Sushi originally meant fermented fish preserved in rice — the rice was discarded, not eaten

Chili peppers are native to the Americas — they didn't exist in Asian cuisine before Columbus

Chili peppers originated in the Americas, not Asia, pre-Columbus era

Tardigrades can survive in space, boiling water, and temperatures near absolute zero

Tardigrades withstand extreme environments, including space and extreme temperatures

Beer was first brewed around 5,000 BC in Mesopotamia — some of the oldest recipes survive

Beer originated circa 5,000 BC in ancient Mesopotamia

The word 'salary' comes from 'salarium' — Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt

Salary originates from 'salarium,' Roman soldiers' salt-based payment

Saturn would float in water — its density is lower than water's

Saturn's average density is less than water's, causing it to float

Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken first language — about 920 million native speakers

Mandarin Chinese has approximately 920 million native speakers