depends on how quickly the brain can process incoming information. For smaller animals, time literally moves slower.

9. Reindeers eyes change color seasonally. Reindeer eyes, normally brown, turn bright blue in winter to see in low-light conditions.

10. You can lose weight by breathing. When you lose weight, the dead cells exit your body on your breath.

11. One person’s DNA is about ten billion miles long. If all the DNA in the average person was stretched out in a single line, it could reach from Earth to the Sun and back 248 times.

12. Mars is the only planet entirely inhabited by robots.

13. Approximately 99.85% of all the mass in the solar system is concentrated in The Sun.

14. There are 8 times as many atoms in a teaspoonful of water as there are teaspoonfuls of water in the Atlantic ocean.

15. Sea turtles use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate.

16. The average cloud weighs over one-million pounds.

17. TV Commercials communicate with your phone. Some commercials emit a high-frequency noise that only smart phones can pick up, which then listen to commercials for marketing research.

18. Fat cells are impossible to burn. Fat cells do not burn or disappear. They just shrink.

19. Trees can grow inside humans. In 2009, an X-ray showed a fir tree growing in a man’s lung, likely from inhaling the seed..

20. Humans are bioluminescent. All humans emit light, it’s just too low for humans to perceive it.

1. Monkeys have entered the Stone Age.

2. Bananas are radioactive.

3. All the world’s bacteria stacked on top of each other would stretch for 10 billion light-years.

4. Starfish don’t have bodies.

5. The Sun makes a sound but we can't hear it.

6. The solar system has a wall.

7. Trees talk to each other.

8. Time is slower for some animals.

9. Reindeers eyes change color seasonally.

10. You can lose weight by breathing.

11. One person’s DNA is about ten billion miles long.

12. Mars is the only planet entirely inhabited by robots.

13. Approximately 99.85% of all the mass in the solar system is concentrated in The Sun.

14. There are 8 times as many atoms in a teaspoonful of water as there are teaspoonfuls of water in the Atlantic ocean.

15. Sea turtles use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate.

16. The average cloud weighs over one-million pounds.

17. TV Commercials communicate with your phone.

18. Fat cells are impossible to burn.

19. Trees can grow inside humans.

20. Humans are bioluminescent.

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1. Monkeys have entered the Stone Age.
Capuchin monkeys and long-tailed macaques have been observed using stone tools to access food.

2. Bananas are radioactive.
Due to being rich in potassium, every banana is actually slightly radioactive thanks to containing the natural isotope potassium-40.

4. Starfish don’t have bodies.
The entire body of a starfish is considered its head.

6. The solar system has a wall.
The heliopause is the region of space in which solar wind isn’t hot enough to push back. It is considered the barrier of our solar system.

7. Trees talk to each other.
Trees can communicate and cooperate using a network of underground mycelium.

8. Time is slower for some animals.
Perception of time depends on how quickly the brain can process incoming information. For smaller animals, time literally moves slower.

9. Reindeers eyes change color seasonally.
Reindeer eyes, normally brown, turn bright blue in winter to see in low-light conditions.

10. You can lose weight by breathing.
When you lose weight, the dead cells exit your body on your breath.

11. One person’s DNA is about ten billion miles long.
If all the DNA in the average person was stretched out in a single line, it could reach from Earth to the Sun and back 248 times.

17. TV Commercials communicate with your phone.
Some commercials emit a high-frequency noise that only smart phones can pick up, which then listen to commercials for marketing research.

18. Fat cells are impossible to burn.
Fat cells do not burn or disappear. They just shrink.

19. Trees can grow inside humans.
In 2009, an X-ray showed a fir tree growing in a man’s lung, likely from inhaling the seed..

20. Humans are bioluminescent.
All humans emit light, it’s just too low for humans to perceive it.