10 Science Facts That Changed the World—And a Few That Might

Here are a few science facts that actually shaped the world we live in today or at least contributed to it. There are also a few bits of knowledge here that we thought you might find interesting that can be related to science indirectly. Let us know in the comments which ones are your favorite!

1. China’s Focus on Ceramics Delayed Their Use of Glass in Science

There are pieces of evidence that tell us that China focused a lot more on the use of ceramics than the use of glass. From the 1300s to the 1800s, China did not focus as much on making glass unlike the western civilization.

People believe that this contributed to their scientific development being slower because glass is necessary to create some scientific instruments such as miscrocopes and telescopes. Glass is also important in everyday lives such as mirrors, windows and lenses.

China did make glass during the 1300s to 1800s, according to other sources but it is not as prevalent as their use of ceramics. Did you find this random science fact interesting?

Source: Eastern Art Consultants Inc.

2. The “Shower Effect” Explains Why Ideas Strike During Simple Tasks

Have you ever showered and then suddenly got a brilliant idea? Did you know that this is a real phenomenon that many people experience? It is now called the “shower effect,” and studies have shown that it is real.

The simple reason for this is that during a shower, our brain relaxes and starts wandering about many different things, and when we let our imagination run as wild as it can be, creativity happens. That is when the shower effect happens.

One brilliant scientist you might know actually left us this quote:

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”

– Albert Einstein

Source: Tub Theraphy

3. Your Brain Recycles Itself Using a Cleaning Process Called Phagocytosis

Have you ever heard that your brain can eat itself? Well, technically, it is correct; in some instances, your brain can actually eat parts of itself, a process called phagocytosis.

This process refers to the brain’s breaking down and recycling little bits of itself to stay healthy. In other words, it is cleaning itself by removing old or damaged parts.

This phenomenon is important so our brain can work well and not get clogged up with all these parts or bits that are now useless or inefficient. So, did you know this fact, that your brain can eat itself? Let us know!

Source: Portlandpress.com

4. One High School in New York Has More Nobel Prize Winners Than Entire Countries

Would you believe that a high school can have more Nobel Prize winners than actual developed countries like Spain and China? This is actually true of the Bronx High School of Science in New York.

This specific high school has nine graduates who won Nobel Prizes. Some examples are Leon N. Cooper, Sheldon L. Glashow, Steven Weinberg, and Melvin Schwartz. All of them got their Nobel Prize in the field of Physics.

Do you think going to that high school would also increase your odds of winning a Nobel prize? Let us know your thoughts!

Source: Wikipedia

5. Sleep Helps Your Brain Remove Toxic Waste and Stay Clear

This fact is related to the one above, but one new thing about it is that our brain actually cleans itself during our sleep time. Basically, if you stop sleeping, this trash, such as waste from your brain cells and damage little parts, will build up and make it harder for you to think clearly.

You probably already know this science fact with instincts alone. Sleeping is one of the healthiest things we can do for our bodies. So, make it a priority!

Source: Harvard Health

6. Your Eyes Use a Recycling System That Sends Molecules to the Liver

Retinal a form of Vitamin A is crucial for our vision. It is actually processed and stored in our liver. This fact tells us that our eyes and liver actually communicate and work together more than we are aware of.

This fact is much more complicated to explain in simple words, but if you want to learn more you can head on to this source below.

Source: National Institutes of Health

7. Humans Have Used Science for Only a Tiny Fraction of Our History

A single human generation is generally considered to be around 20 to 30 years, and humans have only been around on this planet for about 125,000 generations.

However, we actually just started using modern science about 500 generations ago, and our bodies in modern times have only been developed for about 7,500 generations.

If you think of a generation as your own life and the next generation to be our kid’s lives, this fact makes it seem that we are a very young species that is just starting to figure out this planet and this universe.

Source: Springer

8. Schrödinger’s Cat Was Meant to Show How Strange Quantum Physics Sounds

You are probably familiar with Schrodinger’s cat, which tells us that a cat can both be alive or not in his box regardless of whether you open it or not. This is actually not about the cat, but he just wants to explain the theories of quantum physics to the average human.

Basically, the concept is that a particle can be in two states at once until they are observed. Similar to the cat, they can be alive or dead in that box until the box is opened and we observe it.

This is actually a good explanation of how quantum physics works, but since most people love cats, it became more about that. Did you understand what Schrodinger’s cats are all about before reading this fact?

Source: The Average Scientist

9. Nitrogen Triiodide Can Explode from the Lightest Touch

Nitrogen Triiodide is an inorganic compound that is very contact sensitive. It is so unstable that if a feather touched it or was moved by the air slightly, it will explode and cause a loud pop and release a purple gas.

It actually does not have any commercial uses because it is impossible to store, utilize, or transport because of the said qualities. The majority of its usage is now for scientific experiments and for educational purposes only.

Source: Wikipedia

10. Gregor Mendel’s Pea Plants Laid the Foundation for Modern Genetics

Did you know that Gregor Mendel figured out how traits are being passed on from parents to offspring by studying more than 28,000 pea plants? With this study, we can classify him as one of the people who started our understanding of modern genetics.

But one cool fact about him is that the scientific community did not actually value his work for more than 40 years, and it has almost been lost. It was rediscovered later on and became one of the foundations of science.

Do you wonder how many scientists and scientific works right now are being ignored that might actually change our understanding of how the world works or contribute to how we can evolve in the future?

Source: Nature.com

Author's Final Thoughts

Science is full of wonderful and interesting facts that we can trace back to historical times. If you enjoyed reading and exploring these little bits of information, you can find more in our science facts section.

Related: 10 Incredible Facts About Science Through History