Happy Wednesday!
El Niño just helped the Pacific Ocean hit a record temperature (not a good record)! Plus, the evolution of child car seats (some were outside the car)!
Here’s what we’ve got this week:
TRIVIA
The law says what?? 👀
Which of these state laws is real?
Explanation at the end!
ANIMAL FOCUS
Axolotls 🩷
Axolotls may look like they’re always smiling, but they’re full of surprises. Here are 5 fun facts:
In the wild, they’re only found in one place in the world! They live in the canals of Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City. They’re critically endangered, with fewer than 1,000 left in the wild! 🌎
They come in all kinds of colors! Wild axolotls are usually dark brown or black, which helps them hide from predators. Pink, white, and gold ones were bred by people. 🖤
Axolotls have way more DNA than humans! Their DNA has about 32 billion “letters,” nearly 10 times more than humans! In 2018, it became the biggest genome (an animal’s full set of DNA) ever decoded. 🧬
They can regrow parts of their heart and brain! Axolotls can also repair a hurt spinal cord and parts of their eyes. They can even regrow a whole leg (bones, muscles, and nerves) in just a few weeks! 🧠
An axolotl mom can lay up to 1,000 eggs! She sticks them onto rocks and plants one at a time. The babies hatch about 2 weeks later, without any help from mom or dad. 🥚
Want more? Get the rest of our facts, including how they never grow up!
EVER WONDER?
Is it bad to swallow gum? 🫧
Have you ever heard that swallowed gum stays in your stomach for 7 years? Here’s what really happens:
Does it really stay for 7 years? 📷
Nope! Doctors have used tiny cameras to look inside people’s bellies. When they do spot gum, it’s almost never more than a week old.
So where does it go? 🍿
Your body breaks down the sugar and flavor, just like food. 🍬
The gum base (the stretchy, rubbery part) can’t be digested. Your stomach acid and enzymes (tiny helpers that chop up food) can’t break it down. 🧪
So your gut just keeps moving it along and it comes out in your poop a few days later, just like corn kernels! 💩
Swallowing gum once in a while is harmless. But what happens if you swallow a lot? Here’s the catch…
FROM STEVE
New downloads page! 📣
Looking for more? Check out our new downloads page for animal facts, science trivia, and animal jeopardy!
PICKS OF THE WEEK
👱 Why blond hair gets darker as we get older
🧔 The real point of beards
🐢 Sea turtles taking naps in giant sponges
BRAIN TRIVIA
Logic puzzle: It’s pitch dark, and your sock drawer has 10 black socks and 10 white socks all mixed up. How many socks do you need to grab to be sure you have a matching pair? 🧦
(Hint: You don’t need a pair of a certain color. Any matching pair works!)
Michael Stavrakakis | World Nature Photography Awards
Thanks for reading! Stay curious!
- Steve
P.S. The city of Gainesville, Georgia, actually passed a law making it illegal to eat fried chicken with a fork, but that’s only a city law and not a state law. 😄
P.P.S. Have an animal or science question? Just hit reply and tell us!