Surprising Facts About Dogs, Volcanoes, and the Ocean

• Did you know the Cape of Good Hope was found by accident?
This famous spot at the tip of Africa was discovered when Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias set sail in the late 1400s. A strong storm blew his ships off course, nearly sinking them. But when the storm cleared, he spotted the Cape in front of him completely by surprise.

• How do we know how deep the sea is?
The ocean isn’t the same depth everywhere. To figure out how deep it is, scientists use sound waves. These waves travel through the water and bounce back. By timing how long it takes for them to return, we can measure the depth.

• What is a volcanic plug?
Sometimes, after a volcano erupts, thick magma stays stuck inside its opening. Over time, this hardens and forms a kind of “plug,” which blocks the volcano’s mouth and stops it from erupting again.

• What was the first car to break the sound barrier?
In 1970, a racing car called the “Blue Flame” reached an incredible speed of 1,014 km/h—faster than the speed of sound! It had a rocket engine like a jet or spaceship and broke the world record.

• Where is the painted desert?
The Painted Desert is in northern Arizona, USA. It got its name because of the beautiful colors in its rock layers. These colors come from different minerals, like iron and magnesium, that create shades of red, orange, purple, and more.

• Why do dogs suddenly lift their ears?
If you’ve ever seen a dog perk up its ears for no reason, chances are it’s hearing or smelling something we don’t notice. Dogs have a much stronger sense of hearing and smell than we do, so they react to things we often miss.

• Can music help plants grow?
Yes! Studies have shown that plants exposed to music grow taller than plants that grow in silence. It doesn’t seem to matter what kind of music it is, just having music in the background helps them thrive.