Fun Facts – 19 February 2014

Fun Fact #1

Scientists are often fascinated with the hive mentality of ants. So when a large abandoned ant nest was discovered in Brazil, a science team leapt at the opportunity to discover more.

The scientists spent ten days pouring over 10 tonnes of concrete into the surface air vents of the ant nest. After allowing the concrete to set for a month they then began excavating the ground around the nest to reveal the internal structure. What they discovered surprised them all.

The nest extended to a depth of 26 feet and covered an area of 500 square feet. The complex featured a design that provided good ventilation and a network of tunnels that provided the shortest route between key locations from anywhere in the nest.

All in all, the scientists estimate that the ants would have excavated close on 40 tonnes of sand while they were building the nest, with each ant knowing exactly what it needed to do.

Fun Fact #2

Aibohphobia is a word meaning "fear of palindromes" and was deliberately (and it seems, cruelly) constructed to be one.

Whomever contrived of the spelling of aibohphobia must have had an awful sense of humor, because a palindrome is a word that reads the same backward and forward.

There are other words that have been constructed along the same line. There is ailihphillia, a love for palindromes, for example.