From Flying Birds to Wound Healing: Nature’s Amazing Secrets

• Did you know what's special about the equator?
The equator is an invisible line that goes around the middle of the Earth, between the North and South Poles. Near the equator, days and nights are always about the same length, 12 hours each. Sunrises and sunsets happen very quickly there, and water drains straight down instead of spinning.

• Did you know which bird flies the highest?
It’s the Southern Vulture! On average, it flies at about 6 kilometers high, but in 1973, one even flew into a plane at a height of 11.3 kilometers.

• Did you know what creates electricity?
Power stations make electricity by burning things like oil, coal, or gas. Oil and coal cause a lot of air pollution, while gas is cleaner. The best option is solar energy, which comes from the sun. It’s cheaper, healthier, and better for the planet.

• Did you know the Netherlands has its own Venice?
The Dutch village of Giethoorn is known as the “Venice of the Netherlands.” It’s built on canals, with little bridges connecting the homes. People travel around the village by boat, just like in Venice, Italy.

• Did you know how a thermometer works?
Old thermometers used mercury, a silver liquid that rises when it gets warm. But mercury is poisonous if it leaks out. That’s why many people use digital thermometers today. Still, mercury ones are known for being very accurate.

• Did you know how plastic is recycled?
Plastic doesn’t break down easily and can harm the environment. That’s why recycling is so important. First, plastic is sorted by type and color. Then it’s cleaned and melted into raw material to make new plastic items.

• Did you know how wounds heal?
When you get a cut, blood comes out but your body quickly starts to fix it. Blood has special clotting agents that help it thicken and stop the bleeding. Then, new skin grows underneath, and the old scab eventually falls off.