An encyclopaedia of mind-bogglingly random science facts that will lodge in your brain and refuse to leave. Heard about the poisonous tree in the Amazon rainforest that grows exploding fruit? Did you know that manatees control their buoyancy with farts? Or that the first vending machine was invented in ancient Egypt? In this compendium of obscure facts readers will be treated to baffling scientific knowledge they would never learn at school. Broken into chapters including engineering, space, and biology, a team of experts has scoured the margins to find the silliest and most pointless facts that the world has to offer. Accompanied by hilarious illustrations, kids will meet the ants turned to zombies by a deadly fungus, discover why astronauts left their poo on the Moon, and find out about the rainstorm that lasted a million years (before umbrellas were invented!). They will also learn completely useless information like that all of the hair on your head could hold the weight of two elephants.

• 8-12 years