Do goldfish really have a short memory? No, goldfish don’t have a short memory. Although it depends on what we mean by memory. The idea that goldfish only have a very short memory seems to be widespread. It may stem from wishful thinking because we keep them in tiny tanks, and if they have long […]
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Can sharks really smell blood from a mile away? Sharks do have an incredibly sensitive sense of smell, but they can’t smell blood from a mile away. The basic problem with the myth that sharks can smell blood from a mile away is that the chemicals required for scent don’t travel that far, even in
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What is a whale fall? A whale fall is when a whale dies and falls to the bottom of the ocean, providing a sudden food source. A whale fall has different stages that can last for several years. A dead whale can provide an enormous amount of food for other sea life. It is difficult
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How do homing pigeons know where home is? Homing pigeons know where home is because of their natural GPS system. They also use scents, landmarks, and sounds. Homing pigeons have been used by people since before we had a regular postal service. The first recorded homing pigeon was used in 1350 BC, over 3,000 years
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Do flying fish really fly? No, flying fish don’t really fly, but they can glide through the air for some considerable distance. Flying fish are sometimes known as flying cod, but they are not cod. When cooked, they are said to taste like cod, which could be where the nickname comes from. They are a
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What is the honeybee waggle dance? Honeybees do a waggle dance to communicate the distance and the direction away from the hive of a patch of flowers. It demonstrates that bees can remember information, communicate that information, and that other bees can understand it. It is a fairly complex type of communication. When you think
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Why do we blush? We blush in response to emotions such as embarrassment, stress, and shame. Why we blush is a much more difficult question than how we blush, so let’s look at that first. How we blush is fairly straightforward. The red color of a blush is brought about by the dilation of blood
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Why do birds sing at dawn? Birds seem to sing at dawn to mark their territory and to attract mates. Birds also sing at dusk, but the majority of singing is at dawn. This is called the “Dawn Chorus” and it is more common in the spring, breeding season, than at other times of the
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Why do locusts swarm? Locusts swarm because they come into contact with other locusts. This seems like a chicken and an egg problem. Locusts swarm because they come into contact with other locusts, and they come into contact with other locusts because they swarm. A locust swarm can be a terrible sight to behold. There
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How is wombat poo cube shaped? They have a very elastic intestinal tract, which shapes their poo into 2 cm cubes. Wombats are four-legged marsupials that are native to Australia. They are low to the ground and weigh about 35 kg, giving them a low center of gravity. A lot of different types of wombats
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