Cellophane is not made of plastic. It is made from a plant fiber, cellulose, which has been shredded and aged.
44
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
For every gallon of sea water, you get more than a quarter pound of salt.
45
Columbia University has developed an artificial tree that passively soaks up carbon dioxide from the air using "leaves" that are 1,000 times more efficient than true leaves that use photosynthesis.
15
In 1999, Harvard physicist Lene Hau was able to slow down light to 17 meters per second and in 2001, was able to stop light completely.
39
Every day, plants convert sunlight into energy equivalent to six times the entire power consumption of human civilization.
9
Nylon is made from coal and petroleum.
42
Optical illusions occur when what the eyes see conflicts with what the brain expects.
75