Happy May!
Sabastian Sawe from Kenya just set a new world record at the London Marathon, finishing in under two hours! It took amazing strength, discipline, and some very special shoes.
Here’s what we’ve got this week:
TRIVIA
Strongest bite? 😬
Which animal has the strongest bite?
(Explanation at the end!)
ANIMAL FOCUS
Alligators: Superpowered eaters 🐊
They can regrow parts of their tails! They can’t regrow the whole thing like lizards can, but they can regrow about 9 inches. That makes them the largest animal known to regenerate body parts! 🐊
They can digest bones and shells! Their stomach acid is strong enough to break down bones, turtle shells, and hooves! 🦴
They have super strong immune systems! Their blood has special molecules that kill even antibiotic-resistant bacteria! 🧬
They can hold their breath for 1-2 hours! They do this by slowing their heart to just a few beats per minute and sending most of their oxygen to the brain. 🧠
They have one of the strongest bites on Earth! Their bite reaches about 3,000 PSI, which is almost 5 times stronger than a lion’s. 😬
EVER WONDER?
Where do scars come from? 🩹
What causes scars?
Your skin has three layers.
Small cuts that only affect the top layer usually heal without scars. But for deeper cuts, your body has a stronger response, and that’s when a scar forms.
How do scars form?
When you get a cut, blood rushes in to fight germs and stop the bleeding. The blood then dries into a scab. Under the scab, special cells called fibroblasts build strong collagen fibers to close the wound.
A scar is made of this thick collagen. It’s tougher than normal skin and doesn’t grow hair or have sweat glands. The collagen stays for life as your body’s way of making sure the hurt area is strong enough to fight future cuts and keep infections out.
PICKS OF THE WEEK
🦭 A 2,000-pound sea lion named Chonkers
🍞 Why bread causes weight gain (not because of calories)
BRAIN TRIVIA
Code breakers: Find the correct 4-digit code using the numbers 1-9, with no repeats. (Hint: There are two potential answers)
1 8 5 7 - 1 digit is correct and in the correct position
2 6 3 4 - 2 digits are correct and in the correct positions
9 2 1 3 - 3 digits are correct but all in the wrong positions
5 8 7 2 - None of the digits are correct
You made it to the end! See you next week!
- Steve
P.S. Great white sharks have the strongest bite at about 4,000 PSI (pounds per square inch) - stronger than crocodiles (3,700 PSI), lions (650-1,000 PSI), and tigers (1,000 PSI).
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