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Flamingos don't use their knees to bend their leg
When you see these majestic birds bend their legs, they're not actually using their knees. The bendy bit is actually their ankle, while their knee is hidden away. So now you know. Two flamingos |
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It would take 19 minutes to fall to the earth's centre!
This is something that scientists have worked out using sums, rather than get a brave person to dig a very deep hole and time them using a stopwatch. |
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Humans spend ages brushing their teeth
If you brush your teeth for a few minutes after meals, it soon adds up. In fact, the average human will spend around 40 days brushing their teeth during their life. Brushing teeth |
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Hippopotamus means 'river horse' in Greek
The word 'hippopotamus means 'river horse' and is often shortened to 'hippo'. Want another hippo fact? OK, then. Even though hippos have numerous collective nouns, 'bloat' is the most common. |
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There's a name for the phobia of bananas
If you guessed that it's called bananaphobia, then you'd be right. How did you guess? Some people don't like to touch them and the smell is enough to send people out of a room, but this banana drama is an uncommon phobia. |
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Ice is stronger than a rock
If water falls into a crack in a rock, it will expand as it freezes and could eventually split it! This is called frost wedging. Like an icy wedgie for rocks. |
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Cumulus clouds are really heavy
We've often gone for a walk on a nice day and paused to appreciate the fluffy clouds, but the truth is, they weigh a lot! Because they're so big and made of water, scientists have calculated that they weigh 1.1 million pounds on average! Do not try to pick these up under any circumstances or you'll hurt your back. |
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Toilet paper was first sold in 1857
While humans have always wiped their bums with leaves and moss, the first toilet paper to be sold in shops was thanks to a man in America called Joseph Gayetty. His product was named 'Medicated Paper for the Water-Closet' and charged grateful New Yorkers just 50 cents for a whopping 500 sheets. A man holding lots of toilet rolls |
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There's a type of frog who can hold a wee in for months
Next time you're on a long car journey and bursting to go to the toilet, think of the wood frog, who can hold in a wee for 8 months! The amphibian doesn't use the toilet during the winter – part of the urine known as urea is turned into nitrogen which helps it survive while it hibernates. |
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The Hollywood sign used to say something else
In 1923, this iconic sign originally said Hollywoodland and was used to advertise new housing in the area. The 'land' part of the sign was removed in 1949 after local residents complained that it looked like "an eyesore". |
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