Bats make up 20% of all mammal species, ranging from the smallest (the bumblebee bat, the smallest mammal in the world, that weighs less than a dime) to the largest (the large flying fox, which has a 5.6 foot wingspan)! 🪙

Bats are excellent pest controllers. A single little brown bat can eat 1,000 mosquitoes per hour! 🪰

Bats are the only flying mammals! Flying squirrels get close, but they only glide. 🐿️

Bats sleep upside down due to their unique anatomy. Their talons naturally grip when relaxed, so they can hang without using any energy. Also, bats can’t launch into flight from the ground like birds. So, when they hang upside down, that gives them a takeoff advantage because gravity can help them gain momentum when they drop to fly! 🦇

While bats famously use echolocation, they actually have excellent eyesight! Some bats rely more on sight than echolocation, and others can even see ultraviolet light! Bats’ eyes also have a high number of specialized rod cells, which helps them see better at night than humans. 👀

Sunlight includes all colors of light! When they combine, they appear white - which is why sunlight looks white. ☀️

As light enters Earth's atmosphere, it collides with air particles, scattering light in all directions. Because blue light has one of the shortest wavelengths, it scatters the most. (Violet actually has a shorter wavelength, but the sun emits more blue than violet.) ☁️

The cells (iPRGCs) in our eyes are more sensitive to blue light. (These cells also affect our circadian rhythm, which is why blue light from our screens affects our sleep!) 👁️

So, because blue light scatters more and our eyes are more sensitive to blue light, the sky looks blue to us! 💙

Unwrap the fresh bar of Ivory soap and place in a microwave-safe bowl

Microwave on high for 2 minutes

Watch the soap grow and expand!

WARNING: once the microwave timer goes off, let the bowl cool down before touching - it will be hot!