Junko Arai
Junko translates peer-reviewed weirdness into plain language. She holds a master's in biophysics and a deep grudge against boring textbooks.
Articles by Junko (32)
DNA Is Surprisingly Fragile
Your cells repair DNA damage roughly a trillion times per day. Discover the surprising story behind dna is surprisingly fragile in this in-depth Unusual Scien
Sea Otters Hold Hands While They Sleep
To avoid drifting apart in the current. Discover the surprising story behind sea otters hold hands while they sleep in this in-depth Funny Discoveries read on
Goldfish Have a Memory Far Longer Than Three Seconds
They can remember tasks for months. Discover the surprising story behind goldfish have a memory far longer than three seconds in this in-depth Random Trivia r
Lobsters Don't Really Age
They die from other things, but not from getting older. Discover the surprising story behind lobsters don't really age in this in-depth Weird Facts read on du
Wombat Poop Is Cube-Shaped
Yes, really. Scientists won an Ig Nobel Prize for figuring out how. Discover the surprising story behind wombat poop is cube-shaped in this in-depth Weird Fac
Some Mantis Shrimp Can See Colors Humans Cannot Imagine
Their eyes carry up to 16 types of color receptors. Discover the surprising story behind some mantis shrimp can see colors humans cannot imagine in this in-de
The Eiffel Tower Grows Six Inches in Summer
Iron expands with heat, and Paris bakes. Discover the surprising story behind the eiffel tower grows six inches in summer in this in-depth Weird Facts read on
There's a Plant That Smells Like Rotting Flesh
The corpse flower attracts pollinators with the stench of death. Discover the surprising story behind there's a plant that smells like rotting flesh in this i
Plants Make a Faint Clicking Sound Under Stress
Researchers recorded it for the first time in 2023. Discover the surprising story behind plants make a faint clicking sound under stress in this in-depth Unus
The First Email Was Sent in 1971
Ray Tomlinson sent it to himself and forgot what it said. Discover the surprising story behind the first email was sent in 1971 in this in-depth Strange Histo
The Frisbee Was Inspired by Pie Tins
Yale students were tossing them around in the 1940s. Discover the surprising story behind the frisbee was inspired by pie tins in this in-depth Odd Inventions
There Is a Real Scientific Paper Titled 'The Pig as an Aircraft'
Spoiler: pigs do not fly. Discover the surprising story behind there is a real scientific paper titled 'the pig as an aircraft' in this in-depth Funny Discove
Octopuses Have Three Hearts and Blue Blood
An octopus is basically running a small circulatory empire under the sea. Discover the surprising story behind octopuses have three hearts and blue blood in t
The World's Smallest Park Is Two Feet Wide
Mill Ends Park in Portland, Oregon. Discover the surprising story behind the world's smallest park is two feet wide in this in-depth Bizarre Records read on d
Tardigrades Can Survive in Space
These microscopic 'water bears' shrug off vacuum and radiation. Discover the surprising story behind tardigrades can survive in space in this in-depth Unusual
There's a Research Paper About the Physics of Falling Toast
Buttered side down, almost always. Discover the surprising story behind there's a research paper about the physics of falling toast in this in-depth Funny Dis
The Voynich Manuscript Has Never Been Deciphered
A 600-year-old book written in a language nobody recognizes. Discover the surprising story behind the voynich manuscript has never been deciphered in this in-
Some Fish Change Sex Throughout Their Lives
Clownfish, wrasses, and many others switch as needed. Discover the surprising story behind some fish change sex throughout their lives in this in-depth Unusua
Microwave Ovens Were Discovered Because a Chocolate Bar Melted
Engineer Percy Spencer noticed during a 1945 radar experiment. Discover the surprising story behind microwave ovens were discovered because a chocolate bar me
Light Can Be Slowed to a Standstill in a Lab
Physicists have frozen light using ultra-cold gas clouds. Discover the surprising story behind light can be slowed to a standstill in a lab in this in-depth U
A Researcher Once Lived With Dolphins for Ten Weeks
Margaret Howe Lovatt did this in the 1960s. Discover the surprising story behind a researcher once lived with dolphins for ten weeks in this in-depth Funny Di
The Letter 'E' Is the Most Common in English
It appears in roughly 11% of all English text. Discover the surprising story behind the letter 'e' is the most common in english in this in-depth Random Trivi
An Average Human Body Contains Enough Iron to Make a Small Nail
About 4 grams, mostly in your blood. Discover the surprising story behind an average human body contains enough iron to make a small nail in this in-depth Ran
Saturn's Rings Are Disappearing
They're slowly raining down onto the planet. Discover the surprising story behind saturn's rings are disappearing in this in-depth Unusual Science read on dum
Antarctica Has Its Own Time Zone — Sort Of
Researchers use whatever time their home country uses. Discover the surprising story behind antarctica has its own time zone — sort of in this in-depth Unusua
The Tunguska Event Flattened a Forest in 1908
Something exploded above Siberia with the force of a nuclear weapon. Discover the surprising story behind the tunguska event flattened a forest in 1908 in thi
Bananas Are Slightly Radioactive
Your fruit bowl emits a measurable dose of radiation. Discover the surprising story behind bananas are slightly radioactive in this in-depth Weird Facts read
Ketchup Was Once Sold as Medicine
In 1834, Ohio doctor John Cook prescribed tomato ketchup pills. Discover the surprising story behind ketchup was once sold as medicine in this in-depth Weird
The Largest Living Organism Is a Mushroom
Oregon's Armillaria ostoyae covers nearly 4 square miles. Discover the surprising story behind the largest living organism is a mushroom in this in-depth Biza
The Dyatlov Pass Incident
Nine Russian hikers died inexplicably in the Ural Mountains in 1959. Discover the surprising story behind the dyatlov pass incident in this in-depth Fascinati
There Is Enough Gold in the Ocean to Give Everyone Nine Pounds
It is just spread very, very thinly. Discover the surprising story behind there is enough gold in the ocean to give everyone nine pounds in this in-depth Weir
Bacteria Can Communicate with Each Other
Quorum sensing lets microbes coordinate behavior. Discover the surprising story behind bacteria can communicate with each other in this in-depth Unusual Scien