Science Facts for Kids
Mind-blowing science facts
Helium was detected in the Sun's spectrum in 1868, nearly 30 years before it was discovered on Earth. It is named after Helios, the Greek god of the Sun.
Your gut has its own nervous system called the enteric nervous system, containing roughly 500 million neurons. It can operate independently from your brain — which is why scientists call the gut the 'second brain.'
One species of jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrnii, can revert back to its juvenile polyp stage after reaching adulthood — essentially aging in reverse. This theoretically makes it biologically immortal.
Plasma is the fourth state of matter, alongside solid, liquid, and gas. It is the most common form of visible matter in the universe — stars, including our Sun, are made of plasma.
Crocodiles really do produce tears — but not because they feel sad. When they eat, tears are squeezed from glands near their eyes, possibly because of the effort of chomping, giving rise to the expression 'crocodile tears.'
Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius at sea level, but at the top of Mount Everest it boils at only about 70 degrees Celsius because of lower atmospheric pressure. This means it takes longer to cook food up there.
Radioactive elements decay at a predictable rate described by their 'half-life.' Carbon-14 has a half-life of about 5,730 years, which scientists use to date ancient organic materials up to about 50,000 years old.
The praying mantis is the only known insect with binocular vision, allowing it to judge distances precisely when hunting. Tiny 3D glasses have been fitted to mantises in scientific experiments.
When an acid and a base mix together, they neutralize each other in a reaction that produces water and a salt. Common table salt — sodium chloride — is produced when hydrochloric acid meets sodium hydroxide.
A blue whale's heart is the largest of any known animal — about the size of a small car — and can weigh up to 180 kilograms. Its heartbeat is so low it can be detected from nearly 3 kilometers away.