Did you know …

Earthworms are gardening gold. A single acre of healthy soil can contain more than a million earthworms, each one aerating the ground and turning organic matter into nutrients as it moves.

Plants can hear themselves being eaten. Research has shown that plants respond to the sound of caterpillars chewing on their leaves by producing more defensive chemicals — even when the chewing sound is just a recording.

The oldest potted plant in the world is over 240 years old. A Eastern Cape cycad has been living in a pot at Kew Gardens in London since 1775.

Talking to your plants actually helps. The Royal Horticultural Society ran a study and found that plants grow faster when spoken to — and that women’s voices produced slightly better results than men’s. No one is entirely sure why.

Carrots were originally purple. The orange carrot we know today was developed by Dutch growers in the 17th century, reportedly as a tribute to the Dutch Royal House of Orange. Before that, carrots came in purple, white, and yellow.

Medieval “tooth worms” were a real diagnosis.
For centuries, people believed toothaches were caused by tiny worms burrowing inside teeth. Dentists would even try to “smoke them out.” There were no worms, of course. Just cavities doing their thing.

People used to reuse other people’s teeth.
In the 1700s and 1800s, dentures were often made from teeth taken from the poor or from soldiers killed in battle. After the Battle of Waterloo, so many teeth were collected they were nicknamed “Waterloo teeth.”

Your mouth has more bacteria than there are people on Earth.
Over 700 species can live in your mouth. Most are harmless (even helpful), but don’t invite them to stay by not brushing.

The first electric toothbrush appeared in the 1950s.
It was developed in Switzerland and originally designed for patients with limited motor skills.

There’s a condition where teeth grow in places they absolutely shouldn’t.
It’s called hyperdontia, and some people grow extra teeth, occasionally even in the roof of the mouth.

Cavities are technically contagious.
The bacteria that cause tooth decay can be passed through saliva — sharing utensils, kissing, even blowing on a child’s food.

We’ll be boarding Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas tomorrow at the Los Angeles cruise terminal. Look for a travelogue on that next week. For now, here are some fun (and not-so-fun) facts about the life of the crew.

1. Time completely stops making sense

You can work a shift that starts on Monday, ends on Tuesday, and somehow still feels like Thursday. The ship changes time zones. Your body gives up.

2. You live in a beautiful prison with excellent views

You are surrounded by the ocean, but you are not allowed to leave whenever you want. Crew learn very quickly that “freedom” is measured in port hours and gangway times.

3. You stop reacting to alarms

Bells. Sirens. Announcements. After a while, your brain automatically asks, “Is this a drill or can I finish my coffee?” (Correct answer: report anyway.)

4. The crew corridors feel like a horror movie set

Endless white hallways. No windows. Doors that look identical. You can walk for ten minutes and swear you’re back where you started. Some crew swear the ship moves differently at night.

Having just had a dental mini-crisis, I thought it would be fun to learn a few things about teeth.

• Your teeth are the only part of your body that can’t heal themselves.
  Bones can mend, skin can regenerate—but once tooth enamel is damaged, it’s gone for good.
• Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body.
  It’s even stronger than bone.
• Everyone’s teeth are as unique as fingerprints.
  Tooth shape, spacing, and alignment are so individual that dental records can be used to identify a corpse.
• You start forming teeth before you’re even born.
  Baby teeth begin developing in the womb—even though they don’t show up for months (or years).

• George Washington didn’t have wooden teeth
  Despite the myth, his dentures were made from a mix of human teeth, animal teeth, and ivory.

• Early dentures were literally spring-loaded
  In the 1700s, some false teeth were held together with metal springs that forced the mouth open. Wearers had to clench constantly to keep their mouths closed.

• Snails have thousands of teeth.
  They’re tiny and arranged on a ribbon-like tongue called a radula. Some species have over 20,000 microscopic teeth, making them toothier than any mammal on Earth.
• Sharks never run out of teeth.
  Most sharks grow and shed teeth constantly—some replace a lost tooth in as little as 24 hours.