Scientific research can uncover exciting and new revelations that can be used to improve humanity. However, sometimes researchers explore comical questions, such as whether chickens can distinguish beautiful people or why ketchup always gets stuck in the bottle. Although some of the findings below don’t have immediate or practical uses, they are interesting and hilarious nonetheless.
Flea Olympics
The only thing pet owners care about when their animal has fleas is how to get rid of them. Yet, some researchers wondered if different species of fleas can jump higher. Fleas are excellent jumpers who can jump distances over a hundred times their body length. In the experiment, the dog flea, or Ctenocephalides canis, took home the gold. Better luck next year, cat fleas.
Do Woodpeckers Get Headaches?
Woodpeckers can hammer 20 times a second into a tree, up to 12,000 times daily. One might assume that these birds would suffer from headaches like humans do when we aren’t pounding our noses against a tree. However, one researcher discovered that woodpeckers have specific physiological adaptations that prevent serious brain injuries. In addition to having a hard skull, woodpeckers have small brains, which explains a lot.
Unethical Philosophers
In 2009, a researcher noticed that many books on philosophy were missing from the university library, prompting the question: Are philosophy books more likely to be stolen? The short answer is yes. According to the study, philosophy titles are 50 times more likely to go missing than any other subject. Professor of Philosophy Eric Schwitzgebel concluded this was for the best—if the public demanded philosophers to be the perfect model for moral behavior, it would have profound implications for the study of ethics.
Buttered Toast
In the 1990s, physicist Robert Mathews studied an unusual phenomenon: When buttered and dropped from at least 3 feet high, toast consistently landed butter-side down. He discovered that the thickness of the butter increased the likelihood of this happening. Although the findings don’t lend themselves to practical applications, the research has been used to help improve the transportability of food items. It has also helped manufacturers design packaging to protect their products during a spill.
Who Wants Cat Food?
Cats are known to be fussy eaters. If they don’t like something, they won’t eat it, making them troublesome for researchers trying to predict how their cat food will perform in the market. Professor Gary Pickering of the Department of Biological Science at Brock University in Ontario, Canada, discovered that humans were taste testers for cat food products more than cats. That’s because of our complex palettes; we have a broader flavor profile, which is better for testing new products. Brock University students, be wary of ads on campus looking for taste testers.
Bar Brawl
In the movies, we’ve seen bar fights where someone gets hit over the head with a bottle. But did you know how much damage it inflicts? It depends on whether the bottle is full. In 2009, researchers from the University of Bern discovered that full beer bottles provided the most force, almost 70 percent more than an empty bottle. If, by happenstance, you happen to find yourself involved in a bar brawl, use a full bottle versus an empty one. But we don’t condone violence.
Chickens Prefer Good-looking Farmers
Want to know if you are beautiful? Ask a chicken. That’s what researchers from Stockholm University found in 2002 when they saw chickens react to images of human faces. In the study, they found that the chickens agreed with their human counterparts who were shown the same people, providing evidence that human preferences may spawn from general properties of our nervous systems rather than purely being a social construct—chicken, chicken in the coop, who is the fairest of them all.
Pigeons As Art Critics?
In 1995, researchers studied pattern recognition in pigeons by training them to respond to different artwork. Their findings show that despite their small brains, pigeons can categorize paintings by Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso. They could even distinguish artwork by art styles such as abstractism and realism. These results helped inform algorithms used by artificial intelligence.
C’mon Drive!
Have you ever sat in traffic, expecting to see an accident at the other end, but discovered there was no reason for the backup? These “phantom traffic jams” became the focus of researchers who were curious about the phenomenon. On a circular track, they watched cars drive around until the drivers had to reduce their speed to avoid collision. The mathematical models derived from the experiment helped manufacturers to develop more efficient cruise control functions on vehicles, as well as assist urban planners in designing better roadways.
Penguin Poop
A research paper published in 2003 examined an unlikely topic: penguin poop. The authors discovered just how much pressure a penguin can generate when they relieve themselves. They calculated that penguins use up to 60 kPa (kilopascals), making them a canon for projecting poop. While the implications aren’t entirely clear, we know to stand far away from a penguin’s behind.
Mosquitoes Like Humans, and Cheese
In 1996, a researcher named Bart Knols wanted to study which odors attract mosquitoes. While the pests are prone to bite human feet and ankles, he found that they were equally attracted to Limburger cheese, which produces an odor similar to humans. The research presents a possible lure that could keep mosquitoes away.
Sword Swallowing
While there’s no question that sword swallowing is a dangerous occupation, scientists wanted to know more. Brian Whitecomb, a radiologist, conducted a study that looked at the technique of 40 sword swallowers from the Sword Swallowers’ Association International. He discovered that the risk of injury increases significantly when the performer is distracted or adds extra embellishments. This finding does not make me more enthusiastic about ever trying it.
Ketchup
Ketchup is notorious for being a nuisance when poured onto hamburgers or french fries. A group of researchers in the early 2000s wanted to know more about the phenomenon, so they put ketchup through several tests. Their results revealed that ketchup, a non-Newtonian fluid, decreases viscosity when stress is applied. The data has helped manufacturers improve products for condiments and gels and other syrupy fluids like shampoo and body wash.
Fishermen, Beware of Vengeful Fish
In 2016, scientists working with archerfish discovered they can recognize human faces. The fish were trained to identify the same human face in a lineup of images. The findings overturned a long-held belief that only humans possess facial recognition capabilities. Fishermen, beware. Fish might remember you and exact revenge. Uh oh!
Do Ducks Get Wet?
Ducks are aquatic animals that can fly, but how? Don’t they get heavy and weighed down by the water? Well, ducks have a unique exterior that makes them extremely water resistant. In 2010, scientists discovered that their feathers have microscopic structures that trap air and repel water. The findings have helped developers design better swimwear and water-resistant clothing.
Cab Drivers
London cab drivers have the nearly impossible task of remembering the city’s complex roadways. In 2000, a study looked at the brains of London cab drivers and discovered that their hippocampus, the region responsible for memory, is larger than non-cab drivers. That means using different parts of your brain can either strengthen or deteriorate specific structures and functions. Kudos to cab drivers for being able to memorize directions!
