A giraffe’s heart is two feet long and can weigh up to 25 pounds.

I subscribe to this magazine called Mental Floss.  It’s fun and there are all of these neato facts.  This past issue was called “Big Questions!”  It included things like, Who invented the word twitter?  (Chaucer, in case you’re interested.) and why we have eyebrows.  Lots of fun. 

One of the questions was Do giraffes get head rushes?  The answer is no, because they have this phenomenal cardiovascular system that pumps blood at the highest blood pressure of any mammal.  With all that blood, how do they bend down to drink without it rushing to their heads, you ask?  Their arteries swell to absorb the excess blood, hold it, until they put their heads back up and then it sorts it and sends most of it to the brain.

I just love stuff like this.  I like to understand and I really like it when I read things I didn’t even know I wanted to know.

This weekend, we were driving home from California and Maggie (youngest and keeper of all super cool facts) explained why my fingers prune in the tub or the pool.  I always thought it was because fingers, or skin really, sucks up too much water…nope.  

Apparently, pruney fingers are a result of evolution.  When our bodies are in the water for an extended period of time, our skin puckers (love that word) so we can grip things and we are less slippery.  I guess our body assumes we might be staying in the water a while, so it adapts.  Brilliant.

There’s so much to learn, understand.  Nature is a huge toy box.  If you want to know more things you didn’t know you needed to know, I highly recommend Mental Floss.  Fantastic use of glossy paper.

There’s a bit in there about how the postal service sorts mail with scribbly handwriting.  I had no idea so much went into getting handwritten mail out.  I wonder if any of my letters have gone through the process?  Sure hope so.   

My thoughts from the laundry room.  Sleep Study.

fun learning Reading thoughts education fun Giraffes inspiration learning Mental Floss thoughts