We know a lot of things, we have read dozens of books and watched hours of documentaries. But the world still keeps surprising us. We were amazed by the fact that it takes 12 bees their entire life to make one teaspoon¹ of honey. Now, every morning, we drink tea and thank these hardworking insects.

我们知道很多事情，我们已经阅读了数十本书，并观看了很多纪录片。但是世界仍然令我们感到惊讶。我们因为一茶匙蜂蜜要花费12只蜜蜂一生的生命而感到惊讶。现在，每天早晨，我们喝茶的时候都要感谢这些勤奋的昆虫。

1.Selfies kill more people than sharks.

比起鲨鱼，自拍能够杀害更多的人。

In September 2015, a 66-year-old tourist fell off the stairs while trying to take a selfie near the Taj Mahal and died. This tragic² event became the 12th death caused by selfies that year, whereas sharks had killed only 8 people.

2015年9月，一名66岁的游客在试图在泰姬陵附近自拍时从楼梯上摔下来身亡。这一悲剧性事件成为当年自拍照造成的第12起死亡事件，而同年鲨鱼仅杀死了8人。

2.There is less time between us and the Tyrannosaurus Rex than there is between the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Stegosaurus.

我们和霸王龙之间相隔的时间比霸王龙和剑龙之间相隔的时间还要短。

The Stegosaurus and its relatives (Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, and others) lived about 155-145 million years ago. And the T-Rex existed around 67 million years ago. So, there is about 83 million years between the Stegosaurus and the T-Rex. And the current era of the geological history of the Earth is Cenozoic, which started 66 million years ago and was marked by the appearance of the homo sapiens.

剑龙及其亲属（异龙，雷龙等）大约生活在155-145百万年前。霸王龙大约存在于6700万年前。因此，剑龙和霸王龙之间大约有8300万年的时间间隔。地球目前的地质历史时代是新生代，始于6600万年前，其特征是人类的出现。

3.Today, planes fly slower than they used to in the past.

今天，飞机的飞行速度比过去慢。

Today, a direct flight from New York to Houston takes 4 hours. In 1973, the same flight would've taken a little less than 3 hours. The thing is, the price for fuel has increased significantly since then. And the air companies understand that they are able to save millions of dollars per year if they just fly slower.

今天，从纽约到休斯敦的直航需要4个小时。1973年，相同的飞行距离所花费的时间不到3小时。事实是，自那时以来，燃油价格已大幅上涨。而且，航空公司知道，如果只是慢一点，他们每年可以节省数百万美元。

4.Cleaning at home is just as harmful for your health as smoking a pack of cigarettes.

在家打扫卫生与抽一包烟一样有害。

Inhaling³ the chemicals contained in home detergents⁴ increases the risk of developing asthma⁵ by up to 43%. The chemicals irritate the mucus of the breathing pathways and can lead to long-term changes in how they function.

吸入家用清洁剂中包含的化学物质会使罹患哮喘的风险增加多达43%。这些化学物质刺激呼吸道的粘液，并可能导致其功能的长期改变。

5.There are so many different kinds of apples, that if you eat one of each kind per day, it would take you 20 years to try them all.

苹果种类繁多，如果你每天只吃一种苹果，那么要花20年才能尝遍所有种类。

There are more than 7,500 known types of apples in the world. And 20 years is only 7,300 days. So, it would take you more than 20 years to try every single kind.

世界上有超过7500种已知类型的苹果。而20年只有7300天。因此，要每天尝试一种苹果，都需要20多年的时间。

6.Wine glasses are 7 times bigger now than they used to be in the past.

现在的酒杯比以前大7倍。

At the beginning of the 18th century, a glass of wine could only hold 66 ml of the drink. And today, people often drink from glasses that can fit half a liter. So, in the past 300 years, they have increased in size by 7 times, and the most significant changes have happened in the past 20 years as the consumption of wine has increased.

在18世纪初，一杯酒只能容纳66毫升的饮料。如今，人们经常使用可容纳半公升的玻璃杯来喝酒。因此，在过去的300年中，它们的尺寸增加了7倍，并且随着葡萄酒的消费量的增加，最重大的变化发生在过去的二十年里。

7.Steve Jobs chose the name Apple because it was before Atari in the phone book.

史蒂夫·乔布斯之所以选择“Apple（苹果）”这个名字，是因为它在电话簿里排在Atari之前。

There are several legends about how the name Apple was chosen. The most realistic story is when Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were driving and Jobs said, "I've got a name: Apple Computer." The guys continued to try to come up with different names, but they couldn't. Later Jobs said, "And also remember that I worked at Atari, and it got us ahead of Atari in the phonebook."关于苹果这个名字是如何被选中的，有一些传说。最现实的故事是史蒂夫·乔布斯（Steve Jobs）和史蒂夫·沃兹尼亚克（Steve Wozniak）开车时，乔布斯说：“我有个名字：Apple Computer。”这些家伙还继续尝试提出不同的名字，但他们想不到其他的了。乔布斯后来说：“还记得我在Atari工作，取Apple这个名字使我们在电话簿中领先于Atari。”

8.Cows that are called by their names produce 258 more liters of milk per year compared to those that don't have names.

与没有名字的母牛相比，以名字命名的母牛每年可多产258升牛奶。

A study by scientists offers farmers a smart and easy way to make their cows produce more milk: all they have to do is be more attentive⁶ to them, pet them, and say their name more often. Researchers think that the cows that have names and are called by them feel more relaxed, whereas stress hormones⁷ reduce the production of milk.

科学家进行的一项研究为农民提供了一种聪明而简便的方法，使他们的奶牛生产更多的牛奶：他们所要做的就是对奶牛们更专心，宠爱它们，并更频繁地用名字称呼它们。研究人员认为，有名字和名字被叫到的母牛会感到更加放松，而压力荷尔蒙会减少牛奶的产量。

9.One pencil can draw a 56 km line.

一支铅笔可以画一条56千米的线。

A 35-mile line can be drawn⁸ with an average pencil (a bit more than 56 km) or it can write 45,000 words.

一支普通铅笔（超过56公里）可以画一条35英里的线，或者可以写45,000个字。

10.2,500 years ago, in China, people used knives as money.

在2500年前的中国，人们用刀当钱。

Bronze knives played the role of money in the territory of China between 600 and 200 years BC, during the reign⁹ of the Zhou dynasty.

在周朝统治期间，青铜刀在公元前600至200年的中国领土上发挥了货币的作用。

11.Thanks to flat screens and high resolution, dogs can watch TV just like humans.

由于纯平屏幕和高分辨率，狗可以像人类一样看电视。

The picture on a standard TV screen is updated 60 times per second. For the human eye, pictures that appear faster than 50 HZ are seen as continuous motion. And dogs see separate pictures at 75 HZ, because their eyes are designed to react to motion. This is why the video on the screen is probably seen by dogs as separate pictures: the animals most likely see this motion as unrealistic, so they are not interested in it. But modern technology allows us to make high-res screens: this video doesn't seem to be unrealistic to our pets and seems to hold their interest.

标准电视屏幕上的图像每秒更新60次。对于人眼来说，显示速度超过50 HZ的图片被视为连续运动。狗的眼睛被设计为对运动做出反应，因此它们在75 HZ时可以看到单独的图片。这就是为什么屏幕上的视频可能被狗视为单独的图片的原因：动物很可能认为此动作不切实际，因此他们对此并不感兴趣。但是现代技术使我们可以制作高分辨率的屏幕：该视频对于我们的宠物似乎并不现实，但是似乎引起了它们的兴趣。

Another reason why dogs don't watch modern TVs is that the screen is at a level that is comfortable for human eyes. If you put it on the floor, your dog will most likely be interested in what is going on.

狗不看现代电视的另一个原因是电视屏幕是处于人眼舒适的水平上。如果将电视放在地板上，你的狗很可能会对电视上发生的事情感兴趣。

12.Ancient Egyptians bowled 5,000 years ago.

5000年前的古埃及人就打过保龄球。

Bowling¹⁰ was popular in Ancient Egypt 5,000 years ago. Egyptians bowled in huge halls, with 2 people playing at the same time (every player was at the end of a 4-meter lane). One person threw a big ball and the other one threw a small one.

保龄球在5000年前的古埃及很流行。埃及人在巨大的大厅里打保龄球，两个人同时玩耍（每个打球的人都在4米长的车道尽头）。一个人扔一个大球，另一个人扔一个小球。

13.Only 5 modern countries have never been colonized¹¹ by Europe.

只有五个现代国家没有被欧洲殖民过。

Almost every country on the planet was colonized during the period from the beginning of the 16th century until 1960. Some countries were either under protectorate or mandate¹², and others were completely ruled. And only 5 modern countries were able to avoid European reign completely: South and North Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Liberia.

从16世纪初到1960年，地球上几乎每个国家都被殖民了。有些国家处于保护国或授权之下，而另一些国家则被完全统治。只有五个现代国家能够完全避免欧洲统治：韩国和朝鲜，日本，泰国和利比里亚。

14.Rabbits can sense the smell of other rabbits that have been killed in the feces of predators¹³.

兔子可以在食肉动物粪便中闻到被杀死的兔子的气味。

European rabbits are prey¹⁴ for 30 different kinds of predators, so it is not surprising that they have developed a lot of different ways to adapt and survive. New studies by scientists have proven that rabbits can sense the smell of their own kind in the feces of ferrets. This gives them a chance to avoid the places where their predators live.

欧洲兔子是30种不同捕食者的猎物，因此它们已经开发出许多适应和生存的不同方式也就不足为奇了。科学家的新研究证明，兔子可以在雪貂的粪便中感觉到同类的气味。这使它们有机会避开捕食者居住的地方。

15.The amount of Nutella sold in the world in a year is enough to cover more than 1,000 soccer fields.

一年内全球卖出的Nutella数量足以覆盖1,000多个足球场。

Nutella was first produced in 1940 and children and adults loved it so much that they (and we) still eat a lot of it. And if every single bought bottle of Nutella per year was put on toast, it would be possible to cover more than 1,000 soccer fields with them.

巧克力酱（Nutella）于1940年首次生产，小孩和大人都非常喜欢，以至于他们（还有我们）仍然吃得很多。而且，如果每年购买的每一瓶Nutella巧克力酱都被涂在面包上，那面包有可能覆盖1000多个足球场。

16.It takes 12 bees their whole entire life to make one teaspoon of honey.

一整茶匙蜂蜜需要12只蜜蜂花费一生。

During its entire life (bees live for 4-5 months), an average bee produces only about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey. So, one teaspoon of the sweet product you put in your tea in the morning took 12 bees' lives to produce.

在蜜蜂的一生中中（蜜蜂存活4-5个月），平均每只蜜蜂只能产生一茶匙蜂蜜的1/12。因此，你早上在茶中放入一茶匙的甜品就是用了12只蜜蜂毕生生产的蜂蜜量。

17.Most people can tell the difference between hot and cold water when it is flowing.

大多数人可以分辨出热水在流动时与冷水之间的区别。

96% of people can tell the difference between hot and cold water by ear. A company called Condiment¹⁵ Junkie, that specializes in sound design, came to this conclusion. You can check here to see if you are part of the 96%.

96%的人可以通过耳朵分辨出热水和冷水的区别。得出结论的是一家专门从事声音设计的公司，名为Condiment Junkie。您可以在这里查看您是否属于这96%。

18.Inside of all of us, there are 0.2 mg of gold.

在我们所有人的身体当中，有0.2毫克的黄金。

A 70-kg person contains about 0.2 mg of gold. The volume of gold will be around 10 nanoliters. If you form a cube, every side of it would be 0.22 mm.

一个70公斤重的人含有约0.2毫克的金。这么多金的体积约为10纳升。如果形成立方体，则立方体的每一侧将为0.22毫米。

19.Gold is edible¹⁶.

金子是可以吃的。

Food can be incredibly expensive. For example, in New York, you can eat a burger that costs $600 — with lobster¹⁷, truffles, and... gold leaf.

食物可以非常昂贵。例如，在纽约，您可以吃一个价值600美元的汉堡，里面有龙虾，松露和……金箔。

You can eat a portion of 24-carat pure gold and be healthy. Pure gold goes through the digestive system and doesn't get absorbed. So, rich people don't have to be afraid of anything.

您可以吃掉24克拉纯金的量，并保持健康。纯金会穿过消化系统，不会被吸收。因此，富人不必担心任何事情。

20.Flamingos¹⁸ can drink boiling water.

火烈鸟可以喝开水。

These birds can drink water that is almost boiling. The thing is, most lakes where flamingos live have a very high concentration of salt. And the only source of potable water for them are boiling geysers.

这些鸟可以喝几乎沸腾的水。原因是，大多数火烈鸟居住的湖泊中盐分含量很高。对它们来说，饮用水的唯一来源是沸腾的间歇泉。

21.Being a bad driver is partially¹⁹ a genetic²⁰ trait.

成为不良驾驶者的部分原因是遗传特征。

A small study showed that the inability to drive can be inherited in your genes²¹. 29 people took part in the experiment: 22 without the so-called driving gene and 7 people that had it. The participants with this gene showed results that were 20% worse in the simulation tests, and other tests, than other members of the group.

一项小型研究表明，无法驾驶可以在您的基因中遗传。有29人参加了该实验：22人没有所谓的驱动基因，还有7个人拥有。具有该基因的参与者在模拟测试和其他测试中的结果比该组的其他成员差20%。

22.Fanta was created in Nazi²² Germany because there were problems with the shipment of the syrup²³ for Coca-Cola.

芬达（Fanta）是在纳粹德国被发明出来的，因为可口可乐糖浆的运输存在问题。

This drink appeared in Germany in 1940. Because of the embargo²⁴ that the Allies of World War II imposed, the shipment of the syrup that is necessary for the production of Coca-Cola was stopped. So, a new syrup was created from the products that the country had. It is based on milk whey and apple mash²⁵. The drink was very different from what we know now.

这种饮料于1940年在德国出现。由于第二次世界大战同盟实施的禁运，停止了生产可口可乐所需的糖浆的运输。因此，从该国拥有的产品中，一种新的糖浆被制造出来。它基于牛奶乳清和苹果泥。这种饮料与我们现在所知道的芬达完全不同。