Day-to-day life is very repetitive and can often feel boring. However, the world is full of fascinating things, from natural wonders to creative technological innovations, and there’s always something new to discover for those who love to learn.
Speaking of which, here are six cool things you didn’t know existed until now:
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Moon Rainbows
Although moon rainbows are rarely observed, they do exist. Rainbows are caused by light refracting off water droplets in the air, creating the spectrum of light that spreads beautiful colors across the sky after a rainstorm.
Sometimes, the right conditions make this same phenomenon possible at night. Moon rainbows, also known as moonbows, are most often seen near waterfalls on nights with a full moon. They can also appear during rainstorms when the moon is still visible.
Because the moon only gives off a faint light, moonbows usually appear white. However, some long-exposure photographs can capture color in these rainbows. While moonbows are not seen very often, it’s pretty cool to know they exist!
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Pizza Scissors
Instead of a pizza roller, some people cut their pizzas with scissors. In Italy, where pizzas originated, they’re not served already sliced. Guests cut them up with knives to suit their preferences after being served.
It may look a little strange, but scissors are much gentler than a roller on pizza toppings. They also give each person the ability to cut out exactly as much food as they’d like instead of picking and choosing from pre-sliced pieces.
You can cut your pizza apart with utilitarian kitchen scissors or order scissors specifically designed for pizza cutting. Some of these may look a little strange, as they combine scissors and a cake server. Once you start cutting your pizzas this way, you’ll never go back.
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Hummingbird Moth
When you first see a hummingbird moth, you’ll probably feel confused. Like their bird counterparts, hummingbird moths move their wings so quickly that they blur. They are able to hover and maneuver just like hummingbirds, and they often make a similar humming noise.
However, hummingbird moths are smaller than hummingbirds, and they feed on nectar with a long tongue instead of a beak. There are four species of hummingbird moths in North America and many more species living across Europe. In England, these creatures are called Bee Hawk-Moths.
Hummingbird moths follow the traditional moth life cycle, growing from an egg to a caterpillar before spinning a cocoon to stay in over the winter. In warmer climates, there are usually two generations of these moths per year. Next time you think you see a hummingbird, double-check!
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Asian Tissue Bank
HansGBR is an Asian company that markets products from the intersection of biomedicine and cosmetology. Their products are backed by extensive research, and the company has many partnerships with healthcare professionals and other scientists in the biomedical field.
HansGBR has buildings in ten different countries and stays up to date on legal requirements for working within this industry. Among other things, this company supplies healthcare professionals with the materials needed for regenerative dentistry and bone grafting.
Once healthcare professionals are approved by the company, they can order bone graft materials and other related materials through their website. Who knew you could order bone tissue through the mail?
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Pelican Spiders
These spiders are too cool to be creepy. Pelican spiders live in Africa and Australia and stay very small. In profile, they don’t even look like spiders – they have a long neck with matching pincers that make them look like a pelican when at rest.
Instead of spinning their own webs to catch prey, pelican spiders hunt other spiders. They follow silk trails left by other spiders until they locate a web. Then, they wait to impale the web’s owner on their long pincers. Once pelican spiders catch their prey, they use their long pincers to hold it far away until it’s full of poison and ready to eat.
Pelican spiders’ mouths are located at the base of their neck, in the perfect position to receive food stuck to the end of their pincers. Although this species of spider is very old, many of its species are still wandering their continents undescribed.
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Central Vacuum System
Imagine a vacuum cleaner that runs through the walls of your house. Yep, that exists! Central vacuum systems work through a pipe system similar to plumbing. In addition to this internal piping, central vacuum systems include a separate vacuum wand attached to a long hose.
So that they can serve the whole house, most central vacuum systems have one to two inlet valves for access per floor. When you’re ready to vacuum, you plug the hose into one of the inlet valves in your home, and it automatically turns on.
Because the vacuum motor is typically located in the basement, central vacuums are very quiet. They are also very powerful because they have to deposit dirt and dust in a remote canister. Since central vacuum systems run through your walls, it’s challenging to install them into a finished house.
The Power of Learning
Learning about new and fascinating things has the power to bring imagination and magic back into your life, even when you’re tired out by routines and to-do lists. Although much of the world is inhabited and humans have been creating for thousands of years, there is still so much territory to explore.
Now you know about moon rainbows, human tissue banks, and pelican spiders, among other things. However, there are still so many things for you to discover. What will you learn next?
