Aerogel is the world's lightest solid, so insulating it can hold a flower over a blowtorch.

The Pantanal in South America is the world's largest tropical wetland area, covering up to 195,000 square kilometers.

Truffle fungi form symbiotic relationships with tree roots and can't be cultivated artificially.

The Catatumbo lightning over a Venezuelan lake averages 28 lightning strikes per minute — nearly year-round.

Wildfires release stored carbon instantly — forests can take centuries to recover that carbon sequestration capacity.

Lightning can heat air hotter than the surface of the Sun.

The longest lightning bolt ever recorded stretched 768 km across the southern US in 2020.

Rafflesia arnoldii produces the world's largest individual flower — up to 1 meter across and weighing 10 kg.

In 1814, a beer flood in London released thousands of gallons into nearby streets.