From Blinking Eyes to Stormy Skies: Nature’s Fascinating Facts

• How do venomous animals avoid poisoning themselves?
Hashem created amazing ways for venomous animals to stay safe from their own poison. For example, snakes have a one-way system that sends venom out only toward their target. Some animals carry two separate harmless substances that only become toxic when mixed during an attack. Vipers even produce a special protein that protects them from their own venom.

• How do crickets make their chirping sound?
It’s not their mouths making that familiar chirping sound. Crickets create it by rubbing their back legs against a tough part of their wings, kind of like a violin bow rubbing on strings (but with a very different tune!).

• What role does evaporation play in nature?
Evaporation is a key part of the water cycle. On warm days, water from lakes, seas, and rivers rises into the air and forms clouds. These clouds can later bring rain, helping water return to the ground.

• Is skin the same thickness all over the body?
Not at all. Skin is the largest organ in our body, but it’s not the same everywhere. On areas like our fingers and the soles of our feet, places we use and touch a lot—skin is thicker. On delicate spots like our eyelids, the skin is much thinner.

• How do scientists predict hurricanes?
Special weather airplanes, sometimes called “hurricane hunters,” fly right into storms to collect important data. They’re equipped with radars and computers that measure wind, air pressure, and other details to help predict how big a storm will get and where it might go.

• Why do we blink so often?
Blinking happens without us even thinking about it. It helps clean and protect our eyes, washing away dust or irritants. Each blink lasts just a third to half a second, and most of us blink every 2 to 10 seconds.

• What is a bezoar, and why did kings use it?
A bezoar is a kind of stone that forms in the stomachs of mountain goats. In the past, people believed some bezoars could cancel out poisons especially arsenic. That’s why kings often wore jewelry with a bezoar stone and dipped it into drinks to check if they were safe.