Termites are being researched as a possible renewable energy source as they can produce up to 2 litres of hydrogen from ingesting a single sheet of paper, making them one of the planet’s most efficient bioreactors.
24
A cesium atom in an atomic clock beats over nine billion times a second.
43
Airports that are at higher altitudes require a longer airstrip due to lower air density.
39
Blue eyes are a genetic mutation. Before the mutation occured, all humans had brown eyes.
89
The banana plant cannot reproduce itself. It can be propagated only by the hand of man.
155
The gas that gives rotten eggs their distinctive foul smell may slow ageing and block damaging chemical reactions inside cells, according to scientists in China.
5
The weight of a carat (200 milligrams), standard unit of measurement for gemstones, is based on the weight of the carob seed.
51
Diamonds can be shattered with a hammer.
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