7 Surprising Facts About Animals, Inventions, and the World Around You

Your Cell Phone Works Like a Radio
A cell phone is a lot like a radio. Just like how a taxi driver talks to a dispatcher, your phone uses radio signals to connect you to someone else. Each call gets its own special frequency, so lots of people can talk at the same time without getting mixed up.

The Biggest Animal Lives in the Water
The blue whale is the largest animal in the world. It can grow up to 108 feet long, that’s longer than three school buses lined up!

Not All Bees Live in Hives
Some kinds of wild bees don’t live in big hives. Instead, they live alone and build little nests in the ground, trees, or inside plant stems. That’s where they lay their eggs.

You Smell More Than You Taste
Your sense of smell is much stronger than your sense of taste. Smells come from tiny scent particles that float into your nose and send messages to your brain even if the smell isn’t so nice!

Elephants Really Do Have Thick Skin
The saying “elephant skin” means someone who isn’t easily hurt or bothered. That comes from real elephants, their skin can be up to one inch thick and full of wrinkles. It helps them walk through rough places without getting hurt.

The First Contact Lenses Were Dreamed Up 500 Years Ago
The first idea for contact lenses came from Leonardo da Vinci! He noticed that vision changes underwater and tried using water-filled cups to help people see better. The first working lenses were made 120 years ago, and plastic lenses came after World War II.

Cats Almost Always Land on Their Feet
When a cat falls, it has a special balance system in its ears that tells the brain where its head is. The brain quickly tells the rest of the body what to do, so the cat can twist and land safelyo n its feet, of course!