Did You Know? Fun Facts From Deep Caves to Raisins

• Did you know where the world's deepest cave is located?
In the Caucasus Mountains of Abkhazia, there’s a cave called Krubera Voronya. It’s the deepest cave in the world and is sometimes called the "Everest of Caves"—just like Everest is the highest mountain, this cave goes incredibly deep underground. Every few years, scientists dig a little deeper, and today it’s over 2,140 meters deep.

• Did you know what materials can be used to make electricity?
Oil, coal, and natural gas can all be burned to produce energy. The big difference between them is how much they pollute the air. Coal pollutes the most, and natural gas the least. The cleanest way to make electricity is with sunlight and it doesn’t pollute the air at all.

• Did you know why flowers produce nectar?
Nectar is a sweet liquid made by flowers to attract insects. While insects drink the nectar, some of the flower’s pollen sticks to them. As they visit other flowers, they help with pollination, which helps the plants grow more flowers and fruit. Bees also use nectar to make honey.

• Did you know there’s a tunnel that connects two continents?
Yes! It’s called the Bosphorus Tunnel, and it’s in Turkey. Turkey is located between two continents, and the city of Istanbul sits on both. The Bosphorus Strait separates the two sides, but this tunnel about 13 kilometers long and 60 meters deep connects them. The trip takes just 4 minutes!

• Did you know what parallax is?
Parallax is a cool effect we see when moving fast, close objects seem to rush by, while far-away ones move slowly. This helps us understand how far away things are, even in space. Today, this idea is also used in making 3D computer graphics.

• Did you know who invented Braille?
Braille is the special system of raised dots that allows blind people to read and write using their fingers. It was invented in 1824 by Louis Braille, a young blind student from France, who wanted to make reading easier for the blind.

• Did you know how raisins are made?
It’s actually very simple. Grapes are laid out in the sun for a few days, and the heat dries them out. That’s how they shrink and turn into raisins. Even after drying, they stay tasty and can last a long time.