Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction! The world is full of facts that sound unbelievable the first time you hear them — yet they are completely true. Today we have brought you ten such weird but well-documented facts. Get ready, because by the end of this article you will have a whole treasure chest for amazing your friends.

1–3. The Secrets of Honey, the Octopus and the Banana

Honey never spoils: Honey found in ancient Egyptian tombs, three thousand years old, was reportedly found by experts to still be edible! With very low moisture and natural acidity, bacteria simply cannot survive in it.
The octopus has three hearts: Yes, really! Two hearts pump blood to the gills and one serves the rest of the body. Even stranger, the main heart stops beating while the octopus swims — which is why octopuses prefer crawling to swimming.
A banana is actually a berry: By the botanical definition, a banana is a “berry” — while the strawberry, which has “berry” in its name, is not a true berry at all! Even the world of science has a sense of humour.

4–6. The Puzzle of Hot Water, the Ostrich and the Wombat

Hot water can freeze faster than cold water: This is called the “Mpemba effect”. Under certain conditions, hot water turns to ice before cold water does — an observation that puzzled scientists for a very long time.
An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain: The world’s largest bird has eyes roughly the size of billiard balls, while its brain is comparatively small. Its eyesight, however, is absolutely superb.
Wombat droppings are cube-shaped: This Australian animal produces cube-shaped droppings and uses them to mark its territory — another of nature’s marvels!

7–8. Your Heartbeat and Your Tongue Print

Your heart beats about 100,000 times a day: and your blood vessels are so long that, joined together, they could circle the Earth several times over.
Your tongue print is unique too: just as every person’s fingerprints are different, the structure and print of the tongue is also unique to each individual.

9–10. The Flamingo’s Colour and the Banana’s Secret

Flamingos are not born pink: their chicks are grey; the pink colour comes from pigments in their food — small shrimp and special algae. Change the diet, and the colour fades.
Bananas are very slightly radioactive: bananas contain potassium, a tiny fraction of which is naturally radioactive — don’t worry, the amount is completely harmless. Scientists jokingly even measure radiation in “banana equivalent doses”!

So, how did you like these facts? How many did you already know? Tell us your score in the comments, and definitely send this article to that one friend who thinks they “know everything” — today is their test!