Month: June 2025

Why Birds Don’t Jet Lag

Why Birds Don’t Get Jet Lag

Fun fact: Some migratory birds can fly thousands of kilometres across multiple time zones—and still arrive perfectly alert and oriented. If you’ve ever stepped off a long-haul flight feeling like your brain’s been scrambled, you’re familiar with jet lag. That disoriented, sleepless, coffee-fuelled blur? It’s your internal clock being very unhappy. Now imagine doing the …

Trees Sleep at Night

Do Trees Sleep at Night?

Fun fact: Using laser scanners, scientists have observed that some trees lower their branches at night—almost like they’re settling down to sleep. You’ve probably watched a tree swaying in the breeze during the day. But have you ever wondered what happens when the sun goes down? Do trees rest? Do plants “sleep” the way animals …

History of Zero

The History of Zero

Fun fact: The symbol for zero (“0”) and the concept of using it as a number were first clearly recorded in India—over 1,500 years ago. Zero is everywhere and nowhere. It’s on your calculator, your bank balance, your phone number, and your school exam results. Without zero, we wouldn’t have binary code. Without binary code, …

Why Do Knock on Wood

Why Do We Knock on Wood?

Fun fact: A 2013 study found that physically knocking on wood can actually reduce feelings of anxiety and help people believe they’ve “warded off” bad luck. You say something hopeful—like, “I haven’t been sick all year”—then instinctively reach for the nearest wooden surface and knock on it. It’s almost reflexive, like saying “bless you” after …

What Ancient Astronomers Got Right

What Ancient Astronomers Got Right

Fun fact: Ancient Babylonians predicted lunar eclipses with precision—more than 2,500 years before the invention of the telescope. Imagine trying to map the heavens with nothing but your eyes, a few sticks, and unwavering patience. No telescope. No clock. No calculator. Just intuition, observation, and a deep, almost spiritual, relationship with the sky. Yet, somehow, …

Every Civilization Had a Flood Story

Why Every Civilization Had a Flood Story

Fun fact: Nearly every major ancient civilization—from Mesopotamia to Mesoamerica—has its own version of a catastrophic flood story. It’s strange when you think about it. Civilizations separated by continents and centuries—Sumerians, Hindus, Greeks, Norse, Chinese, Mayans—all tell eerily similar stories of a great flood that wiped out the world, often sparing only a chosen few. …

Why Humans Blush

Why Do Humans Blush?

Fun fact: Humans are the only animals known to blush—our faces turn red from emotional exposure, not physical heat. Ever tripped in public, said something awkward, or realized your fly was open in the middle of a conversation? That burning heat crawling up your cheeks? That’s blushing—a deeply human, deeply weird phenomenon. It’s involuntary. It’s …

How the Brain Builds and Breaks Habits

How the Brain Builds and Breaks Habits

Fun Fact: Nearly 40% of your daily actions aren’t conscious decisions—they’re habits playing on autopilot. Ever opened your phone without meaning to? Or found yourself halfway through a bag of chips before realizing you weren’t even hungry? That’s not laziness or lack of willpower—it’s your brain being efficient. For better or worse, your brain loves …