- Children of identical twins are genetically siblings, not cousins
Cousins whose parents are identical twins share 25 percent of their DNA, instead of the usual 12.5 percent. While full-siblings share 50 percent of their DNA, half-siblings share 25 percent. That’s why, though children of identical twins are legally cousins, they are genetically the equivalent of half-siblings.
- It would only take one hour to drive to space
If you got into your car, turned on the ignition and drove up to the sky at 60 mph, it would take just one hour to get to outer space, according to astronomer Fred Hoyle. Of course, that’s if you could drive on a vertical angle and all. But it sure is fun to think about!
- A cloud can weigh more than a million pounds
Clouds are not as light and fluffy as they appear. In fact, researchers have found that a single cloud weighs about 1.1 million pounds. How do they know? Well, that number is calculated by taking the water density of a cloud and multiplying it by its volume. Fortunately, the cloud can still “float” at that weight because the air below it is even heavier.
- The Queen owns all the swans in England
According to British law, any unclaimed swan swimming in the open waters of England and Wales belongs to the Queen. The law originated in medieval times when swans were a delicacy for the wealthy, but it still stands today. Queen Elizabeth II also upholds a centuries-old tradition with the swans: Every year during the third week of July, all the swans in the River Thames are counted for the Queen in a practice called “Swan Upping.”
- Bumblebees can fly higher than Mount Everest
If you thought it was impressive that humans can make it to the top of Mount Everest, you’ll be stunned to find out that bumblebees can make it to the summit too. Researchers who tracked two bees that were able to fly at more than 29,525 feet (or 9,000 meters, which is higher than Everest) admitted that they were “shocked at how high they could fly.”
