Fun Facts

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World History​

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When it comes to transportation, Americans and Brits have one thing in common: Both consider the other to be driving on the wrong side of the road. But how did it come to this?

 

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6 Amazing Facts About DNA​ Despite it being the microscopic engine that makes life on Earth possible, humans have only known about the existence of DNA for about 150 years. These six facts explore the incredible science of DNA: its discovery, its function, and its impact on human history. [td] [td width="100%"] Read More ​

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Why Do We Have Eyebrows?​ Unlike other facial features, eyebrows don't seem immediately essential for survival. So why did we evolve them at all? [td] [td width="100%"] Read More ​

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Your science fact of the day​

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Porcupines are quite slow-moving. In fact, their top speed is roughly 2 mph. Their strong defenses usually mean that they don’t need to flee from predators, but if they are approached, they will rapidly shuffle backwards and wedge themselves into a hollow or burrow until the predator moves on.​

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Keep Learning

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image source: iStock.com/Konoplytska​

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How would you rate today’s newsletter?​

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[td] Fact of the Day​ ​

Songbirds practice singing in their sleep.

By Bennett Kleinman

Many musicians spend countless hours in rehearsal studios perfecting their tunes. But to some songbirds, rehearsing is also second nature; they’re even known to practice singing in their sleep. This behavior is similar to how a dog’s paws twitch while it snoozes, only in the case of songbirds, it’s the vocal muscles in the throat that experience subconscious movement. Researchers confirmed this phenomenon by implanting electrodes in sleeping birds such as the zebra finch. While zebra finches are known to croon in a more methodical staccato style when awake, the birds were observed producing disjointed, sporadic notes as they slept, a behavior researchers likened to “learning a musical instrument.” Similar — albeit less common — behavior has also been viewed in great kiskadees, which produced louder and more aggressive tones in their sleep.

Do animals dream like we do? [td] ​

Birds

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[td] Original photo by Rawpixel/ Shutterstock​

The Earth shakes every 26 seconds, and scientists aren’t sure why.​

Like a lot of strange happenings, it was first noticed in the 1960s: a minor seismic pulse, large enough to register on seismological instruments but small enough to go otherwise unnoticed, occurring every 26 seconds. Researchers have since traced the microseism to the Gulf of Guinea — but the “why” behind it is still a bit of a mystery.

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