The Most Outstanding Creations of Humans and Nature (Part 5)

The current world record holder for the heaviest fruit is a pumpkin grown in Italy in 2021. It weighed 1,226 kg (2,703 pounds).

The largest pumpkin in the world was grown by Italian grower Stefano Cutrupi, who won the Italian championship “Lo Zuccone.” “I’m very happy,” he said after setting a world record he had been trying to beat for 14 years.

There are two smallest species of Wolffia in the world: the Australian Wolffia angusta and the Asian-African Wolffia globosa. They are so small that it is hard to distinguish the size of their fruits. For instance, the fruit of Wolffia angusta measures 0.30 mm (1/100 inch) in length and weighs about 70 micrograms (1/400,000 ounce).

Despite being the smallest fruit in the world, it is one of the largest in proportion to the size of its parent plant. The total length of the parent plant of these two Wolffia species is less than one millimeter (less than 1/25 inch). This means the small ripe fruits occupy a third or more of the parent plant’s length.

Rafflesia arnoldii is also known as the “corpse flower.” It earned this name because of its strong and unpleasant odor, reminiscent of rotting flesh.

These gigantic flowers grow in the humid tropical forests of the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Lacking roots, stems, leaves, or chlorophyll, they live on vines of the genus Tetrastigma.

Amorphophallus titanum, also known as the “corpse flower,” is the flowering plant with the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world. Its blooming lasts only 2 days. The flower emits a smell resembling a mix of rotten eggs and decaying fish and looks like a piece of rotting meat.

This corpse flower releases strong odors to attract pollinators—namely, insects that feed on dead animals or lay eggs in rotting meat. The intensity of the smell increases from late evening to midnight, when carrion beetles and flesh flies are most active as pollinators, then diminishes by morning.

Originally, Amorphophallus titanum grew only in the forests of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, but human presence there has nearly wiped it out. Today, this rare flower is mostly cultivated in greenhouses at botanical gardens around the world.

Interestingly, the tuber of this plant is the largest known. It typically weighs around 50 kg (110 pounds). The current record belongs to a tuber grown at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, weighing 153.9 kg (339 pounds) after 7 years of growth from an original tuber the size of an orange.

The sea wasp jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) is found off the coasts of Northern Australia and in Indonesia. It is notorious for its stinging ability. The animal’s tentacles are covered with stinging cells (nematocysts), which contain one of the most potent toxins on the planet.

Stings from the sea wasp cause excruciating pain, and the toxin is powerful enough to kill 60 people in 3 minutes. In the past 100 years, stings from this jellyfish have caused the deaths of 100 people.

The largest is the emperor penguin, which reaches 110–120 cm in height and weighs up to 46 kg.

The smallest representatives are little penguins (also called blue penguins), which grow to 30–45 cm in height and weigh 1–2.5 kg.

Such significant differences are explained by Bergmann’s rule, for which penguins are a common example. Bergmann’s rule states that animals living in colder regions tend to have larger body sizes, which allows for a more favorable volume-to-surface ratio and thus less heat loss.

Penguins don’t live only in Antarctica—they inhabit many parts of the Southern Hemisphere. The warmest penguin habitat is the Galápagos Islands, located near the equator.

You can find more interesting facts about penguins in our article ☛

The total height of Mauna Kea, measured from its underwater base to its summit, is 10,203 meters (known as relative height). Thus, relative to its base (which is located on the ocean floor), Mauna Kea is 1,355 meters taller than Mount Everest.

In terms of absolute elevation, meaning height above sea level, the highest point on our planet is, of course, the summit of Mount Everest — 8,848 meters. Mauna Kea rises only 4,205 meters above the water.

You can find more interesting facts about Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain, in our article ☛

This 5-star hotel is located in the prestigious Dubai Marina district, Dubai, UAE. It features 1,042 rooms, including 150 suites, and spans 82 floors. On the 81st floor, there is a panoramic observation deck offering views of the city, Palm Jumeirah, and the Persian Gulf. The 76th floor houses one of the world’s highest infinity pools.

The building stands out with its futuristic design, featuring a cutout at the top and a glass façade. The hotel offers a wide range of amenities: restaurants, a fitness center, a spa, business lounges, and panoramic-view lounges.

The project was initially known as Ciel Tower. During development, it became part of the Vignette Collection by IHG Hotels & Resorts. The hotel’s name was changed to “Ciel Dubai Marina,” which not only reflects the architectural concept but also serves as a marketing tool highlighting the uniqueness and exclusivity of the project:

• “Ciel” is the French word for “sky,” symbolizing the project’s height and ambition.
• “Dubai Marina” specifies the location, emphasizing the prestige of the area where the hotel is situated.

Guangzhou Circle has a fully circular shape. Its height is 138 meters, and the diameter of the inner ring is 48 meters. The building has 33 floors, with a total area of 85,000 m².

Known locally as the “donut house,” it was built in 2013 based on a design by Italian architect Giuseppe Di Pasquale. The total investment in the building’s construction was around 1 billion yuan.

Read more about this gigantic “donut” in our article ☛