Things have got to be seriously bizarre when a creature with sperm almost 10 times the size of its own body is ranked all the way down at #5. How much weirder can science get? A whole lot weirder, according to the latest episode of A Week In Science.
Last year, scientists discovered a minuscule ostracod with a body just 1 mm in length, and sperm that grows to almost 1 cm. How does it actually fit inside this tiny crustacean? The super-long sperm is coiled inside like a rope. Scientists have declared this to be the largest known sperm - relative to body size - of any animal, and in Queensland, Australia, scientists found a fossilised ostracod with the oldest sperm ever found.
At #4 in the list, what's the most hygienic way to greet somebody? The fist bump, of course! Scientists found that fist bumps transfer up to 90 percent less bacteria than the traditional handshake. Fist bumps not your thing? How about high fives! The team also discovered that giving a high five to someone is a whole lot kinder than shaking their hand, health-wise.
Speaking of germs… ever wondered how much bacteria you're passing on to your partner when you kiss them? Science has got an answer for that too, ranked at #3 in RiAus's Top Five Weirdest Science Stories of 2014. The answer is 80 million, if your kisses last around six to 10 seconds. Romantic.
After all of that germ-speak, I bet you're hungry, right?? If not, you're about to be, because at #2, researchers have figured out what kind of cheese is the best to put on pizzas, according to science. It's what you think it's going to be, but it's how they got to that conclusion that counts.
And the number one weirdest science story of 2014 is… I don't want to spoil it, but let's just say a bunch of hipsters are involved. Watch the latest episode of RiAus's A Week in Science above to find out why.
Source: RiAus