r>1. The shortest war in history lasted only 38 minutes. On August 27, 1896, the Anglo-Zanzibar War between the United Kingdom and the Sultanate of Zanzibar began at 9:02 a.m. and ended at 9:40 a.m. the same day. The British, with their superior firepower, quickly overwhelmed the Zanzibar forces and destroyed the Sultan's palace. This brief war still holds the record for the shortest in recorded history.
2. Turtles can breathe through their butts. Turtles have cloacal bursae, which are sacs located near their cloaca that absorb oxygen from the water. This means that turtles can stay submerged underwater for long periods of time without coming up for air, and can even breathe through their butts!
3. Lobsters have blue blood. Unlike humans and most other animals, lobsters have a unique respiratory pigment called hemocyanin, which uses copper instead of iron to transport oxygen in the blood. This gives their blood a bluish tint, and allows lobsters to thrive in cold, oxygen-poor environments.
4. The longest word in English has 189,819 letters. The chemical name for the protein titin is often cited as the longest word in the English language. While it technically has over 189,000 letters, it is rarely used outside of the scientific community.
5. A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance. Flamingos are known for their vibrant pink feathers and their tendency to gather in large groups. These groups, which can number in the hundreds or even thousands, are called a flamboyance.
6. The world's largest snowflake was 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick. According to the Guinness World Records, the largest snowflake on record fell in Montana in the United States on January 28, 188
7. It was 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick!
7. A blue whale's heart is the size of a small car. Blue whales are the largest animals on Earth, with some individuals measuring up to 100 feet long! Their massive size also means that their heart is incredibly large, with a weight of around 400 pounds and a size comparable to a small car.
8. The Great Wall of China is not visible from space. Contrary to popular belief, the Great Wall of China cannot be seen from space with the naked eye. While it is a formidable feat of engineering and stretches for thousands of miles, it is not visible from low Earth orbit without aid from a telescope or other technology.