Life isn’t as dark and dangerous as the news and social media would like you to think—there’s plenty of light, humor, and good times to be had. However, when disaster does strike (no matter how low the odds might be), it’s ruthless and you’d best be prepared. Storyteller and video creator Jack Neel, the founder of the ‘fyp’ channel, has a whole bunch of cool and interesting facts that could also save your life.
Knowing what to do if you fall off the edge of a subway platform and onto the tracks is just the tip of the iceberg. And speaking of icebergs, Jack’s shared what we ought to do if we’re ever chased by a polar bear. Scroll down to check out some of the best facts that you might have not known shared by the content creator with his 6.2 million TikTok followers, upvote the ones that you found the most useful or intriguing, and if you’ve got any similar tips and tricks to share, you can always write us a comment below.
Jack, who is a big fan of Bored Panda, was kind enough to tell me all about how he got into educational entertainment, how he started making life-saving facts videos, his shot to fame, as well as how he deals with the stress and pressure of being a full-time video creator (trust me, it's advice that's useful no matter what career path you're on!).
"I’ve done a lot of educational series on my TikTok page over the past year or so, and within the past few months I’ve narrowed down my niche to horror/true-crime-related topics. 'Facts That Could Save Your Life' fit well onto my page because of dark/mysterious undertones. It’s one of my followers’ favorite series, and they’ve noted how they always save/download my videos in case they need the advice for the future," Jack shared with Bored Panda.
More info: TikTok | YouTube | Instagram | Snapchat | Beacons.Page/fyp
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If a service dog ever approaches you without its owner, follow them and do it quickly because potentially you can save someone else's life.
If your house smells like fish for absolutely no reason, 9 times out of 10 it means that there is an electrical fire
If you are in a foreign country and need to call for help, but don't know the emergency number, call 1 1 2. It's the international emergency number and will automatically connect you to the nearest help line.
I was curious which fact Jack would want absolutely everyone in the world to know. "One fact I found extremely useful that is not so commonly known is, 'If someone tried to kidnap you, make sure to scratch your attacker, their DNA will now be in your nails,'" he told me.
Just over two years ago, Jack got into creating videos on TikTok. And a year ago, he got into 'edutainment' content. "I was very hesitant to upload my first storytelling video, but a close friend convinced me to keep it up, and it was an overnight sensation. I went from 230k followers to 540k overnight and started getting tons of messages from new fans, brand partnership opportunities, and various management companies reaching out to me," he shared with Bored Panda his shot to fame.
Keeping his end goals in mind helps Jack stay passionate about video-making. "Since a young age, I’ve wanted to become a full-time YouTuber. It’s stressful at times, but I know if I continue creating on TikTok, my dream will become a reality," he said that he's focused and this helps drive him forward.
Jack also shared with me his secrets to keeping stress at bay. "I take multiple daily walks and do Wim Hof meditation pretty much every day," he said, and I for one am going to follow in his and Wim's footsteps.
If a tornado looks like it's not moving, it's actually moving towards you
It might be moving directly away from you, but better not take the 50/50 chances.
If you ever feel like someone is following your car take four right turns and eventually it will make a circle. If they are still behind you that means they are following you. Don't drive home, just call the police and drive to the police station
Unless you have outstanding warrants for your arrest 😂 in which case you can a) pull over and be arrested or b) drive it like you stole it and escape 😀
If someone ever tries to grab you, scratch them. Their DNA will now be in your nails.
Besides his multi-million audience on TikTok, Jack also has 303k subscribers on YouTube and 95k loyal followers on Instagram. Jack, from Kentucky, focuses on informational and comedic videos, as well as horror stories. He debuted on TikTok with a video focused on his dad operating a DIY flamethrower.
Jack isn’t the only TikToker to spread useful info if we ever find ourselves at odds with Fate. Plenty of other TikTok content creators are hopping on the trend, spreading awareness (knowledge is power after all) and getting some extra attention from the internet in return.
For instance, Bored Panda has recently written about user Knowledgesaurus’ facts that could save your life as well. Check that article out, too, if you’re in the mood for some more niche facts that might one day be useful when you’re fighting for your life.
If you're ever buried in an avalanche, spit. Your saliva will follow the gravity and you can simply dig the opposite way
If you ever wake up in the middle of the night to the smell of gas, do NOT turn on the light. A spark from a light switch could blow up the entire house.
If you accidentally disturb a beehive or wasp nest, do not run for the water. They'll wait for you to resurface and continue stinging you. Just run fast and as far as you can, because eventually, they will stop following you
The odds of horrific things happening to you are pretty slim. For example, the odds of being injured by a bear are around 1 in 2.1 million, according to the National Park service. Of course, that’s not much comfort for anyone who’s been attacked by a bear.
However, if we constantly spend our time thinking about worst-case scenarios, we’ll stress ourselves out (and that’s going to wreck our health) and we could be ignoring the things that occur far more commonly, e.g. heart disease or getting cancer.
So it’s best to focus on what we can control: eating a healthy and varied diet, exercising and moving lots, getting quality sleep, hydrating, having an active social life, helping others in your community, and having a job that brings you purpose. Oh, and brushing our teeth!
After all, it’s better to be attacked by a bear when you’ve lived a full life and you’re happy and healthy than to cower from one full of regrets and out of shape. Though if you’ve watched Jack’s videos or you've read up on some bear literature, you’ll know what to do either way.
The more colorful and vivid the animal is the more likely it's poisonous and you probably shouldn't eat it.
If you're ever at a party and your drink tastes unusually salty, do not continue drinking it. Rohypnol is reported to have a salty taste.
Everyone hates red eyes in photos. But if your pupils reflect white in a picture, it could be a sign that something is seriously wrong with your eyes, such as cataract, retina problems, or even eye cancer
my godchild had Retinoblastoma and had his right eye removed with just a few months old. The Doctors first didn't believed that there's something wrong with him, just a little crossed eyed, but after the diagnosis and looking at pictures of that time, you could see the Retina not reflecting red with the flash light on, but a white milky appearance. So when you feel like there's something wrong with your child, I can advice to take a few pictures with the flash on and take a closer look. My godchild lost his eye, but the fast diagnosis saved his other eye and could be treated with radiation. he is living a happy life :-)
If you are ever being chased by a polar bear get completely naked and drop your clothes on the ground as you run away. Polar bears have really bad ADD and will firmly inspect your clothes before chasing you again
If someone gets stabbed, do not take the knife out. It acts as a plug to the hole and prevents blood loss. Apply pressure to the wound and call the police
Note: Apply pressure AROUND the wound -- ideally, above and below it. Do not apply pressure to the knife.
If you ever see square waves in the ocean get out immediately. They are powerful currents that can drag you underneath the water and kill you in an instant.
If I ever saw square waves in the ocean I would wonder who the hell dosed me with acid.
If you ever come face to face with a mountain lion, don't turn your back on it, just walk backward. Cats are ambush predators and they'll wait for you to turn around before they attack
Unless you wandered into her territory (aka there may be cubs around), don't back up at all. Yell. Be loud. Put your arms up to appear larger than you are. If you're at home, grab a pot and a spoon or anything loud and bang them together. Absolutely positively, do not run. (Source: I used to live near mountain lion country, and sometimes they'd wander down the mountain and into yards in the winter.)
Wolves will only attack you if they can intimidate you into running away from them. Standing your ground against a wolf pack will be terrifying but eventually, they will leave you alone
The machine that sets the pins at the bowling alley is extremely dangerous. So if you slide into the pins as a joke, there is a very good chance that you will be crushed to death.
I worked as a technician at a bowling alley, I can confirm that the deck that holds / picks up the pins will indeed crush you, it’s extremely heavy, it’s controlled by a computer that doesn’t care if you are in the way and it will drop towards the lane without warning. I’ve no idea why you would think it was a good idea to slide underneath the deck, the sweep and the deck are both clearly very tough bits of kit, you aren’t! We had double safety locking systems on the power supply and physical stops inside them on our pinsetters so that when were working on them there was zero chance of them operating, They will chew you up and spit you out. Your coffin will be wide and flat.
If you ever for some reason ingest windshield wiper fluid or anti-freeze, drink large amounts of vodka to keep it from shredding your kidneys to give you time to get to the hospital
This works for cats too. I saw it on a pet rescue where they thought (or knew) a cat had been poisoned with antifreeze. They lived through the worse hang over ever!
If a powerline falls next to you, do not walk or run. Put your feet together and do a bunny hop to jump and get away. This keeps electricity from traveling up one leg and out the other, which prevents you from being shocked by several thousand volts.
Any electrical engineers care to chime in on the voracity of this statement? This would be life saving information to have if true.
If you ever get carjacked and they tell you to drive, crash the car into the nearby road or intersection. Most likely they won't be wearing their seatbelts. So when you crash the car they will get injured and you can take this chance to get out of the car and run like hell.
Lying flat on your back is the best way to survive a falling elevator
If your hair suddenly stands up on end, duck and cover. You're about to be struck by lightning.
Or there’s a child with a balloon above you, it’s up to you to judge which is more likely….
If you ever feel like you are going to throw up, start humming. It's nearly impossible to gag while you are humming.
If you ever find yourself being dragged underwater by an alligator shove your fingers into its nose. This breaks the seal alligators need to keep water out of their airways and will make them release you immediately.
Then punch the shark it was planning to share you with in the nose and casually swim back to shore giving the "what's up?" shrug to any other thug beasts thinking about joining in. I got it now: Alligator = finger in nose. Shark = punch nose.
If you ever fall off of the edge of the subway platform and onto the tracks don't waste your time trying crawl back up. There is a crawl space built to go underneath in case this happens.
Most drunk driving deaths occur on Saturdays between 1:00 and 3:00 a.m. Avoid roads during these times if you can help it.
Do not drink the milk of brown coconuts. They contain oils that cause dehydration. So, you should drink the milk of green coconuts instead.
No matter how thirsty you are, do not eat large amounts of snow. Too much cold ice in your stomach can cause you to die of hypothermia. Melt the ice and then drink it.
If a deer is running across the road it's better to hit it than swerve and run into a ditch. If there is a moose in the middle of the road swerve and run into a ditch. Hitting a moose is like running into a brick wall
Apparently, there are some people unfamiliar with driving where there are frequent deer. No one wants to hit the deer. It is horrible for deer and your car and possibly your life. Sometimes deer dart into the highway from places on the side of the highway you simply couldn't have seen them before and anticipated. They can jump in front far faster than you can reasonably stop a car. Generally, when this happens, you're also going fast enough (highway speed) that swerving as suddenly as you would have to avoid the deer will land you over the side of the highway or rolling your vehicle. It has long been recommended that after a certain speed, it is just safer to hit the deer. Not only for you, but the people behind you in traffic. No one wants to hit the deer, but sometimes it is the best option in a bad situation, so it is considered best practice since the situation happens fast enough you likely won't have time to analyze the situation.
Have you ever been told that if an alligator is chasing you that you should run in a zigzag? Well, contrary to popular belief, alligators actually aren't stupid and they can run up to 35 miles per hour. So just run straight and run like hell.
You can always dial 911 if you have no bars because, in an emergency, your phone will connect to any nearby cell tower as long as it has a battery in it.
If you're ever in a serious situation where you have triple A batteries but desperately need double As, ball up some tin foil and put it on the negative side of each battery where it connects.
If you ever get stuffed in the back of a trunk disconnect the brake light wires so when the cop pulls them over you can kick the door so people know you are there
Sleep with your door closed. Unlike your parents, a fire will leave your room almost completely untouched, if closed.
If you ever need to escape a moving car do not jump out, put one foot down and take a step. This will significantly reduce your speed and will have a much greater chance of surviving the fall.
I can't see me being able to do that. Note to self: do not put yourself into a position that you need to jump from a moving vehicle.
If your water ever smells like cinnamon, do not drink it. People often use it to cover up the scent of poison.
Each railroad crossing has a number on it. So, if your car gets over stuck on the train track, call 911, give them this number and they'll notify upcoming trains to stop.
Condoms are useful for a number of reasons. If you need a quick way to store liquids, they can actually hold up to a gallon of water, plus they are waterproof, so you can safely store things like matches, electronics, and pretty much anything that shouldn't get wet.
But they're covered in lubricant, so that would be "wet" I'm sure, unless you dry it out first, am I thinking about this too deeply?
If you're ever scuba diving and a giant octopus tries to grab a hold of you, do not try to prune him off. The key to survival is to get him off of one of his anchor points, like a rock or a pipe, because he can't pull you down without using leverage from his anchor.
Ok had to create an account just for this. I worked in Synagogues and sadly had to go through a lot of active shooter training. If a shooter enters the Building you are in do not run. You are giving him a target to shoot. If you are physically able to grab others and disarm him even if it means being shot. If you are shot but disarm him paramedics can arrive quickly and save you. Shot but he is still roaming around you will probably bleed out before helps arrives. Same theory if someone tries to kidnap you. Better to be shot in a place where you or someone else can call for help rather than being taken to a remote spot. Lesson here? It’s actually hard to die from a gunshot wound if paramedics are able to arrive quickly. I mean it can happen but still preferable to be shot in a way that allows you to be treated quickly.
How crazy is it that there’s a thing such as ‘active shooter training’? I can’t comment on your theory, I live in the U.K. where such a thing doesn’t happen but I’m saddened that a community has to protect itself that way.
Load More Replies...48 facts that COULD save you life that are based in little fact or that have not been tested in the real world. I’d suggest using common sense, not putting yourself in harms way in the first place and being aware of your surroundings. Save yourself first eh?
Yes, I was really wondering who gets into these situations. Eyes and ears open. (Yes, you have to give up your earbuds. LISTEN to the world. It provides a lot more cues than your playlist.)
Load More Replies...OK but in the heat of the moment I'll be like, "do I try to get the polar bear off of one of his anchor points and strip naked for the octopus or is it the other way around?"
I'm pretty sure you're supposed to hop away from a polar bear, and tell the octopus he has an electical fire. Thankfully, I don't think I'll need most of this information.
Load More Replies...Reading these, my life feels so safe and sheltered. I've never needed to stick my finger in a crocodile's nose, nor have I ever been in a situation where exiting a moving car was necessary.
Not sure these are all particularly useful survival tips! Best thing to know about wild mammals is that your best chance of survival is not to run. Think about how much your pets like to chase things that move. It's the same in the wild. You're not guaranteed to survive if you stand your ground, but you ARE guaranteed to die if you run.
yeah, for some unknown reason predators are coded to think "if it runs away from me then it's prey" 🤷♂️ and people keep running because humans are preys without weapons.
Load More Replies...Jesus f**king Christ, can we PLEASE stop to repeat tikfock idiots repeating bullcrap they read somewhere? Half of it is useless, half of it is plain wrong, and the rest is actually useful.
Wow, it must have really hit a nerve for you to be taking the Lord's Name in Vain & all, so vehemently. But won't it just get worse if we "stop to repeat" it?
Load More Replies...Nice. So now I know what to do if I’m ever chomping live crickets while trying to answer my phone wrapped in a condom as I desperately try to out run an alligator. I’m never leaving home again. XBox is there for a reason.
Hey, what you do with a xbox and a condom is your business not ours. Who am I kidding? Tell us more you creepy creepy cricket chopper? 😋
Load More Replies...Yeah as someone who scares easily I probably should not have read this In the middle of the night because I couldn't sleep... yep I'm gonna be paranoid for the next 2 weeks
Up to a gallon... hmmmm. Let's think this through. What man on Earth might need it to hold a gallon??? Oh god... mental image I can't dispel. Help!!
The only thing that came to mind while reading the polar bear one was "what if he doesn't stop chasing you to sniff your clothes and now your just naked running from a bear".
Always trust your gut instinct. I had a man come and sit at my table on September 11th, 2001 who gave me the creeps and was oddly calm and just ordered a coffee but gave me the super heebie jeebies.... a few moments later 2 police officers showed up and arrested him for beating a woman so badly he popped her eyeball out. This was about noon on the worst day in US history. Apparently the woman had been annoying him about the end of the world happening...and he almost ended her world.
Things y'all left out: #1 If you ever have a heart attack immediately start coughing and don't stope because it can reset your heartbeat and save your life until you can get to a hospital. #2 If someone is really trying to kill you or strangle you gouge out their eyes. #3 If you're ever lost at sea without a life vest don't try to swim for shore. You will drown from wearing yourself out. Just float until help arrives. The lack of movement will also keep you from attracting the attention of sharks. #4 If you have Covid always keep your arms lowered because raising your arms above chest level for any amount of time will block air from being able to enter your bloodstream thru your lungs and you can make yourself blackout or die from lack of oxygen to the brain and vital organs.
I work in college where we receive this training. However, as we were informed, this is most likely to happen in a high-school as the emotional development is in progress, and there is more bullying and attention seeking. True, do not stand still. The shooter will consider you a soft (easy) target. If the shooter is in range of you, attack with anything you can grab. Once you start others will join in. Most shooters have rehearsed a scenario in their head, if you distract or disrupt that scenario it takes them about 10 seconds to recover back to that scenario. This is enough time to attack. Also, most shooters are young males ( all really) and they don't always have a strong knowledge of the weapon they hold. If you do not receive a heart or head shot you're going to survive. Know how to lock down quickly, if breached fight back. Be on the move. When you have the all clear put your hands over your head so the cops can see you're not armed.
I always recommend traveling with a space blanket in your car, keeps you warm, can deflect the sun and you can use it to signal with.
Me: taking screenshots that may save my life in random situations
If someone is pointing a gun at you, everyone's natural reaction is to look at the immediate threat, which in this case is the gun, however it will make someone much less likely to shoot you, if you look directly into their eyes. This is because it makes you less of a "problem" to a (usually desperate) suspect, and more human.
If you are locked in a trunk of a car and you disable the brake lights, isn’t more likely that someone will rear end the car rather than police pulling the car over and then you’ll be crushed to death?
If you’re lost or need help but can’t get a signal, change your voicemail to explain where you are,, what happened, etc. people trying to call you will hear message. (If they wait long enough to hear it.)
You actually can’t change your voicemail without a cellular signal.
Load More Replies...Oddly, reading these, and with the comments, I was full on laughing...a lot
The deer thing is f*****g dumb. Always swerve, those things will f**k up your car and you! I've been in 2 separate incidents with deers, both times I almost died and the cars were written off!
Ok had to create an account just for this. I worked in Synagogues and sadly had to go through a lot of active shooter training. If a shooter enters the Building you are in do not run. You are giving him a target to shoot. If you are physically able to grab others and disarm him even if it means being shot. If you are shot but disarm him paramedics can arrive quickly and save you. Shot but he is still roaming around you will probably bleed out before helps arrives. Same theory if someone tries to kidnap you. Better to be shot in a place where you or someone else can call for help rather than being taken to a remote spot. Lesson here? It’s actually hard to die from a gunshot wound if paramedics are able to arrive quickly. I mean it can happen but still preferable to be shot in a way that allows you to be treated quickly.
How crazy is it that there’s a thing such as ‘active shooter training’? I can’t comment on your theory, I live in the U.K. where such a thing doesn’t happen but I’m saddened that a community has to protect itself that way.
Load More Replies...48 facts that COULD save you life that are based in little fact or that have not been tested in the real world. I’d suggest using common sense, not putting yourself in harms way in the first place and being aware of your surroundings. Save yourself first eh?
Yes, I was really wondering who gets into these situations. Eyes and ears open. (Yes, you have to give up your earbuds. LISTEN to the world. It provides a lot more cues than your playlist.)
Load More Replies...OK but in the heat of the moment I'll be like, "do I try to get the polar bear off of one of his anchor points and strip naked for the octopus or is it the other way around?"
I'm pretty sure you're supposed to hop away from a polar bear, and tell the octopus he has an electical fire. Thankfully, I don't think I'll need most of this information.
Load More Replies...Reading these, my life feels so safe and sheltered. I've never needed to stick my finger in a crocodile's nose, nor have I ever been in a situation where exiting a moving car was necessary.
Not sure these are all particularly useful survival tips! Best thing to know about wild mammals is that your best chance of survival is not to run. Think about how much your pets like to chase things that move. It's the same in the wild. You're not guaranteed to survive if you stand your ground, but you ARE guaranteed to die if you run.
yeah, for some unknown reason predators are coded to think "if it runs away from me then it's prey" 🤷♂️ and people keep running because humans are preys without weapons.
Load More Replies...Jesus f**king Christ, can we PLEASE stop to repeat tikfock idiots repeating bullcrap they read somewhere? Half of it is useless, half of it is plain wrong, and the rest is actually useful.
Wow, it must have really hit a nerve for you to be taking the Lord's Name in Vain & all, so vehemently. But won't it just get worse if we "stop to repeat" it?
Load More Replies...Nice. So now I know what to do if I’m ever chomping live crickets while trying to answer my phone wrapped in a condom as I desperately try to out run an alligator. I’m never leaving home again. XBox is there for a reason.
Hey, what you do with a xbox and a condom is your business not ours. Who am I kidding? Tell us more you creepy creepy cricket chopper? 😋
Load More Replies...Yeah as someone who scares easily I probably should not have read this In the middle of the night because I couldn't sleep... yep I'm gonna be paranoid for the next 2 weeks
Up to a gallon... hmmmm. Let's think this through. What man on Earth might need it to hold a gallon??? Oh god... mental image I can't dispel. Help!!
The only thing that came to mind while reading the polar bear one was "what if he doesn't stop chasing you to sniff your clothes and now your just naked running from a bear".
Always trust your gut instinct. I had a man come and sit at my table on September 11th, 2001 who gave me the creeps and was oddly calm and just ordered a coffee but gave me the super heebie jeebies.... a few moments later 2 police officers showed up and arrested him for beating a woman so badly he popped her eyeball out. This was about noon on the worst day in US history. Apparently the woman had been annoying him about the end of the world happening...and he almost ended her world.
Things y'all left out: #1 If you ever have a heart attack immediately start coughing and don't stope because it can reset your heartbeat and save your life until you can get to a hospital. #2 If someone is really trying to kill you or strangle you gouge out their eyes. #3 If you're ever lost at sea without a life vest don't try to swim for shore. You will drown from wearing yourself out. Just float until help arrives. The lack of movement will also keep you from attracting the attention of sharks. #4 If you have Covid always keep your arms lowered because raising your arms above chest level for any amount of time will block air from being able to enter your bloodstream thru your lungs and you can make yourself blackout or die from lack of oxygen to the brain and vital organs.
I work in college where we receive this training. However, as we were informed, this is most likely to happen in a high-school as the emotional development is in progress, and there is more bullying and attention seeking. True, do not stand still. The shooter will consider you a soft (easy) target. If the shooter is in range of you, attack with anything you can grab. Once you start others will join in. Most shooters have rehearsed a scenario in their head, if you distract or disrupt that scenario it takes them about 10 seconds to recover back to that scenario. This is enough time to attack. Also, most shooters are young males ( all really) and they don't always have a strong knowledge of the weapon they hold. If you do not receive a heart or head shot you're going to survive. Know how to lock down quickly, if breached fight back. Be on the move. When you have the all clear put your hands over your head so the cops can see you're not armed.
I always recommend traveling with a space blanket in your car, keeps you warm, can deflect the sun and you can use it to signal with.
Me: taking screenshots that may save my life in random situations
If someone is pointing a gun at you, everyone's natural reaction is to look at the immediate threat, which in this case is the gun, however it will make someone much less likely to shoot you, if you look directly into their eyes. This is because it makes you less of a "problem" to a (usually desperate) suspect, and more human.
If you are locked in a trunk of a car and you disable the brake lights, isn’t more likely that someone will rear end the car rather than police pulling the car over and then you’ll be crushed to death?
If you’re lost or need help but can’t get a signal, change your voicemail to explain where you are,, what happened, etc. people trying to call you will hear message. (If they wait long enough to hear it.)
You actually can’t change your voicemail without a cellular signal.
Load More Replies...Oddly, reading these, and with the comments, I was full on laughing...a lot
The deer thing is f*****g dumb. Always swerve, those things will f**k up your car and you! I've been in 2 separate incidents with deers, both times I almost died and the cars were written off!