The last thing I learned was how pinecones open and shut their scales depending on the moisture levels.

Realistically, I should have already known this since a lot of my time outside as a child, consisted of searching for pinecones. My sister and I would get piles and piles of them and chuck them at each other. At school, we would always do some sort of craft with them as well, so they were a pretty big part of my childhood.

That being said, I was completely dumbfounded when I found out people used to put them in their showers due partly to the piney scent they give off, but also to see them close in real time. Once they get wet or feel the moisture level rising, the scales close, in order to protect to pine tree seeds hidden inside. Once they dry, the scales reopen, allowing the seeds to spread when the time is right for germination. Apparently, you can even place one of these guys on your open windowsill and they can act as a sort of alert for incoming rain due to raising humidity levels.

It is amazing and awesome how God gave a sort of inherent intelligence to these little protectors of seeds. I can never look at pinecones the same again, they may judge me lol

I will include a video of them drying out and slowly opening back up, it is quite fascinating to me.