Most elephants weigh less than a blue whale’s tongue? Say what?!
Reddit user ExpiringFrog needed some help. “What mind-blowing (but simple) facts would satisfy a 4-year-old daughter’s daily request for one fact before bedtime?” they asked. Commenters came through, dropping bizarre, funny and truly astonishing bits of knowledge that left even this grown lady stunned. (Including the aforementioned blue whale/elephant factoid.)
To make the daily ritual even more interactive, redditor n0namesareleft suggested asking your kid to “give you one fact in exchange for one fact”, an idea that I love for older children. See if you can surprise each other. You’ll probably both find yourselves becoming more curious about the world around you — and your kid might even bring out his notebook in science class.
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“Herring fish communicate with flatulence.” — swil-phift
They make noise by squeezing air bubbles out of their backsides, which researchers believe could be used for communication.
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“Otters have skin pockets for their favourite rocks.” — CryoWreck
And they use those rocks to crack open clams, crabs and other shellfish on their tummies.
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“Most elephants weigh less than a blue whale’s tongue!” Delica
The marine mammals can be up to 30m long and weigh up to 180 tonnes.
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“Pineapples are a collection of berries.” — Ace_Shades
Check out this time-lapse video of multiple berries stuck together becoming one pineapple.
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“A group of elephants is a parade, a group of owls is a parliament, and a group of wild cats is called a destruction.” —The-Peep-Show
Find even more names for groups of animals here. I enjoy a “business” of ferrets.
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“It rains diamonds on other planets.” — trisometriangle
Diamond rain could be “the most common precipitation in the solar system.”
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“Butterflies smell with their feet.” — scratchybanana
They also taste with their feet. (Though you should tell your kid they can’t try it themselves at the dinner table.)
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“There’s an island in Japan populated by fluffy bunnies.” — Dickcheese_McDoogles
The photos of Ōkunoshima are adorable, but the history of the island is actually pretty dark.
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“A single strand of spaghetti is a spaghetto.” — swil-phift
You’re probably still in shock.
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“Worms have 5 hearts.” — pumpkinadvocate
They are segmented and pump blood throughout their bodies.
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“The red food-colouring (carmine) that’s used in a lot of candy is made up of a kind of beetle.” — pumpkinadvocate
Starbucks stopped using the dye after complaints, though unless you don’t eat animal products or are allergic to cochineal insects (this is rare), it’s totally fine to eat it.
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“Wombat poop is cube-shaped.” — pumpkinadvocate
It has to do with the elasticity of their intestines.
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