"The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it," goes a quote by American astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson.

Indeed science is a marvel. Here are 10 interesting, yet unusual science facts that you may want to know, so that you can stand out as a genius in your next family/friends gathering.

1) Your stomach can dissolve steel

Yes, as unusual as it may sound, the acid in your stomach is so strong that it can dissolve a razor blade after a couple of hours. No wonder it can digest all the food some people wolf down.

2) Clouds are heavy

We may often think that clouds are weightless due to their fluffy appearance, but the huge cumulus clouds can weigh more than a million pounds (453,000 kilograms!)

3) Your eyes are Way better than any camera

Yes, we are talking about megapixels. While the latest, most sophisticated phone camera can go up to 108 megapixels, the human eye is able to see in a whopping 576 megapixels!

4) Your body is more bacteria

Your body contains about 39 trillion bacteria, more than the 30 billion cells contained within. But these bacteria are so small that they make up less than three per cent of your body's overall mass.

5) Phobias can be genetic

The next time you feel the urge to blame your parents or your ancestors for your fears, it could be justified to do so as research has found that phobias might be genetic, and influenced by your ancestors' experiences.

6) Bananas are radioactive

This is due to its pottasium content, which makes the yellow fruit slightly radioactive when it decays. However, you don't have to worry about dying from radioactive poisoning the next time you munch on the fruits, as it is estimated that you have eat ten million bananas in one sitting to die such a miserable death.

7) There are more trees in the world than stars in the galaxy

According to NASA, there are between 100 billion to 400 billion stars in the Milky Way - way lower compared to the estimated 3.04 trillion trees around the world.

8) Men are more likely to be colorblind than women

The genes responsible for colorblindness are found in the X chromosomes, which women have two of, and men have one. Although women have the defective gene in one of their chromosomes, a properly functioning gene on the other end can fix the defect, while men can suffer from colorblindness if they inherit the gene on their only X chromosome.

9) Bats hardly get sick from the viruses they carry & spread

Yes, these critters are notorious for carrying and spreading viruses, including the coronavirus. However, a study has shown that these animals have plenty of genes responsible for anti-viral activity, to keep them in the clear should they catch an infection. Even though they are not immune from rabies, which they often catch, the animals hardly die from the disease, scientists have found.

10) The Eiffel Tower grows in the summer

This is due to a natural physical phenomemon called thermal expension, which causes the particles in the structure to expand due to heat, and the tower to grow a few centimetres taller. This is a common phenomenon in steel structures - best seen in many bridges built with expansion points.

There you go, some interesting science facts you can learn and share to make you seem smarter than the rest of the crowd.

What other interesting facts that you think got missed out?


Source: rehack.com, Reader's Digest
Photo source: Reader's Digest, britannica.com