Antarctica is the only continent without any reptiles or snakes

Yes, you read that right; it doesn’t have any type of reptiles. Why? Well — reptiles and snakes are cold-blooded, they can’t produce their own heat and therefore rely on heat from the environment. Because there’s none of that in Antarctica, they would never last, meaning, they’d get turned into popsicles in the frosty Arctic.


The shape of Pringles chips

The saddle shape of a Pringles chip is known in math as a hyperbolic paraboloid. Pringles were made in this shape because it allows the chips to be stacked easily and kept in place during packaging.


Artificial banana flavouring is based on an extinct banana

You may notice that your banana-flavoured food products don’t taste quite like the real thing. This is because commercially-used banana flavouring is based on a type of banana that got wiped out by a plague in the 1950s.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 11th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

A difficult story
12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

WHILE launching the Economic Survey 2026, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told a hopeful story of economic...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
GB polls’ aftermath
Updated 11 Jun, 2026

GB polls’ aftermath

The new administration must address the region’s issues proactively.
Peace in retreat
11 Jun, 2026

Peace in retreat

THE ceasefire announced in April was supposed to create space for negotiations. Instead, it has been repeatedly...
A few good men
11 Jun, 2026

A few good men

IT was a brave move, no doubt. This Tuesday, in the land of the Afghan Taliban, a few good men decided to take a...