You know what the wonderful thing is about science? There’s always something new to discover.

Not only are these discoveries important for improving our quality of life (thank you dishwashers, make up sponges and iPhones), they also help us to understand the complex world around us.

Still, just when you think you’ve got this planet figured out, science throws you a curve ball.

Thanks to science we know some truly extraordinary things, some which even seem to defy common sense.

Like, did you know that the human body carries ten times more bacterial cells than human cells?

Or that the average person does enough steps in their lifetime to go around the earth five times?

That’s 657,400,920 miles! It’s even thanks to science that we know relatively useless things, like that frogs can throw up (honestly, it took a space mission to find that out) or that a strawberry is not actually a berry (but a banana is, do with that information what you will).

With that in mind, here’s 15 astonishing scientific facts that you definitely won’t have learned in school, but are amazing just the same.

15. The Human Body is Even Grosser Than You Thought

Guess where one of the world’s most slippery substances is found? In your knees. Ew.

14. The Universe Tastes Like a Raspberry

The chemical compound that gives raspberries their flavour is found in copious amounts across the universe. So, if you ate the universe it would taste just like a raspberry.

13. I Swear it Was Taller Before…

The exact height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris changes depending on the time of year.

When it’s warmer in the Summer, the tower’s height can increase by an impressive 5.9 inches. This is because the metal expands due to the high temperature.

12. The Coldest Place in the Universe is Closer Than You Imagine

The coldest place in the universe is actually right here on Earth.

In 2003 Finnish scientists managed to use a laser to freeze atoms, which allowed them to reach almost absolute zero.

11. Sorry to Put You Off Your Breakfast…

A squid’s brain looks just like a bagel.

This is due to the way it’s digestive system is constructed – the food has to go through it’s brain because of the makeup of the squid’s body.

The bagel-like shape helps to keep the brain in one piece if the squid eats large pieces of food. Tasty…

10. You’re Not So Big After All

If all the empty spaces were removed from atoms, the entire human race could fit into an apple. Yes, really!

9. Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane? No, it’s a Flea!

The humble flea accelerates faster than a space shuttle – 50 times faster in fact!

It’s jumps are also 3.14 inches per milisecond, which is pretty damn impressive.

8. There’s a Mushroom That’s Bigger Than a Whale

The largest living organism on planet Earth is the Armillaria ostoyae.

It grows in Malheur County in Oregon, USA, and is more than 2,174 acres across in size.

7. Henry VIII Owes His Wives an Apology

Men have a genetic propensity to fathering a gender. For example, men with lots of sisters are more likely to have girls than boys.

6. You Can Still Hear The Big Bang

That white noise you get when you don’t plug in your TV aerial properly? That’s left over from The Big Bang.

5. There’s a Fish That Can Climb Rocks

It’s called a Cryptotora thamicola and it lives in Thailand.

It’s the only fish that can walk, thanks to developing a pelvis and using it’s fins in the same way reptiles use their arms and legs.

4. The Mona Lisa Had Eyebrows

Which isn’t that surprising really, considering most people do.

Art specialist Pascal Cotte examined the painting using special technology and discovered that before years of restoration work, the famous portrait did have eyebrows – they just faded away over time.

Her iconic face was also wider, and the sky behind more blue than can be seen today.

3. Bros Before Hoes

Scientists discovered that male friendships amongst chimpanzees decreased stress levels, particularly during conflicts.

In fact, their fights tend to be less dramatic if they have a pal fighting alongside them.

2. Talk About a Light Bulb Moment!

The brain needs the same amount of energy as a 10-watt light bulb, and the amount required doesn’t change whether you’re asleep or awake.

  1. Ladies, Lay Off the Coffee!

Women who regularly consume coffee can find it makes their breasts reduce in size, especially if they were already large to begin with.

Just three cups a day is enough to make a difference, as caffeine burns fat, which is what boobs are primarily made from.

Which one shocked you the most? Tell us in the comments!