If the chemical sodium is dropped into water it will immediately and violently explode.
67
Scientists have developed a microparticle filled with oxygen that can be injected into the blood stream, enabling us to live without breathing.
21
A cesium atom in an atomic clock beats over nine billion times a second.
43
It takes a photon 170,000 years to travel from the core of the Sun to the surface, but only 8 minutes to travel the rest of the way to Earth.
6
Only 12,000 years ago there was a species closely related to modern humans called Homo floresiensis that had been living on an Indonesian Island. They used fire and rather advanced tools, yet were only about 3 feet tall and weighed around 25kg.
15
Brass doorknobs automatically disinfect themselves in about 8 hours.
18
A coal power station puts 100 times more radiation into the air than a nuclear power plant producing the same amount of energy.
7