The most outstanding creations of man and nature (part 5)

The current world record holder for the heaviest fruit is a pumpkin grown in Italy in 2021. Her weight was 1226 kg (2703 lb).

The largest pumpkin in the world was grown by Italian Stefano Cutrupi, thus winning the Italian championship "Lo Zuccone". "I'm very happy," he said as he set a world record that he's been trying to break for 14 years.

There are 2 smallest species of Wolffia (Wolffia) in the world: the Australian Wolffia angular (Wolffia angusta) and the Asian-African Wolffia globosa (Wolffia globosa). They are so small that it is difficult to discern the size of their fruit. For example, the fruit of Wolffia angusta is 0,30 mm (1/100 inch) long and weighs about 70 micrograms (1/400,000 ounce).

Despite being the smallest fruit in the world, it is one of the largest fruits compared to the size of the parent plant. The combined size of the parent plant of the two species of Wolfia described above is less than one millimeter (less than 1/25 inch) long. This means that the small, ripe fruits of the genus take up a third or more of the length of the parent plant.

Rafflesia arnoldii (Rafflesia arnoldii) has another name – "corpse flower". The flower got its name because it has a strong and unpleasant smell of decaying flesh.

These giant flowers grow in the tropical rainforests of the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia. Lacking roots, stems, leaves, or chlorophyll, they live on vines of the Tetrastigma genus.

Amorphophallus titanum, also known as the "corpse flower", is a flowering plant with the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world. The flowering of this plant lasts only 2 days. The aroma of the flower resembles a mixture of rotten eggs and rotten fish, and in appearance the flower resembles a decomposing piece of meat.

This corpse flower emits strong odors to attract pollinators, insects that feed on dead animals or lay their eggs in rotting meat. The strength of the scent gradually increases from late evening until the middle of the night, when carrion beetles and blowflies are active as pollinators, and then weakens in the morning.

Initially, the titanic amorphophallus grew only in the forests of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, but the people who came there almost exterminated it. Now this rare flower is bred mainly in greenhouse conditions in the botanical gardens of the world.

Interestingly, this plant's corm is the largest known, typically weighing around 50 kg (110 lb). The current record is held by a corm grown at Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Gardens weighing 153,9 kg (339 lb) after 7 years growing from the original orange-sized corm.

Jellyfish Sea wasp (Chironex fleckeri) is common off the coast of Northern Australia and in Indonesia. She is famous for her ability to inflict burns. The tentacles of the animal are completely covered with stinging cells (nematocytes), which contain one of the most powerful poisons on the planet.

Sea Wasp burns cause excruciating pain, and the toxin is powerful enough to kill 60 people in 3 minutes. Over the past 100 years, 100 people have died from the burns of this jellyfish.

The largest is the emperor penguin, its height is 110–120 cm, and its weight is up to 46 kg.

The smallest representatives are small penguins (or blue penguins), their height is 30–45 cm, and their weight is 1–2,5 kg.

Such significant differences are explained by Bergman's rule, of which penguins are a frequent example. Bergman's rule states that animals living in cold regions have larger body sizes, since this contributes to a more rational ratio of the volume and surface of the animal's body and, thereby, to a decrease in heat loss.

Penguins do not only live in Antarctica, they live in many parts of the Southern Hemisphere. The warmest habitat for penguins is the Galapagos Islands, located near the equator.

More interesting facts about penguins you will find in our article ☛

The total height of Mauna Kea, measured from the underwater base to the top, is 10203 meters (the so-called relative height). Thus, relative to the foot of the mountain (and at Mauna Kea, as you know, it is at the bottom of the ocean), Mauna Kea is 1355 meters higher than Mount Everest.

If we talk about absolute height, that is, about the height above sea level, then the highest point on our planet is, of course, the top of Mount Everest – 8848 meters. Mauna Kea rises above the water at only 4205 meters.

More interesting facts about the highest mountain of Mauna Kea you will find in our article ☛

This 4-star hotel is located on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, UAE. It has 528 rooms spread over 75 floors and a range of amenities including restaurants and a garage rooftop pool.

Gevora Hotel consists of the main hotel building and a garage. The hotel's main building sits on a square plot of only 30 meters by 30 meters (100 feet × 100 feet) and rises 75 floors to a height of 276,3 meters (906 feet), which is the height of the top floor.

The construction of the Gevora Hotel lasted 12 years, it began in 2005 and ended in 2017 (opened in February 2018). The building was originally planned as a residential tower, but during construction it was turned into a hotel. Construction cost more than AED 500 million (US$140 million).

Guangzhou Yuan has a completely round shape. Its height is 138 meters, and the diameter of the inner ring is 48 meters. The building has 33 floors, and its total area is 85000 m².

The Donut House, as it is popularly known, was built in 2013 by Italian architect Giuseppe Dipasquale. The total investment in the construction of the building was about 1 billion yuan.

Read more about this giant "donut" in our article ☛