Fact 1: Bananas Are Berries But Strawberries Aren’t

Yes, you read that right. According to botanical definitions, a berry develops from the ovary of a single flower with a seed or seeds embedded in the flesh. Applying these criteria, bananas are classified as berries. In contrast, strawberries originate from the “aggregate” of a flower. They contain seeds on their outer flesh, which technically makes them not berries.

Fact 2: A Day on Venus Is Longer Than A Year on Venus

Here’s a fact to blow your mind: a day in Venus, based on its rotational speed, lasts about 243 Earth days. On the other side, it takes Venus only 225 Earth days to orbit around the Sun. This makes a Venusian day longer than a Venusian year!

Fact 3: You Can’t Hum While Holding Your Nose

Go ahead, give it a try. When humming, sound can be produced due to the air movement in the nasal passages. When those passages are closed by holding your nose, humming becomes physically impossible.

Fact 4: A Snail Can Sleep for Three Years

Our hectic lifestyle demands energy, time, and effort. In contrast, certain species of snails can hibernate for up to three years. These small creatures reduce their metabolic rates to save energy and subsequently, prolong their life spans.

Fact 5: The Eiffel Tower Can Shrink

When it gets cold, the monument made of iron can shrink by about six inches due to the contraction of the metal at lower temperatures. Conversely, it can also expand slightly in the hot summer months.

Fact 6: Dinosaurs Lived on Every Continent

Paleontologists have found dinosaur fossils all over the world, including Antarctica. In fact, it’s presumed that some areas were teaming with different species of these enormous creatures during the Mesozoic Era.

Fact 7: One Piece of Paper Can Be Folded No More Than 7 Times

While it might seem unbelievable, it’s mostly true. It’s almost impossible to fold a piece of regular-sized paper more than seven times due to geometric progression and the prohibitive thickness that would result.

Fact 8: Humans Share About 50% of DNA with Bananas

In an unlikely comparison, humans share nearly 50% of their DNA with bananas, highlighting how fundamentally similar all life forms are. Genetically speaking, all living organisms share DNA to some extent as DNA provides the same function in all forms of life.

Fact 9: There Are More Possible Chess Game Moves Than Atoms in the Universe

Chess, with its complex set of rules and near-endless outcomes, has more potential game scenarios than there are atoms in the entire universe. Mathematicians estimate that the number of unique chess games is around 10^120, compared to “only” 10^78 to 10^82 atoms in the visible universe.

Fact 10: The Shortest War in History Lasted 40-45 Minutes

Recorded as the shortest war in history, the Anglo-Zanzibar War in 1896, fought between the United Kingdom and the Sultanate of Zanzibar, lasted only between 40 to 45 minutes. This swift skirmish ended with Zanzibar’s surrender to Britain, making it a seldom-mentioned yet truly remarkable event in world history.

We might live in a world full of illusions, but there’s always room for disbelieving facts to shatter our perceived realities. From the botanical world to the cosmos, from the animal kingdom to human creations, these unbelievable facts remind us how fascinating our world truly is.