Octopuses have three hearts?
True False
True: Octopuses really do have three hearts. Two 'branchial' hearts pump blood through the octopus's gills, while a third 'systemic' heart circulates the oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. Their blood is also blue, thanks to a copper-based protein called haemocyanin.
Sharks are older than trees, having existed on Earth for around 400 million years?
True False
True: Sharks predate trees by roughly 50 million years. Sharks have been swimming the oceans for around 400 million years, while the earliest trees appeared closer to 350 million years ago. That means sharks were around long before the first forests ever existed.
Strawberries are botanically classified as berries?
True False
False: Strawberries are not true berries - they are classed as 'accessory fruits'. In botany, a true berry develops from a single flower with one ovary. Strawberries don't fit that definition, while bananas, tomatoes, grapes, aubergines and pumpkins all qualify as berries.
The capital of Australia is Sydney?
True False
False: The capital of Australia is Canberra, not Sydney. Canberra was purpose-built as a compromise capital in 1913 after Sydney and Melbourne both wanted the title. Sydney remains the largest and most famous city, but Canberra is the seat of government.
Sound travels faster in water than it does in air?
True False
True: Sound travels more than four times faster in water than in air. The speed of sound in fresh water is around 1,500 metres per second, compared with roughly 343 metres per second in air at room temperature. This is why whales can communicate with one another over huge ocean distances.
Mozart composed his first symphony before the age of ten?
True False
True: Mozart wrote his first symphony at just eight years old. Mozart's Symphony No. 1 in E-flat major was composed in 1764 while his family was in London. He had already been performing for European royalty from the age of six.
A peanut is botanically classified as a nut?
True False
False: Despite the name, peanuts are legumes, not nuts. Peanuts belong to the same family as peas, beans and lentils, and grow in pods under the soil. True nuts include hazelnuts, chestnuts and acorns. Almonds, cashews and walnuts are technically seeds or drupes rather than true nuts.
Henry VIII of England had seven wives?
True False
False: Henry VIII had six wives, not seven. His wives, in order, were Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. Their fates are often remembered with the rhyme: 'divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived'.
'Toy Story' (1995) was directed by Steven Spielberg?
True False
False: 'Toy Story' was directed by John Lasseter, not Steven Spielberg. John Lasseter directed the Pixar film, which was the first feature-length film made entirely with computer animation. Spielberg is one of Hollywood's most famous directors but has never worked on a Toy Story film.
The modern marathon distance of 26.2 miles was finalised at the 1908 London Olympics?
True False
True: The distance of 26 miles and 385 yards was set at the 1908 London Games. The original course was designed so that the Royal Family could watch the start at Windsor Castle and the finish in front of the Royal Box at the Olympic stadium. The awkward 385 extra yards was added to line up the finish with the Royal Box.
Russia is the largest country in the world by area?
True False
True: Russia is the largest country in the world, covering over 17 million square kilometres. Russia covers roughly 11% of the world's total land area and spans eleven time zones. It is almost twice as large as the next biggest country, Canada.
Neil Armstrong was the first human to set foot on the Moon?
True False
True: Armstrong became the first person to walk on the Moon on 20th July 1969. The Apollo 11 commander stepped onto the lunar surface with the famous words 'that's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind'. Buzz Aldrin followed 19 minutes later, while Michael Collins remained in orbit.
The characters in 'The Simpsons' are traditionally drawn in green?
True False
False: The Simpsons are famously drawn in yellow. Creator Matt Groening and his team chose yellow to make the animation stand out on television. The story goes that as viewers flipped through channels, the unusual yellow would catch their attention.
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system?
True False
True: Jupiter is by far the largest planet in the solar system. Jupiter has a diameter of around 140,000 kilometres - big enough to fit over 1,300 Earths inside. It is a gas giant, mostly hydrogen and helium, with no solid surface to stand on.
William Shakespeare is said to have been born and died on the same date?
True False
True: Shakespeare is traditionally held to have both been born and died on 23rd April. Shakespeare was baptised on 26th April 1564 - records of his exact birth date are lost, but 23rd April has long been accepted. He died on 23rd April 1616 at the age of 52. The date is also St George's Day.
The human tongue is the strongest muscle in the body?
True False
False: The tongue being 'the strongest muscle' is a myth - several other muscles are stronger. The masseter muscle of the jaw is often considered the strongest by weight, while the muscles of the buttocks (the gluteus maximus) are the largest and among the most powerful overall. The tongue is a powerful and tireless muscle, but not the strongest.
There are 24 letters in the English alphabet?
True False
False: The English alphabet contains 26 letters. The English alphabet runs from A to Z and contains exactly 26 letters - 5 vowels (A, E, I, O, U) plus 21 consonants. Y can sometimes act as a vowel too.
Bats are completely blind?
True False
False: Bats can see perfectly well - 'blind as a bat' is a myth. All bats have functioning eyes, and many see in colour. They also use echolocation - sending out high-pitched sounds and listening to the echoes - to navigate and hunt insects at night, which is where the myth comes from.
A bolt of lightning is hotter than the surface of the Sun?
True False
True: A lightning bolt can reach temperatures around five times hotter than the Sun's surface. A lightning strike can momentarily heat the air around it to approximately 30,000 degrees Celsius, whereas the surface of the Sun is only around 5,500 degrees Celsius. The rapid heating of the air is what causes thunder.
The smallest country in the world is Monaco?
True False
False: The smallest country in the world is Vatican City. Vatican City covers just 0.49 square kilometres, making it the smallest independent state in the world. Monaco is the second smallest at around 2.1 square kilometres.
