Science Facts for Kids
Mind-blowing science facts
Stem cells are unspecialised cells that can develop into many different types of cells — including muscle, brain, skin, and blood cells. Scientists are researching how to use them to repair damaged organs and treat disease.
Cats lack the taste receptor for sweetness, which means they genuinely cannot taste sweet things. This may be why they show no interest in sugary foods.
Every cell in your body carries identifying proteins on its surface called antigens, which tell the immune system 'I belong here'. Transplanted organs are rejected because their antigens are recognised as foreign.
Plants grow towards light in a process called phototropism. A hormone called auxin accumulates on the shaded side of the stem, causing those cells to elongate and bend the plant towards the light source.
'Muscle memory' is not stored in muscles — it is stored in the brain. Repeated practice of a skill creates strong neural pathways, allowing the brain to execute the movement automatically with little conscious effort.
The Sun delivers more energy to Earth in one hour than the entire human civilisation uses in a whole year — the challenge is efficiently capturing and storing it.
Aerogel is the lightest solid material ever made — it is about 99.8% air, with a wispy silica structure. A block the size of a person weighs less than a kilogram, yet it can support thousands of times its own weight.
During hibernation, animals such as bears and hedgehogs dramatically lower their body temperature, heart rate, and metabolism to survive winter without eating — surviving on stored fat for months at a time.
A match ignites because the friction of striking it against a rough surface generates enough heat to trigger a rapid chemical reaction between the match head and the striker, producing flame.
Atoms are almost entirely empty space. If you blew up a hydrogen atom to the size of a football stadium, the nucleus would be the size of a marble at the center.