Gooseberry (Ribes spp.) scientifically known as Phyllanthus emblica is a small spiny bush in the family Rosaceae which is grown for its edible fruit of the same name. It is also known as “fayberries” because of the ancient belief that fairies used bushes of gooseberry to hide from danger. The plant is native to Nepal, India and Sri Lanka, throughout South-East Asia to southern China. Apart from gooseberry it is also known as Amla, Emblic, Indian Gooseberry, Malacca Tree and Myrobalan. The bush begins fruiting 2-3 years after plantation. One gooseberry bush produces 8 to 10 pounds of fruit per season. Gooseberry can produce fruit and survive at least 20 years in the wild. Fredonia, Pixwell, Downing and Poorman are few of the popular varieties of Gooseberry.

Gooseberry Quick Facts

Name : Gooseberry

Scientific Name: phyllanthus emblica

Origin : Nepal, India and Sri Lanka, throughout South-East Asia to southern China.

Colors : Pale green changing to yellow when mature

Shapes : Depressed globose drupe 2–4 cm in diameter, with six vertical striations

Taste : Sweet, slightly tart taste

Calories : 66 Kcal./cup

Major nutrients : Vitamin C (46.22%)
Total dietary Fiber (16.84%)
Carbohydrate (11.75%)
Copper (11.67%)
Manganese (9.39%)

Health benefits : Cancer, Improving Appetite, Diarrhea and Dysentery, Infection, Brain health,Heart Disease, Digestion, Diuretic Activity, Diabetes, Menstrual Cramps, Metabolic Activity, Aging, Calcium Absorption, Eye Care, Hair care

Plant

Gooseberry is a fast growing, small to medium-sized, low, deciduous tree, 5–25 m tall; trunk often crooked and gnarled, up to 35 cm in diameter; bark thin, smooth, grey, peeling in patches, with numerous knobs, main branches angular and densely pubescent. The plant has sharp thorns all along its woody branches. It is normally found growing in tropical and subtropical regions from near sea-level. It grows equally well in arid and wet or humid conditions. It is light demanding plant, common in grassy areas, brush and village groves. The plant is not fastidious of soil type and grows on a wide range of soil types ranging from sandy loam to clay, light or heavy, and slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. It flourishes in deep, fertile soil. It is moderately drought resistant but some cultivars may be sensitive to drought and frost. It is fire-resistant and is one of the first trees to recover after a fire. Branchlets are glabrous or finely pubescent, 10–20 cm long, usually deciduous.

Leaves

The buds perk up early in the spring, dotting the stems with green when most other plants are still tawny. Leaves are alternate, single, deeply lobed, and glossy dark green (European types), or pale to gray-green and sometimes finely pubescent (American types). The stems are thin, becoming woody, with a large thorn at each axil. American gooseberry stems are densely bristly, with one or more additional thorns at each axil. Leaf size and number are reduced under heat or light stress, and are easily burned by intense sunlight. Plants that have been subject to drought may make a new growth flush after deep irrigation. If the roots are lost, regrowth will wait until the following spring.

Flowers

Flowers are greenish-yellow, fascicled in axils of leaves or fallen leaves, unisexual. The male flowers are numerous at base of young twigs, the female flowers solitary and higher up the twig. Male flowers are shortly pedicellate, with six pale green perianth lobes 1.5–2.5 mm long and three entirely connate stamens, six disk glands alternating with the perianth lobes; female flowers sessile, with six somewhat larger perianth lobes, a cup-like six-angular disk, and a superior three celled, glabrous ovary crowned by three styles, connate for more than half of their length and deeply bifid at apex. The flowers are self-fertile and pollinated by wind and insects, including bees. Each flower bud opens to yield from one to four flowers, depending on cultivar.

Fruit

Fruit, borne singly or in pairs at the axils, is a berry with many minute seeds at the center. A gooseberry is depressed globose drupe 2–4 cm in diameter; with six vertical striations. The color of the berries is usually green, but there are red (to purple), yellow, and white variants. (Ribes hirtellum fruit can be green or dark purple to black. Fruits of the European gooseberry may be very large, like a small plum, but are usually 1 inch long, less in width. American gooseberry fruits are smaller (to 1/2 inch), perfectly round, all becoming pink to wine-red at maturity. In general, the berries weigh about 4 g to 10 g. The fruit skin is thin, translucent and adherent to the very crisp, juicy, concolorous flesh. Inside, a berry may hold 15-30 tiny edible seeds. Skin color is most intense in full sunlight. Berries generally drop when overripe. The fruit has a flavor all its own, the best dessert cultivars as luscious as the best apple, strawberry  or grape.

History

Phyllanthus emblica commonly known as gooseberry is considered to have originated in Nepal, India and Sri Lanka, throughout South-East Asia to southern China. It is widely cultivated for its fruits throughout its natural area of distribution, particularly in India, and also in the Mascarene Islands (Réunion, Mauritius), the West Indies (Cuba, Trinidad), Central America (Honduras, Costa Rica), and the West Indies and Japan. Formerly it was cultivated in Madagascar. It is commonly cultivated in home gardens in India, Malaysia, Singapore and southern China. Nowadays because of its wonderful taste and health promoting benefits it is grown throughout the world.

Nutritional value

Apart from their sweet, slightly tart taste, gooseberry is a good source of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Consuming 150 gram of gooseberry offers 41.6 mg of Vitamin C, 6.4 g of Total dietary Fiber, 15.27 g of Carbohydrate, 0.105 mg of Copper, 0.216 mg of Manganese, 0.12 mg of Vitamin B6, 0.429 mg of Vitamin B5, 297 mg of Potassium, 0.46 mg of Iron and 40 mg of Phosphorus.

Health benefits of Gooseberry

The gooseberry features a higher nutrient content and is also obtainable in white-colored, green, or even red types. One fourth of the everyday requisite of vitamin C is available in the average offering of gooseberries. Gooseberries usually have an acidic sour taste to them, yet recently, new versions have been discovered to become fairly sweet. These types of berries are generally utilized whilst producing jams, jellies as well as puddings.

Gooseberries are not typically the most popular of fruits, and lots of individuals don’t have any idea exactly what a gooseberry is, however this unusual, somewhat sour fruit has numerous health advantages. From assisting in avoiding ageing to maintaining the body powerful from problems, this particular remarkable gooseberry has numerous healthy and balanced advantages!

Some of the reasons to eat Gooseberry are listed below-

1. Eye Care

Regular consumption of Gooseberry juice along with honey is quite beneficial for improving eyesight, and research has shown it to improve nearsightedness and cataracts, while decreasing intra-ocular tension. This is mainly due to its remarkable content of carotene, which has long been known for their powerful effect on vision-related disorders, including those that stem from free radical activity. Vitamin A and carotenes reduce macular degeneration, night blindness, and strengthen your vision before the age-related degeneration from free radicals can occur

2. Digestion

Just like most of the fruits, gooseberry is very high in fiber. Fiber helps to add bulk to the stool and helps food move through the bowels and keeps bowel movements regular. This reduces the chances of constipation, and fiber bulk up loose stools and decrease diarrhea. Fiber also encourages the secretion of gastric and digestive juices, hence food is digested efficiently, nutrients are absorbed in an optimal way, and you feel lighter and healthier.

Reducing constipation can also help protect your from several gastrointestinal disorders, even colorectal cancer!

3. Diabetes

Gooseberry consists of chromium, which has a therapeutic value for diabetic patients. Indian Gooseberry encourages the isolated group of cells that secrete the hormone insulin, thus decreasing blood sugar in diabetic patients and keeping their body balanced as well as healthy. When blood sugar is reduced, it means that glucose is also being used by the cells as functional energy, thus the metabolism is stronger and you have more energy, without the plunges and spikes in blood sugar that are so dangerous for diabetic patients. Chromium also improves the effect of beta blockers, which are used for heart health, by decreasing the LDL cholesterol content of the body.

4. Calcium Absorption

Gooseberry helps the body absorb calcium in a positive way. Calcium is a crucial component of our bones, teeth, and nails, and also ensures that we have attractive lustrous hair. Thus, regular consumption of vitamin C-rich fruit like Indian gooseberries is a wonderful way to keep the body looking and feeling great!

5. Cancer

Gooseberry is a rich source of antioxidants which is effective to prevent DNA cell damage from free radicals. Similarly due to its high Oxidative Radiance Activity Capacity (ORAC) it protects cell damage from oxidative stress.  The Best part of Gooseberry is that it doesn’t lose it nutrients value even in powered form. During research it was found that Gooseberry has tremendous effect on multiple cancers.

First, it slows down the growth of cancer. Later it starts killing the cancer cells. After complete slow down, it also starts to kill the cancer cells. Also, the major part is that it didn’t harm any healthy cells. It shows beneficial in preventing and protecting from cancer. It is effective to prevent growth and spread of cancer cell. It is effective to prevent tumor cell growth.

6. Menstrual Cramps

Gooseberry consists of huge variety of minerals and vitamins which is quite useful in the treatment of menstrual cramps. Since it takes a while for the necessary elements to accumulate in the body, it is better to consume gooseberry on a regular basis so it is always in the system and menstrual cramps can be prevented every month for women.

7. Brain health

Gooseberry consists of huge amount of vitamin and minerals that helps to improve brain health. Due to the high iron in the blood, it offers oxygen to the brain. Also, it improves memory.

Apart from that it contains a high amount of antioxidants; it is effective to prevent degeneration of brain caused due to oxygen free radicals. Therefore, it provides complete health benefits to the brain.

Additionally Gooseberry is effective to protect from Alzheimer’s disease but not to cure it.

8. Aging

Aging is common with the increase in age. But the process of aging is totally changed. Skin starts to show sign of aging at an early age.

These early signs of aging are due to unhealthy diet, pollution, stress and much more.

Gooseberry helps you fight the problem of aging due to its high antioxidants content. Oxidative Radiance Activity Capacity (ORAC) value is 3387 micromole per 100 g. Free radicals are known to damage healthy cells. They damage the healthy skin and accelerate the process of aging. But antioxidants fight these free radicals and slow down the process of aging.

9. Diarrhea and Dysentery

Due to its strong cooling and laxative properties, Gooseberry is a wonderful component in remedies for diarrhea and dysentery. It offers great relief for gastric syndrome as well as hyperchlorhydria (burning sensation in the abdomen). As a laxative, it helps flush out toxins or harmful substances you may have eaten that are causing your discomfort or illness, thus removing it from your system so the healing process can begin, and cooling the burning and discomfort often felt when diarrhea occurs.

10. Hair care

Gooseberry is used in several hair tonics because it enhances hair growth and hair pigmentation. It fortifies the roots of hair, maintains color, and improves luster. Regular consumption of fresh gooseberry or applying its paste on hair roots improves hair growth and color. Gooseberry oil is quite popular in India because it has been shown to decrease the chances of hair loss and baldness. This quality is due to the carotene content of gooseberry, as well as its iron content and general antioxidant capacity, which reduces hair loss by not allowing free radicals to damage hair follicles or impact the hormones that can cause premature hair loss.

11. Improving Appetite

Regular consumption of Gooseberry powder with butter  and honey  before a meal improves appetite. It also helps to balance nitrogen levels, thus increasing weight in a healthy ways.

12. Heart Disease

Gooseberry helps to strengthen the heart muscles, so the heart pumps blood effortlessly throughout the body. By decreasing excess cholesterol buildup, the chromium can reduce the chances of atherosclerosis, or plaque buildup in the vessels and arteries. This reduces the chances of strokes and heart attacks. The iron content encourages the creation of new red blood cells, increasing circulation and the oxygenation of organs and cells to maximize growth and regeneration of tissue, while keeping the blood vessels and arteries clean.

13. Diuretic Activity

Besides being a fruit that is very high in water, Gooseberry is slightly diuretic in nature. This means that it increases the frequency as well as volume of urination. Urination helps to eliminate unwanted toxins and excess levels of water, salts, and uric acid from the body. Additionally, it can help you lose weight, since up to 4% of urine is actually composed of fat. Thus, a diuretic substance is always essential for keeping our kidneys healthy, and also preventing urinary infections and uterine infections. Gooseberry is a great way to do this.

14. Infection

Gooseberries have antibacterial and astringent attributes; so it protects the body against infection and improves the body’s immune response. They are also a very good source of vitamin C, which is eminent for its impressive antioxidant abilities and its stimulation of the immune system. It increases the white blood cell count in the body, which is the main line of defense for the immune system, since white blood cells attack and remove foreign toxins and substances in the bloodstream and throughout the body.

15. Metabolic Activity

Regular consumption of protein rich foods is one of the most significant ways to stay healthy, since proteins are an essential part of our body’s metabolic activities. Our enzymes can breakdown plant proteins into amino acids and reunite them into usable proteins for our body. Protein is essential for cellular growth; muscle development, organ health, and a wide range of other metabolic activities that we need to remain healthy and happy!

How to Eat

• Emblic fruit is extremely rich in vitamin C and edible fresh, cooked, dried or pickled.
• Fruit is cooked in various cuisines in a dhal (lentil) preparation and in a sweet dish amle ka murabbah indigenous to the northern part of India (wherein the berries are soaked in sugar syrup for a long time) which is traditionally consumed after meals in Andra Pradesh.
• Fresh fruits are also baked in tarts.
• It is a common practice for Indian housewives to cook the fruits with sugar and saffron and give one or two to a child every morning.
• Fruit is used to as sour seasoning in sambal and sayor in place of tamarind pulp in Indonesia and Malaysia.
• Ripe or half-ripe fruits are used to make sweetmeats, jams, jellies, “emblic myrobalan” fruit preserves, candies, emblic powder, chutney, pickles and relishes.
• Emblic preserves are manufactured and marketed in large quantities in India.
• Preserved amblics are available in enameled cans or crystallized as a confection.
• Emblic flesh can be dried and made into chips.
• Fruit juice is used to flavor vinegar.
• Fruit is extensively used by local Thais to quench the thirst when walking in the forest in Thailand.
• Phyllanthus drink prepared from fruit extract is commonly known, and wine made from fruit extract is sold in the market in China.
• Tart, astringent quality berries are favored in fish, poultry, and meat dishes.
• Berries are also used in muffins, pie-fillings, and ice creams.
• They are also used to flavor beverages such as sodas, flavored waters, or milk, and can be made into fruit wines and teas.
• Gooseberries can be preserved in the form of jams, dried fruit, or as the primary or a secondary ingredient in pickling, or stored in sugar syrup.

Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin has filed a lawsuit against NASA, accusing the government agency of improperly evaluating proposals. This is the latest move Bezos has made after months of criticizing NASA’s decision to pick Blue Origin’s longtime rival SpaceX as the recipient of a $2.9 billion contract to get astronauts back on the moon. Bezos, one of the richest men in the world, penned an open letter to NASA, asking them to rethink the contract, offering to waive $2 billion dollars of costs. He also filed a complaint to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). “I don’t know if the public is paying attention to this, but the space community sure is and the space community is reacting very negatively,” says Laura Forczyk, owner of aerospace space consulting firm Astralytical. “It’s seen as pettiness—as throwing a tantrum.” 

Blue Origin

Bezos founded Blue Origin in 2000, and the company has spent years competing with SpaceX and other players in the aerospace industry for lucrative government contracts. The company’s been slowly building up their technical capabilities, with tech like reusable launch vehicle New Shepard, named for Alan Shepard, the first American to rocket into space. It’s designed to take six astronauts past the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary to space. Then there’s the New Glenn, named for astronaut John Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit Earth. It’s designed to be reused for a minimum of 25 flights, making trips to space cheaper and more accessible. Both projects are in line with NASA’s Artemis program, whose mission is getting Americans back to the moon for longer periods of time, on rockets that can be reused. “NASA doesn’t want just the ability to land humans and come back, they want to make it repeatable and affordable,” Forczyk says, “They want to create some kind of longer term, sustainable human presence on the moon.”

Even though Artemis is a program that has only officially been around for about two years, the idea of returning back to the moon has existed since the first Bush administration, when it was called the Space Exploration initiative, says Forczyk. Under the second Bush administration, it was called Constellation, but the idea didn’t pick up steam until former Vice President Mike Pence gave a speech in 2019 calling for human return to the moon by 2024.

What happened with NASA?

In April 2020, three companies—Blue Origin, Dynetics, and SpaceX—were all invited to submit lunar lander designs to NASA as part of the Artemis program. The winner of the contract would get to play a hand in transporting people back to the moon for the first time in decades. According to a GAO document, NASA voiced a “preference for awarding two [contracts], pending availability of funds.” A year later, NASA announced that only SpaceX would get the contract. “This was a surprise because everyone anticipated they would select two instead of just one,” says Forczyk. Both Blue Origin and Dynetics filed complaints to the GAO. SpaceX’s work stopped while the GAO deliberated, but they eventually found no fault in the process, noting that NASA did not have the funding for more than one contract. Elon Musk responded to the news by tweeting “GAO” with the flexed arm emoji. Bezos then penned an open letter to NASA chief Bill Nelson on July 26, 2021, saying that this decision to award SpaceX the only contract was “putting an end to meaningful competition for years to come.” He offered to waive payments of up to $2 billion.

NASA did not respond, and by August 16, Bezos escalated his campaign against NASA, filing a federal court complaint that cited issues in the proposal evaluation process. And on August 19, a Washington Post reporter announced on Twitter that a NASA spokesperson said it had to pause its work on the human landing system in response to a judge’s stay.

Public Reaction

Artemis has been plagued by many delays, and some fear this lawsuit could delay the project further. “It’s unfortunate; he does have quite a bit of wealth, and he could funnel that wealth into paying for this project internally, or he could funnel his wealth into convincing NASA that they need to hire him,” says Forczyk. Meanwhile, an open letter posted on the subreddit r/BlueOrigin titled “We are NOT like this,” allegedly from the perspective of Blue Origin employees, voices embarrassment at the lawsuit. A few Blue Origin staffers, like engineer Lauren Lyons, have left the company. Engineer Nitin Arora actually left Blue Origin for SpaceX. “Looking at the bigger picture, this is just a blip,” says Forczyk. “When we bask in the glory of finally getting back [to the moon], it’ll be something long forgotten.” 

‘IF I RUN THE WORLD…’ I always wonder what it would be like. It’s like one of those thoughts that falls into our minds, like why some movies have an offline script or why some artists sing when they don’t have the right words. But, I mean, whenever you listen to the news on TV or on the radio about a global epidemic or war, do you not feel that you can probably do a better job caring for the earth?

In the current state of affairs, everyone who wants to be president or prime minister of a country has only one goal in mind — to rule the country or the world with money and power. They do not think of the poor and do not think of the proper development of the nation and of the whole world which shows how the world has selfish and selfish rulers.

Today, everywhere in the world something bad is happening, such as the war in Afghanistan or the deforestation. If I were to run the world, I would turn the mountains into chocolate and turn the trees into sweets. All the jokes aside, if I were to manage the world, there are four things in particular I would like to change: Hate between the different religions of the world, Freedom of speech, equality for all and the idea of ​​monetary power coming from human minds. There are a total of 195 countries and about 4,400 religions worldwide. These numbers show how each nation is different or in other words how different our mother world is! People today, however, hate one another’s religions. Example: Muslims and Hindus hate one another because of past relationships or circumstances that led them to do so. If all religions stood together and fought for their rights, working together for good, the Earth would be a much better place to live. If I were to run the world, I would develop a sense of belonging between all religions and the belief that man is the same and that they follow different cultures. This will be much better for our world to grow in unity.

‘Speech’ is a very important word that allows every person in the world to put forward his or her thoughts related to any topic. Many countries have the right to free speech but it is not done literally. Example: In India, a girl wrote something against a political party on Facebook and it was spreading. A few days later he was accused of being a criminal as he just posted his opinion of the party. This shows that the ‘Right to Freedom of Speech’ is not really cared for in India, which is sad. On the other hand, If I were a ruler; I would allow everyone to express their views and suggestions freely. This can also lead people to believe in society. Therefore, Freedom of Speech will be granted to all whether it be a doctor, a lawyer, a businessman etc.

Treating everyone equally plays a very important role in governance. If I were to treat the world, I would treat everyone equally. It is the same for men and women or for the rich and the poor. Women should have the same rights as men. They should be educated and allowed to work in various fields or subjects. As a girl myself, I will feel proud to see women serving the community on a large scale because they are the people who support their families. I can see that all women are educated and given respect in society. The poor should also be given equal access to education and employment. As a ruler, I would also see poor people educated their children and they also had jobs. The world cannot rely solely on the wealthy; poor people also play a very important role in the whole universe. I can make special schemes, build good schools for the poor and also give these schools good teachers. If the poor are educated only the world can move forward.

Today, MONEY plays a vital role in the life of an individual. Everyone has only one goal in life, and that goal is to earn money. Benefit from crime or from that and deceive the lives of others in the community. Money does not rule over the world, and happiness does not rule over the world. I would rather focus on finding happiness than on making money for individuals. For the sake of money; relationships are broken, between nations, families, and friends this leads to loss of happiness among people. I can make people understand the importance of happiness in one’s life and what brings real meaning to their lives.

Lastly, to say that I would do these things if I were to manage this land is easier than actually putting them in place. But, if I was given the opportunity I would try to make this land beautiful for foreigners to live in or experiment with. Jokes aside, if I were to really manage this world, I would see that each person is happy in everything they do and has respect for each other or for that matter each other’s lives. To me, all citizens of the world are rulers and not just the president or the prime minister. I would just like to be the guiding light of the world and not force the thoughts on people who help me as a ruler and not on the people of the world as citizens.

After reading the title you must be laughing at it but it the story of an entrepreneur or I could say a success entrepreneur who was struggling with himself and came up with this idea which proved a billion dollar deal to him. I know you would be interested to know the name and his journey but she journey is not always easy. Like there is a saying that life is not a bed of roses and that is applied here.

As I was going with my YouTube videos I saw a video of Prafull Billore yeah that’s the name and the thing which attracted me was the name MBA Chaiwala. It’s sound very funny but when I watched the video and the journey of him I was inspired. Like what a deal and what an inspiration one could get from him.

He was planning and decided to MBA like any other individual would go with giving the entrance exams and clearing it with good marks. But the idea was struck into his mind if starting his own business and then opened a roadside thela in Ahemdabad along with the utensils of chai that he bought in 45 days. He dropped from his college and started his business with his job also. He worked at a restaurant where he served burgers and that’s where he got the inspiration of his own food business.

The name was thought to be unique as in India customers come if the name is unique only. So it was named as Mr Billore A’bad Chaiwala. At chai point customers come ,have a cup of tea and forgets about their worries for sometime. Chai is a stress buster for us indeed.

Now he is well known name for the people and the network has become stronger . I’m sure that after reading the story of this startup you must also be thinking about it. Hope you will like reading it and I will try to bring more stories like this for my readers. Have a great day.

Thank you!!

The day which revives the language Sanskrit. Today is World Sanskrit day which is also known as vishwa sanskrita dinam. Sanskrit is not only just a language but a tradition of India. It is the oldest languages in the world. The mother to all languages which lost its importance in this modern world. Sanskrit language is the soul of India and considered as one of the most sacred language.This year the event is celebrated on August 22, 2021.

Sanskrit is not only the language to be spoken but it has a religious importance too. The Vedas has Sanskrit shlok, epic books such as the Ramayan and the Mahabharata are written and scripted in Sanskrit. Most of the puranas of Hindu tradition are having detail written in Sanskrit language. Hinduism contains majority shlok in Sanskrit language only which have a perfect and divine meaning. It is celebrated on the shravani purnima in the month of shravan according to Hindu calendar. Sanskrit language is considered to be the language of gods and sages.

It is the official language of Uttrakhand and different programs are being organised to promote the language. It involves lectures which must be included in the normal lives to be connected with the nature. Sanskrit week is celebrated at national level to know and revive our mother language. Different types of competition like kavi sammelan, debates, poetry are performed in Sanskrit.

Not only at national but the day is celebrated internationally also and people are recognising the concept and tradition of Sanskrit in modern life. It also emproves the pronouncing ability of the individual. In yoga Sanskrit shloks are recited so as to understand the concept and connect with the power of it. Even Sanskrit teachers are hired at higher posts to teach Sanskrit as a language to their kids.

As an Indian we should try to know and promote it to our future generations too. The language can be tough yet beautiful.The language is spoken by not reading the words but by learning and understanding it by heart. I hope this information was useful for you.

Hope you will like it. Thank you!!

Dolphins are known for being smart, playful creatures that can learn to perform impressive tricks. But you might not know that dolphins are also champion nappers who have helped the U.S. Navy protect nuclear warheads.

DOLPHINS ARE EXCELLENT NAPPERS.

Since dolphins can’t breathe underwater, they need to swim up to the ocean’s surface to get air. So how do they sleep without drowning? Essentially, dolphins are champion power nappers. Rather than sleep for several hours at a time, they rest one hemisphere  of their brain for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, and they take these “naps” several times each day. By resting one hemisphere of their brain at a time, dolphins can continue swimming, breathing, and watching for predators 24/7.

DOLPHINS COMMUNICATE WITH CLICKS AND WHISTLES

Dolphins communicate with one another underwater by making a variety of vocalizations. To find prey and navigate the ocean, they make clicking sounds, and they “speak” to other dolphins by whistling. Dolphins also produce loud burst-pulse sounds when they feel excited or aggressive, such as when they need to scare off a nearby shark. Some female dolphins also produce a burst-pulse to reprimand their offspring, called calves, for bad behavior.

BUT DOLPHIN LANGUAGE REMAINS A MYSTERY.

Although marine scientists have studied and recorded dolphin vocalizations for decades, many aspects of the animals’ language and how they communicate are still unknown. Scientists have not yet broken down the individual units  of dolphin sounds, and they’re still searching for a Rosetta Stone that links the animals’ vocalizations to their behavior. By using new technologies—including algorithms and high-frequency recorders that work underwater—scientists hope to finally unlock the mystery of the dolphin language.

DOLPHINS USE ECHOLOCATION TO NAVIGATE.

To know where they are in relation to other objects and animals, dolphins use echolocation (a.k.a. biological sonar). After emitting a series of high-pitched clicks, they listen for the echoes to bounce off their surroundings. Based on these echoes, dolphins can judge where they are in space and determine the size and shape of nearby objects. Besides helping dolphins evade predators, echolocation allows them to trap, catch, and eat fish and squid.

DOLPHINS MAKE FRIENDS WITH OTHER DOLPHINS.

Dolphins are highly social, and scientists are still discovering fascinating details about how the aquatic mammals socialize with one another. In 2015, scientists at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute published research in the Marine Mammal Science journal about the social networks of dolphins. After spending over six years tracking 200 bottlenose dolphins in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon, the scientists discovered that dolphins have friends. Instead of spending equal time with the dolphins around them, the animals actually segregate themselves into friend groups. Just like humans, dolphins seem to prefer the company of certain peers more than others.

EACH DOLPHIN RESPONDS TO ITS OWN NAME.

Dolphins aren’t swimming around with name tags, but every dolphin has its own unique whistle. Scientists believe that dolphins use these signature whistles  for life, and female dolphins may even teach their calves their whistles before they’re born. Dolphins use their signature whistles to call out to one another and may be able to remember other dolphins’ whistles after decades apart.

THERE ARE 44 DIFFERENT DOLPHIN SPECIES.

Although bottlenose dolphins are the most well-known and recognizable, there are 43 other  dolphin species. Most species live in temperate and tropical oceans, but a few live in colder oceans or rivers. Depending on their species, dolphins can vary considerably in their physical attributes and behavior. For example, the largest dolphin species, the Orca (also called Killer Whale), can be 30 feet long—10 times longer than the smallest dolphins.

DOLPHINS DON’T USE THEIR TEETH TO CHEW FOOD.

Dolphins have teeth, but they don’t use their chompers to chew food. Instead, dolphins use their teeth to catch prey (fish, crustaceans, and squid) and swallow it whole. Since they forgo-chewing , digestion occurs in their stomach—or, more precisely, in part of their stomach. Dolphins have multiple stomach chambers, one of which is devoted to digestion, while the other chambers store food before it’s digested.

DOLPHINS TYPICALLY GIVE BIRTH TO JUST ONE CALF.

Depending on their species, most female dolphins (called cows) carry their babies for nine to 17 months before giving birth to a calf. Interestingly, calves are born tail first, rather than head first, so they don’t drown during the birthing process. After nursing for one to two years, a calf typically stays with its mother for the next one to seven years, before mating and having its own calves.

 A DOLPHIN’S SKIN CAN BE REGENERATED EVERY TWO HOURS.

If you’ve ever swum with dolphins, you know their skin looks and feels super smooth and sleek. There’s a reason for that—a dolphin’s epidermis (outer layer of skin) can be sloughed off and replaced with new skin cells as often as every two hours. Because their skin regenerates so often, it stays smooth and, as most scientists believe, reduces drag as they swim.

DOLPHINS ARE NOT THE SAME AS PORPOISES.

To the untrained eye, dolphins and porpoises look nearly identical, and many people mistakenly think that porpoises are a type of dolphin. But the two species belong to completely different families and differ in their physical attributes. So how can you tell them apart? Dolphins, which are usually bigger than porpoises, typically have longer breaks  and curved dorsal fins. Porpoises, on the other hand, have more triangular dorsal fins as well as spade-shaped (rather than conical) teeth.

HUNTING, OVERFISHING, AND RISING OCEAN TEMPERATURES THREATEN DOLPHINS.

Some dolphin species are endangered or functionally extinct (like China’s baiji dolphin) due to hunting, overfishing, and pollution. Although dolphin meat is high in mercury, the animals are still hunted for their meat and eaten in parts of Japan and the Faroe Islands of Denmark. Overfishing means that dolphins’ food sources are shrinking, and some dolphins get caught up in fishing nets and die. Additionally, climate change and rising ocean temperatures are driving some fish and squid away from their natural habitats, putting dolphins’ main food source at risk.

A SUPERPOD CAN CONSIST OF MORE THAN 1000 DOLPHINS.

Dolphins live in groups, called pods, that typically contain dozens or hundreds of dolphins. By swimming in a pod, dolphins work together to hunt prey, evade predators, and care for  sick or injured members. But different pods can also merge, forming a superpod of more than 1000 dolphins. Superpods are typically temporary and occur in parts of the ocean with plentiful food (and less competition for tasty squid).

THE OLDEST DOLPHIN IN CAPTIVITY LIVED TO THE AGE OF 61.

Dolphin lifespan varies greatly by species. Most dolphins in the wild live for a few decades, while those in captivity have a drastically reduced lifespan and may live for only a few years. So it’s all the more shocking that the oldest dolphin in captivity lived to be a sexagenarian. Nellie, a bottlenose dolphin who lived in a marine entertainment park  in Florida, was born in 1953. She appeared on TV shows and commercials and performed tricks for the park’s attendees before passing away in 2014.