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We know how much you enjoy learning new things, dear Pandas. We do, too. Luckily for us, the internet has a nearly-inexhaustible supply of fun trivia, interesting facts, and intriguing tidbits about the world to whet our appetites for knowledge. If you’re constantly curious about things, then this article might be right up your alley.
Redditor u/Not_a_Replicant_ asked people to share the cool facts that they think others should definitely know, and they were not disappointed. Their thread quickly went viral and got over 41.5k upvotes in 3 days. We’ve collected some of the most interesting answers that are bound to reignite your curiosity about science, history, and other areas of knowledge. Perfect for that Ravenclaw living inside of you? We like to think so.
Scroll down and don’t forget to upvote the facts that you enjoyed learning about the most. Got some great trivia to share with all the other Pandas? Don’t be shy, drop on by the comment section.
Bored Panda reached out to Steven Wooding, a member of the Institute of Physics in the UK, to talk about how to keep ourselves constantly learning as we grow up, how we ought to approach random facts we stumble across online, and where to start if we feel that we’ve reignited our passion for science, history, and other areas. Steven is a member of the Omni Calculator Project and recently helped create the Weird Units Converter, a calculator that helps you make conversions from standard units to unusual ones like football fields, cats, and, yes, even Harry Potter books. They've even got a fun challenge set up.
“Getting information from a known, reliable source is an excellent shortcut to having to fact-check everything yourself,” Steven said that we should all put in the effort to find reliable news sources. “You should be very wary of believing something online from a source you don't recognize. When you do find something, search for it on other websites you have heard of and see if they are all saying the same thing.” Read on for the full interview.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
The Guinness book of records was invented by the Guinness beer folks. They figured a book of verifiable facts would help stop bar arguments.
Caffeinated Hedgehog 3 years ago
If two drunks keep on arguing after showing them verifiable facts, whack them in the head with the book.
Steven agreed with Bored Panda that many of us can feel overwhelmed with responsibilities and feel like we don’t have much free time for leisure, let alone learning, as we grow up. However, all is not lost! There are ways to break out of the routine of stress and monotony.
“It's all too easy to get caught up in the stress of modern life and forget to notice extraordinary things around you. Go for a walk in nature and try to observe everything. Ask yourself, what's that? And if you don't know, take a photo and look it up,” Steven suggested.
One of the main things that you should aim to do is to remember what it was like to be a kid. Try to get back into the mindset you used to have when you were little to reignite your curiosity in the world. “The main problem is that once you're an adult, you think you know everything (or you think you should do), so you stop asking questions. You'll notice kids do it all the time. So to stay curious and learn new things, keep asking questions.”
#2
Eugene Aldrin, the father of the famous moon landing astronaut Buzz Aldrin, not only witnessed the Wright brothers’ first flight but also went to see his son land on the moon in his lifespan.
We’ve been quick!
#3
Corgi is a translation of the welsh for dwarf dog. Cor gi.
In the Mabinogion, the welsh book of myths and legends, corgis were the battle steeds of fairies
I was interested to get Steven’s opinion about where we could start learning about science and other topics if we feel completely lost. He told Bored Panda that a pretty good place to start would be mainstream science TV programs on the topics that we’re already interested in.
“They'll cover a subject with easy-to-digest information that you can rely on and could inspire you to investigate further. Then you could move on to popular science books that go a bit further and deeper,” he shared. “Science podcasts and YouTube channels can also be a good idea. If you can't think of a topic, you could look at the science section of Wikipedia and go through the featured articles. If one grabs your interest, read it in full and follow links that interest you.”
#4
If you type the word "askew" into the Google search box, the entire page will tilt slightly.
#5
The figure in Munch's 'The Scream' is not screaming but is, in fact, reacting to hearing the scream.
#6
Bob Ross was a Drill Instructor. When he stopped working as that, he promised he would not raise his voice at someone again. That's why he was so soft spoken.
We shouldn’t believe everything that we come across online, whether it’s on social media, a news website, or Reddit, the front page of the internet. It’s vital to look at things from a scientist’s point of view so you don’t get lost in the morass of potentially fake news.
Previously, I spoke to Lee McIntyre from Boston University’s Center for Philosophy and History of Science about how to separate good news sources from bad ones and why it’s important to be well-versed in media literacy.
"Repetition is important in making us believe things, whether they are true or not. There is a cognitive bias called the 'illusory truth effect' which is when we are repeatedly exposed to false information over and over and, over time, it begins to seem more plausible," Lee explained to Bored Panda.
#7
There was a phantom poop on an Apollo mission. A poop, floating around, that none of the astronauts said was theirs.
Hannah Edwards 3 years ago
Upvoted because I’m imagining the astronauts all arguing about who was going to capture and dispose of the floating turd, whilst denying any responsibility for it and simultaneously worrying about catastrophic toilet failure.
#8
If you skip to the end of a long YouTube video and press replay you can watch the whole thing without adds
#9
The technology for the fax machine was invented in 1843. The feudal era in Japan ended in 1868 abolishing the samurai class. Abraham Lincoln lived until 1865. All of this combined lead to a 22 year period in which Lincoln could have received a fax from a samurai.
"Social psychologists have known since the 1960s that repetition works, for truth or falsity. In fact, this idea goes back to Plato who said that it didn't hurt to repeat a true thing. And of course, for falsehood, this was one of the main propaganda tactics in Nazi Germany, where Hitler's propaganda minister understood the 'repetition effect.'"
However, double-checking and cross-referencing every single fact that we find online and every tiny item we hear on the news would be utterly exhausting. So we need a different approach.
“It would be exhausting to fact check every single news item we hear. In fact, insisting on this degree of skepticism is something that demagogues use to get us to be cynical, because when we doubt that it is possible to know the truth—even when it is staring us in the face—we are riper to their manipulation. So I'd say the best thing with news is to do a little investigation into finding a reliable source," the expert said.
#10
Human's ability smell petrichor (smell of wet earth from rain) is greater than a Shark's ability to smell blood in water.
#11
Honeybees can be trained to sniff out land mines in war zones! Obviously dogs can do it but to avoid blowing up poor unsuspecting doggos, they figured out that bees could do the same thing and swarm the area without setting the mine off to alert people to its presence
#12
You know that feeling like you’re falling you get when you’re falling asleep? That happens because sometimes your muscles relax and your heart rate slows down too quickly that your body thinks you’re dying. So, it gives you that falling sensation which jolts you awake.
"Look for an organization that does investigative journalism (and doesn't just repeat information from other sources), double sources its quotations, discloses conflicts of interest, etc. Once we've found that we can relax a bit and trust the reporting behind the stories. Do we still need to be on guard? Yes. Even The New York Times can make mistakes. Or individual reporters can have biases. But that doesn't mean 'all sources are equal.'"
Lee highlighted the importance of raising media literacy, as it helps sift through news and facts. "There are various sources for media literacy that can help. They teach this to KIDS in Finland! It's easy to learn. Is the story copyrighted? Is it dated? Is there a byline? Are other stories by the author solid? Is it published in a source that has been reliable in the past? Does it seem plausible— if not then you can do some research," he said what we should be aware of when looking at any news article.
#13
Some birth control pills can cause vitamin B deficiency. Vitamin B is used to make seratonin. I’ve know a few people that got super depressed after starting birth control and taking B complex made a huge difference
*consult your doctor
Kanuli 3 years ago
That’s mighty interesting. My wife feels alot better since she doesn’t take the pill anymore, and that might have been part of the reason. I know she was low on Vitamin B, amond D, potassium and Iron. Besides Iron we were able to get the rest up to a healthy level mostly by changing our meal composition, and for Vitamin D supplements.
#14
Andrew Jackson had a interesting assassination attemp. The person who was going to kill him pointed his gun and it jammed. Jackson then beat him up wjth his cane. The guy got back and pulled out the second gun which also managed to jam. This is a 1 in 125,000 chance.
#15
Australia is wider than the moon.
Serial pacifist 3 years ago
Also, Australia has more snakes per square foot than the moon does as a whole!
"Will we get fooled sometimes in doing this? Yes. But we're going to get fooled sometimes anyway. It's analogous to how scientists form their beliefs. They are skeptics, but they also—at some point when the evidence is sufficient—give their assent. Scientists deal with warrant, not 'proof.' They are what philosophers call 'fallibilists.' You give your belief to things that are well-sourced with evidence, while always holding out the possibility that if further evidence comes to light that contradicts your belief, you should give it up because you might be wrong."
#16
Some people don’t have a inner dialogue, some can’t picture in their mind, and some have / can do both.
#17
When the Rubix Cube was first released a mathematician said it would take the average person 30 years, working 8 hours a day, to solve a cube saying it was impossible for someone without a master's in mathematics to solve it in under a month.
#18
NASA discovered a planet outside of the milky way a few days ago for the first time in human history
S. 3 years ago
"Signs of a planet transiting a star outside of the Milky Way galaxy may have been detected for the first time. This intriguing result, using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, opens up a new window to search for exoplanets at greater distances than ever before. The possible exoplanet candidate is located in the spiral galaxy Messier 51 (M51), also called the Whirlpool Galaxy because of its distinctive profile." — https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/images/chandra-sees-evidence-for-possible-planet-in-another-galaxy.html
#19
German chocolate cake was invented by an English-American baker named Samuel German and has nothing to do with the country of Germany.
Vicky Zar 3 years ago (edited)
Yes. We would not even know this cake existed, except for the internet. (German here, obviously) If you want a German cake, then try Donauwelle, Marmorkuchen, Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (that's a "Torte" tough - fancy cake), Böhmischer Apfelkuchen...... Edit to add: Frankfurter Kranz, Streuselkuchen, Käsekuchen, Bienenstich, Erdbeerkuchen, Kalter Hund and Hefezopf
#20
Opossums generally cannot get rabies. Their body temperature is too low for the virus.
Also the stomach acid of a vulture is so highly acidic it kills rabies virus and most bacteria, which is why they can eat dead disgusting rotting things.
Serial pacifist 3 years ago (edited)
Castoreum, used as a substitute vanilla flavoring, is actually harvested from the an*l glands of beavers. They use it combined with urine to scent mark territory. Beaver butt also has a raspberry taste to it. It’s a common “natural ingredient” in raspberry-flavored sweets.
#21
Cleopatra lived closer to the invention of the iPhone than the building of the pyramids
#23
Putting enough eye drops in someone’s food or drink will, in fact, kill them.
Susan Geyer Reed 3 years ago
There was an episode of CSI where someone was killed due to having eye drops put in their drink.
#24
There’s a vast difference between a million and a billion. A simple way to visualize it: a million seconds is over 11 days. A billion seconds is just under 32 years.
#25
The sun is not yellow. When viewed outside earths atmosphere it is white. It only looks yellow due to our atmosphere "pulling" the blue light out, leaving it looking yellow. It's an illusion.
#26
When a Camel spider (or wind scorpion) is chasing you, it's just chasing your shadow. All they want is a little bit of shade! They'd never have the intent of harming you
James Tartaglione 3 years ago
sounds like a camel spider wrote this to stop its prey from running. im on to you camel spider
#27
There was no “s” sound for the letter c in ancient Roman Latin. Thus Gaius Julius Caesar was pronounced “Gaius Julius Kaiser”. His name is where the Germans and Russians got their name for king (Kaiser and Tzar respectively).
#28
When a person receives a kidney transplant they don’t take out the old kidneys, they just shove em to the side and leave em in there.
Andy Acceber 3 years ago
Makes sense. It would probably be unnecessarily traumatic for a sick body to lose an organ if it didn't have to.
#29
Gases and particles in Earth's atmosphere scatter sunlight in all directions. Blue light is scattered more than other colors because it travels as shorter, smaller waves. Now you know why the sky is blue.
Jar of Pickles 3 years ago
Wow, I have never been wondering why the sky was blue, but this is an interesting fact indeed!
#30
Komodo dragons are the largest animals in the world capable of reproducing asexually
Edit: y’all I just found this on google when I was curious one day don’t ask me how it works I’m failing biology
#31
Due to evolution, humans share genes with all living organisms. For example, 60% of your DNA is the same as a strawberry.
#32
More people die from vending machines than sharks
Stephanie Did It 3 years ago
Because no one suspects a vending machine will be lurking in the water
#33
Emma Morano of Italy was the last (documented and verified) person to die that was born in the 1800s. 29th November 1899 - 15th April 2017
#34
Stephen Hawking died on March 14, the Pi Day, which is also the birthday of Albert Einstein.
#35
There was a short period of time when Picasso and Snoop Dogg were both alive together.
#37
Butterflies and Moths can drink blood and tears in order to get nutrients. It’s called Mud-puddling. I think more horror movies should use this.
Mazer 3 years ago
Butterflies will land on sweaty shoes or hiking pole handles even t shirts left on a river bank while the owner takes a swim in order for the insect to get to the salts and minerals left by sweat. Critters living in mountainous regions will do the same, more than one hiker has had hiking pole handles and gloves chewed on.
#38
The amount of water in, on, and above planet earth does not increase or decrease. It's always in a constant cycle. Even the water humans use.
Alicia Miller 3 years ago
Ah, yes. There's a good chance the water you drink has been through a dinosaur's system.
#39
90% of the population on Earth lives in the Northern Hemisphere.
#40
Lamborghini started making supercars because Enzo Ferrari was being a jerk to Ferruccio Lamborghini.
Serial pacifist 3 years ago
The inventor of cruise control in cars was blind. Universities refused Ralph Teetor's applications based on his disability. He eventually got enrolled at the U. of Pennsylvania in the engineering department. He later became the President of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
#41
Your oral health is very important , poor oral health is more than just bad teeth / bad breathe it can lead to heart problems , infections and more
#43
The “Easter Island Heads” actually have bodies, and some were excavated in 2017.
#44
If you stare at your own reflection in dim lighting for a few minutes, your face will begin to distort and you will essentially begin to hallucinate. Don’t do it. It’s a trap.
#45
Penguins trade nice rocks for sex.
Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago
Not as simple as that. Penguins give rocks during courtship. If the female penguin likes the rock/penguin she will take that penguin as a mate (most penguins are monogamous) and the female will use the rock gifts to help build their nests.
#46
As the result of a collision with another moon eons ago, Neptune's moon "Triton" has a retrograde orbit; meaning an orbit in the direction opposite to its planet's rotation. Triton is the only large moon our solar system to have such an orbit. Not impressed?
The collision eons ago also altered Triton's orbit of Neptune in another, far more sinister way. Despite obviously emerging victorious from the collision, the impact ever so slightly threw Triton off course. Every year, Triton creeps a fraction of an inch closer to Neptune.
This means that one day billions of years in the future, Triton's orbit will get too close to Neptune and Neptune's superior gravitational pull will tear Triton apart.
#47
Hyenas are actually more related to cats than dogs. Hyenas are part of the Suborder Feliformia along with cats.
#48
You can make tasty fresh bread yourself in four or five hours with flour, salt, yeast and water, no kneading and zero skill. It literally takes less than 10 minutes of actual effort. Since finding out about this last year I've done it dozens of times. Google no-knead bread!
#49
Big bird was almost in the Challenger explosion
Big bird was planned to go so they could do something to get kids interested in space, but the costume (over 8 feet tall) was just too f**king big to fit.
They sent a school teacher instead. And then the shuttle exploded
#51
A platypus makes venom. One of several interesting things about them.
#52
Shaq hit almost 12,000 baskets in his career. Exactly 1 of them was a 3-pointer.
What do you think ?
Bored Birgit 3 years ago
I really like the additional Information from some of the users in this and in other threads. They help clarifying the facts. Thanks for your effort!
littlesaresare 3 years ago (edited)
Except that a lot of those comments, especially on the animal facts, are NOT true. There are so many people spreading misinformation on this site. Seeing a comment that "corrects" the entry that is actually incorrect, have 80 upvotes, is incredibly depressing. Please do not believe everything that people comment on this site.
Load More Replies...
Jar of Pickles 3 years ago
Some of the facts need more explanation. Otherwise this article just keeps delivering some useless pieces of information, which I find quite frustrating.
Bored Birgit 3 years ago
I really like the additional Information from some of the users in this and in other threads. They help clarifying the facts. Thanks for your effort!
littlesaresare 3 years ago (edited)
Except that a lot of those comments, especially on the animal facts, are NOT true. There are so many people spreading misinformation on this site. Seeing a comment that "corrects" the entry that is actually incorrect, have 80 upvotes, is incredibly depressing. Please do not believe everything that people comment on this site.
Load More Replies... Jar of Pickles 3 years ago
Some of the facts need more explanation. Otherwise this article just keeps delivering some useless pieces of information, which I find quite frustrating.
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