Aristotle cephalopod reproductive arm 19th century

Aristotle described an animal organ centuries before scientists accepted it

Aristotle described a special arm that cephalopods use for reproduction, but later scholars doubted his account. The structure was not widely accepted until the 19th century, centuries after he had described it.

The Sun is almost a perfect sphere

~8 parts per million

The Sun rotates, so its equator should bulge slightly outward. But measurements show that the difference between its equatorial and polar radii is extraordinarily small. Despite being a turbulent ball of hot plasma, the Sun is far closer to a perfect sphere than many familiar rotating objects.

Civil War soldier deaths were mostly from disease

≈2 in 3 deaths

A 2024 recalculation using newly available census records put American Civil War soldier deaths at about 698,000. Roughly two-thirds died from disease rather than battle.

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Aristotle cephalopod reproductive arm 19th century

Aristotle described an animal organ centuries before scientists accepted it

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