Six Things I Learned in New York City

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I never go anywhere without learning something. So while we were in New York City for three days, I crammed a lot of new information into my brain. Here are six things I learned in New York City that I didn’t know before this visit.

  1. Polynesian sailors made star charts out of sticks and shells to guide them as they traveled the seas at night.
  2. Meteorites contain the oldest parts of our universe.
  3. Animals like dugongs and manatees are called Sirenians.
  4. Hooved animals are called Ungulates. Whales are ungulates. Yes, they don’t have hooves but evolutionary evidence shows they had ancestors with hooves.
  5. Litter causes fires, and subsequent delays, in the New York City subway.
  6. The oldest wood in trees is deep inside the trunk and is called the heartwood. Trees grow wider by producing new cells closer to the outside bark.
Polynesian Star Chart

I learned some other less interesting things, like random puddles on the sidewalk are most likely dog pee, and lunch is really expensive. I almost witnessed a fight on the subway, and didn’t see any celebrities that I recognized. I was reminded that Sambuca tastes like licorice and that driving in New York City is a brush with death. It was a great trip.

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