Proverbial challenge

From apples to inches: This game might teach you a thing or two!

Credit: Alex Shute

Wisdom comes in many shapes and sizes. Maybe it was a piece of advice a friend gave you, or that class at college you never forgot. Today, we have a game for you: wisdom in the shape of proverbs. How many do you know? Do you know what they mean? Read the first five sections to see the context, and try to guess the proverb. In the final sections, we’ll give out the answers. Ready for a challenge? Keep reading and see!

Credit: Nikolai Chernichenko

We don’t only inherit our hair color; we also inherit behavior, gestures, and ways of talking, even. This proverb is used when those similarities are too big to hide! Good or bad, the attitude that you copy from a parent makes people go: "Well, you know, the apple doesn’t…"

Credit: Annie Spratt

Who hasn’t done a small favor for a friend or family member? Our days are full of good deeds, and they make us proud, right? Well, the problem comes when a simple favor turns into a bigger ask, and then an even bigger one. That friendly neighbor who asked for a tool first, but then asked you to fix the whole fence, you gave them an inch… What’s next?

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Goodbyes are hard, there’s no denying that! But you know that some time apart from that special someone can really help you understand how you feel and, most times, you’ll learn you really love that person and wish they were right next to you again. How does absence make the heart feel?

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Picture yourself in your house, looking at the phone, hoping to hear it ring with the bad news you know is coming your way. But time passes by, the phone never rings, and so you start feeling calmer and calmer. You just wait, hope for the best, and remind yourself that no news is…

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Everyone hits rough patches. We’ve all been there, right? However, some people seem to strive right through them with nothing but determination. The confidence is high and there’s a certainty that if you want something badly enough, you’ll get it, no matter how hard it is to do so. After all, you know, where there’s a will…

Credit: Nathan Hulsey

That’s right, and Newton knew it! (LOL) All jokes aside, the proverb is the best way to say we are pretty similar to the people who raised us. How could we not? As long as it refers to good traits, cheers to that!

Credit: Malachi Brooks

Oh, that neighbor! You can ask for a tool, but that’s that! This proverb highlights the difference between asking for a small favor and taking advantage of someone else! An inch is an inch, and that’s what you should ask for!

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Distance and absence are what really show us how we feel about people. It’s not necessarily fair, but time apart can make feelings grow stronger. In the end, real connections are what matter, regardless of the distance!

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Stop waiting for the phone to ring. If it doesn’t, you know it’s because there’s nothing to say. And sometimes, that’s the best news you can get! Great proverb to help us deal with anxiety today, huh?

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You could use the word "resilient," or you can put this great proverb to use! In any case, if you have it in you, if you really want it, you’ll find a solution to your problems!

Nature’s ingenuity

10 animal architects that put human engineers to shame

Credit: Derek Otway

Humans pride themselves on skyscrapers, domes, and bridges—but animals were building architectural marvels long before blueprints existed. Across land, sea, and sky, many creatures design complex structures that are highly efficient, sustainable, and engineered for survival. Here are 10 examples where nature’s architects have outdesigned even our most advanced builders.

Credit: Ingeborg Korme

Termites in Africa and Australia build towering mounds with natural ventilation systems that regulate temperature and humidity. Some stand over 30 feet tall.

Their tunnels and chimneys allow gas exchange and moisture control. Scientists have even modeled eco-buildings on their passive airflow design.

Credit: Boba Jaglicic

Honeybees build hives with mathematically precise hexagonal cells that maximize space and minimize material use—no wasted wax.

The hexagonal shape offers structural strength while storing the most honey using the least wax, a principle engineers now use in space and aerospace design.

Credit: Shaun Low

Built by coral polyps, reefs are massive calcium carbonate structures that house thousands of marine species. The Great Barrier Reef is even visible from space!

Corals build by secreting limestone over generations, forming stable, self-sustaining ecosystems with complex flow dynamics and nutrient cycling.

Credit: viswaprem anbarasapandian

Weaverbirds intricately knot grass and twigs to build nests suspended from branches. Some designs have separate chambers for eggs and waste.

They tie over 10,000 knots per nest using only their beaks. The nests are rainproof, predator-resistant, and aerodynamically sound.

Credit: Victor G

Leafcutter ants and other species excavate massive underground colonies that contain chambers for food, nurseries, and fungus farms.

Some supercolonies cover hundreds of yards and are engineered to handle ventilation, moisture control, and traffic flow with no central planning.

Credit: Derek Otway

Beavers alter entire landscapes by building dams from logs, mud, and stone to create deep ponds that protect their lodges from predators.

Their dams slow water flow, reduce erosion, and promote wetland biodiversity. They even inspect and repair damage regularly, like human engineers.

Credit: David Clode

Male white-spotted pufferfish create large, symmetrical circles on the seafloor to attract mates, sculpting them with fins and body movements.

These formations—up to 7 feet wide—include ridges and central pits designed to reduce water flow and protect eggs from sediment.

Credit: Егор Камелев

These spiders dig vertical burrows with a silk-hinged lid, perfectly camouflaged with soil and debris, creating hidden, ambush-ready homes.

The door snaps shut tightly to block predators, while underground tunnels offer shelter and a launch point for hunting.

Credit: Diane Picchiottino

Off the coast of Australia, octopuses have created dense clusters of dens made from shells and debris, nicknamed "Octopolis."

These communal sites challenge the notion of octopuses as strictly solitary. The dens are strategically arranged for defense and food access.

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Naked mole-rats build some of the most complex mammal tunnel systems, complete with toilets, food storage, nurseries, and even ventilation shafts.

The colonies can span several hundred yards, housing dozens of individuals ruled by a single breeding queen, functioning more like insect colonies than typical mammals.