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“Babies Below 6 Months Shouldn’t Drink Water”: 50 Facts That Really Should Be Common Knowledge
Though it’s literally impossible to know everything there is to know in the universe, there are some fundamental things about being a human being in the modern world that everyone should strive to know. Core skills like cooking and cleaning allow you to be self-sufficient. Meanwhile, knowing how antibiotics work, why cat bites can be dangerous, and what chemicals to never ever mix together can actually end up saving your life.
Reddit users had a very informative discussion on r/NoStupidQuestions in a thread that went viral. They shared the pieces of ‘basic’ knowledge that everyone should know, but that a scary number of people may be oblivious about. Check out what they feel is vital to know in the 21st century as you keep scrolling.
Bored Panda got in touch with Glenn Geher, Ph.D., who was kind enough to shed some light on the evolutionary reasons why people might get embarrassed about not knowing something that others do. He also shared his thoughts on how to fill those knowledge gaps and whether it's easier to survive in the modern world than in the far past. Geher is a professor of psychology at the State University of New York at New Paltz and a published author, and you'll find our full interview with him as you read on.
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#1
Vaccines do not cause autism
hitex 1 year ago
Best research shows genetically linked but features tend to appear in child around same time as rounds of vaccines...there's a slew of parents never diagnosed as children but realize they need assessment as well when their child is diagnosed with asd. & voila, the parent discovers they have asd too - vaccines causing asd is nonsense
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#2
It's "should've" "could've" "would've", not "should of", "could of", or "would of"
#3
Flushable wet wipes are absolutely not flushable
Barbara Kayton 1 year ago
Exactly. There should be massive class actions against any corporation labeling a wipe as flushable - not just by the homeowners’ who has had their house flooded, but by every council, town, and city that has its sewers backed up, and by every plumber who has had to deal with the clogs.
Bored Panda wanted to get Professor Geher's thoughts on the evolutionary perspective behind embarrassment at one's knowledge gaps.
"In so many ways part of the human social experience pertains to seeking some sort of status within a group," he said.
"If you're the one who does not know what others see as 'common knowledge,' this fact might not bear well for your social standing as you might not come off as that smart," Dr. Geher told us via email.
"For this reason, people are often hesitant to admit that they don't know something that everyone else seems to know."
#4
No means no. It doesn't matter who is saying it. If you ever ask or suggest something that requires the cooperation or permission of another person and they say no, you MUST respect that.
#5
Your politicians do not represent you. They do not care about you or your issues. They care about themselves. They want power for themselves, not so they can help you.
#6
That climate change is a real phenomenon caused by human activity
We were also curious whether it's actually easier to survive in the 21st century compared to life a long time ago,, especially in developed countries. According to Dr. Geher, from the State University of New York at New Paltz, it's not as clear-cut as someone might think.
"In some ways, living is easier these days relative to our ancestral, nomadic past. For instance, searching for food nowadays often involves opening one's refrigerator as opposed to going out for a 6-hour hunt," he explained to Bored Panda.
"That said, many features of the modern world are sorely mismatched from ancestral conditions and for this reason, the modern 'conveniences' often come back to harm us. So we might be able to eat lots of cheap processed foods easily and cheaply, but this fact may come back to haunt us later in life in the form of a number of health problems such as Type-II diabetes."
#7
The vagina doesnt become loose after sex with multiple partners. Sex education is hurting and the amount of men who believe this is so weird.
I'm from the middle east, a place that is known for its misconceptions about women and even we understand that.
Tracy Wallick 1 year ago
I like to make those guys explain why sex with many partners allegedly makes a vagina loose, but having sex many times with one partner doesn't.
#8
If it has a tail, it's a monkey.
If it doesn't have a tail, it's an ape.
#9
Native Americans are still here, and we don't live in a teepee.
TotallyNOTaFox 1 year ago (edited)
Also the teepee wasn't the only thing native americans lived in, there were several kinds of housing architecture in use (learned that in 6th grade)
The professor had some suggestions on how someone might go about filling in their knowledge gaps in the 21st century. "Learning about our evolved psychology and evolutionary past is often a good start. Understanding that humans evolved to live in small groups of familiar others under nomadic conditions can help us go a long way toward understanding the broader human experience," Professor Geher said.
"I often say that to succeed in the modern day, it is often best to try to simulate ancestral conditions as much as possible. So, for instance, if you live in a large city of hundreds of thousands of people, it would be wise to form some smaller social groups that better resemble the small nomadic groups that characterized human social organization for the lion's share of human evolutionary history."
#10
You can try to be as "green" as you want, companies are responsible for the highest amount of damage when it comes to the environment and you can do almost nothing against it.
#11
Rags soaked with paint thinner, varnish, oil-based paint, polyurethane, and/or other volatile oils can actually spontaneously combust without any outside ignition source. The oils slowly release heat as they oxidize, and for example in a pile at the bottom of a garbage can, that heat can build enough to start smoldering and eventually ignite. I didn't know about this until a year or two ago, so don't feel dumb if you didn't know either.
It’s completely natural to have some knowledge gaps, even when it comes to ‘basic’ knowledge. Some people specialize in certain areas and can be completely ignorant in others. Meanwhile, other individuals might simply lack the education—or the time, money, and opportunities to plug those gaps.
Whatever the case, many people tend to create the illusion that they’re very knowledgeable. However, if something happens where they’re forced to admit to others and themselves that they may not be as smart as they thought they were, the person might get incredibly embarrassed.
After all, it’s not a great feeling to realize that you were ignorant about something that seemingly ‘everyone’ around you already knew. What’s important to understand here is that you’re not alone in this. Sooner or later, everyone’s faced with facts they either didn’t know or had misinterpreted.
#13
Schizophrenia has nothing to do with multiple personalities.
Scented Candle 1 year ago
There needs to be more education on mental health and mental health disorders
#14
Salt will clean blood out of any fabric, even the whitest clothes or bedsheets.
Just put a little heap of salt over the bloodied fabric. If the blood is dry, wet it with a few drops of cold water then put the pile of salt. Leave it for an hour or so, wipe the bloody salt off, then wash with soap.
Edited to add that the water should be cold - see comments below about hot water setting the stain
Edit 2 for people who menstruate:
An early or particularly heavy visitor can lead to embarrassing situations sometimes, especially if (like me) you have woken up on a Japanese flag while sleeping over at someone else's house or at camp. Regular old table salt is something you can find basically anywhere you go, at any time of day or night, without arousing too many questions. You can pour a heap of salt on your stains (and put a few drops of cold water if the stain is already a bit dry), and it should be soaked up before too long. It will take the blood out of mattresses, sheets, and pajamas/underwear.
#15
Different antibiotics work on different bacteria. You can’t take random antibiotics you’ve stocked up on at home and assume they will work for an infection.
Doctors make an educated guess on what antibiotic to give for an infection. This is based on the probability of the infection being caused by a specific bacteria; this knowledge comes from research on what organisms most frequently cause certain infections in certain individuals.
Silver5trike 1 year ago
Also quick PSA: DO NOT STOCK UP ON ANTIBIOTICS. Antibiotic resistance is a thing and if you are stocking up on antibiotics you are either not completing your course of antibiotics or buying and taking unnecessary medication.
The best way to deal with embarrassing yourself in public, whether due to your lack of knowledge or anything else, is to embrace those somewhat uncomfortable feelings. As we’ve covered on Bored Panda before, the healthy way to react is to show mild embarrassment because it makes you seem more down to earth. Meanwhile pretending you didn’t make a mistake or getting angry about the whole situation is unhealthy and can turn your embarrassment about your (lack of) knowledge into deep-rooted shame.
The best way to deal with serious knowledge gaps is to carve out even a little bit of time every day to learn more about the topic. If it’s something that affects your career, schoolwork, or daily life, it only makes sense to make it a priority. However, it can be hard to do this if you’re working full time, have a family to take care of, and have a bunch of other responsibilities.
#16
That England and the UK are not the same thing. That's like thinking that California and the US are the same thing.
#17
Being able to change your mind shows strength not weakness.
95% of comments on the political internet are meaningless declarations of ideological affiliation.
No one knows your experience better than you do.
If you can't simply explain something, you don't understand it. That's OK! No one can understand everything.
Children owe their parents NOTHING
censorshipsucks 1 year ago
If you can't explain something then keep it to yourself. I keep telling conspiracy nuts this one. Telling me to "do my research" like "i did" does not explain your view.
#18
I was at lunch at work one day and said that I was amazed at the number of people in a recent poll who didn't know how long it took the Earth to rotate around the Sun. I was met with a sea of complete bank looks. It's a year, people, a year!
That’s why it’s important to focus on the idea that spending even just a little bit of time on something is better than none. Even 15 minutes of reading up on a subject you know nothing about is miles better than putting it off ‘until next week’ when you hope to have several free hours or feel more motivated.
Verywell Mind notes that it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit. So incremental effort pays off, so long as you stay consistent. And though it really does help if you have the money for a proper education, it doesn’t mean that you can’t learn new things even if you’re struggling financially.
There are countless free resources available on the internet. In the meantime, if you have a public library in your local area, then you’ve got access to countless books, teaching materials, and videos as well. There are also free online courses you can sign up to that can help you raise your confidence and improve your knowledge.
#19
yellow teeth do not have to be a sign of bad hygiene!
Genes as well as your diet, dark consumable items, excessive fluoride, and also the quality of consumable items in your environment + a lot more aspects can turn your teeth yellowish over time.
#20
The fact that two or more things can be true at the same time.
#21
Babies below 6 months shouldn’t drink water, it can be fatal.
Edit: To clarify, water isn't just fatal. "But children under a year old don’t need water like adults do. It can actually be dangerous for them. Babies get all their hydration from breast milk or formula." Adding additional water can lead to water intoxication as children under 6 months have underdeveloped kidneys. If they have a mouthful of water of will they die? Most likely no, however everything I've read said not to give them plain water on top of their diet.
Gardener of Weeden 1 year ago
Interesting, back in the 80's I was told to give my son nursery water, between feedings. Damn if I ever have to care for a baby again I am going to have a lot of research to do... LOL
#22
How statistics work.
Tons of people out there saying that because their uncle lived to be 99 years of age despite eight decades of heavy smoking is proof that smoking isn't dangerous.
#23
That shopping carts 🛒 should left in the cart return, not the middle of the parking lot.
#24
There is no minimum time. You don’t have to wait to file a missing persons report. You know your person better than the police, even if they tell you to wait, file one anyway.
#25
IF you have a nosebleed, tilt your head FORWARD not back. tilting it back makes the blood go down your throat and you can feel nausated or start to vomit because of it.
KesTheExquisite 1 year ago
This. And if the nosebleed continues for some time, suck an ice cube. The coolness helps coagulate blood.
#26
OCD rarely has anything to do with being clean, tidy or orderly.
Scented Candle 1 year ago
OCD is different for different people. Just because one of your friends has ocd and is a clean freak, it doesn’t mean that everyone with ocd is a clean freak. I have met people who have told me that “you’re too messy to have ocd”
#27
Clean the dryer vent. Change furnace filter regularly
#28
Towels will last longer and be more absorbant if yiu don't use fabric softener on them
#29
Chronic sleep deprivation is WAY worse than most people realize, and effects way more than just your mood/energy level. Especially when it comes to learning/retention.. all the adderall and redbull in the world cannot make up for lack of sleep.
Clover 1 year ago
The only way our brains can be "cleaned" is when we're asleep. The lymphatic system doesn't reach the brain so when we're asleep, the brain shrinks and cerebral spinal fluid is released and flows through the brain cleaning out toxins, which funnel into the lymphatic system. Sleep is so important when it comes to being "clear headed".
#31
Sinus headaches without green snot are migraines. Had to educate my GP doctor on this when he kept trying to push antibiotics for my weather headaches. Neurologist confirmed that they are indeed barometric pressure migraines.
#32
That you are not your mind and you can choose to agree or not with any thoughts you have. Most people act like a robot and think they have to do everything their mind says.
Wesley Clifford 1 year ago
They do!? I would be in so much trouble if I did that for even a day.
#33
You aren't immune to propaganda. If you get all of your news from one source/ one bias/ find sources that just confirm your own ideas, you probably have been subject and believe in propaganda.
It's easier to fool people, than to convince them they've been fooled.
Everyone sees the sensationalized moment, but not the quiet redaction or the outcome leading to a wrong idea of what happened.
#34
Woman have 3 holes down there. I had to explain to my friend why she could wee with a tampon in…
#35
If something is on fire in your oven, do not try to take it out. Just leave it there until it runs out of oxygen.
#36
If your house suddenly smells fishy & you're not cooking fish, check your electrical outlets, particularly any multi-plug extension cables.
Burnt out sockets & plugs give off a fishy smell, so you might save yourself from an electrical fire.
#37
Don't mix bleach and ammonia, it makes chlorine gas! I work in a cleaning/sanitization job and we have ammonia-based cleaners and bleach, the amount of times I've seen co-workers mixing them together thinking they're making a stronger sanitizer is ridiculous.
#38
A lot of people don't seem to know the dangers of carbon monoxide. Entire family's have died in their sleep after moving coal burning BBQs etc inside when it's extremely cold. I myself have seen many times people using petrol powered tools in an enclosed space and get told I worry too much when I've spoken up.
FlamingoPanda 1 year ago
Had carbon monoxide poisoning, do not recommend. The headache was unlike anything I have ever had. Fortunately my parent woke up for some reason, realised what was happening and herded us all outside. Blocked chimneys are dangerous.
#39
I am always amazed when a grown adult first notices that you can see the moon during the day.
Nadine Debard 1 year ago
My kid has an 'educative toy' that tells things about nature, sun etc. which says "the moon raises at night" and it make me groan each time.
#40
How to chew with your mouth closed, how to apply deodorant
#41
Hear me out on this one.... Childbirth is extremely dangerous!!!! My wife gave birth about two months ago to her first my third.... The amount of people we have met that had babies and didn't know s**t about it other than how to conceive. I have heard so much about informed consent and so on..... It is not hard for people to read a little bit before they go into labor and have complications. It is f*****g stupid how many people do not know a damn thing about child birth.
We reproduce! This is basic f*****g knowledge people!
#43
A cat bite that pierces the skin is a serious event (because of the type of bacteria present) and needs prompt medical attention.
If you get water in your lungs for whatever reason, seek medical advice as it can dissolve the surfactant on your alveoli and cause what's known as "second drowning" up to a day or so later.
Don't hyperventilate before diving underwater (to increase your time underwater) because it can cause "shallow water blackout" when the partial pressure of oxygen drops below the threshold for consciousness before the CO2 concentration gets above the threshold that makes you feel the need to breathe.
#44
The single beep coming from your smoke/CO detector doesn’t mean you’re about to die. It means the detector is about to die.
#45
That people are different and what is obvious to one might not be obvious to another.
#46
How to use a roundabout while driving
Wesley Clifford 1 year ago
The scariest part of a roundabout is the fear that the other drivers in it don't know how to use a roundabout.
#47
Tax brackets
"If I get a raise I will earn less net because I will be in a higher tax bracket"
#48
Getting periodontitis (gum disease) can be a precursor to getting heart disease (I think still the biggest killer in the US)
#49
In the United States, going into a higher tax bracket never leaves you with less money (absent weird edge cases of being eligible for some deductions and then not or s**t like that. But not the tax brackets themselves). The first chunk of money you make is taxed at one tax bracket. The next chunk of money is taxed at the next. But it doesn't make the first chunk of money be taxed higher.
So, if you make $182,100, you are in the 24% tax bracket. And if you make $182,101, you are in the 32% tax bracket.
But only one dollar of your money is in the 32% tax bracket
Brocken Blue 1 year ago
This is a great and simple explanation for a thing I swear is deliberately designed to be confusing. I do my own taxes every year, and hate every second of it 🤯
#50
The difference between "less" and "fewer."
What do you think ?
Kevin J. Henning 1 year ago
Education doesn't do any good if the person you are trying to educate is intent on remaining an idiot.
DC 1 year ago
Uh ... what's happened to the "see all submissions" button? Why can't we see the ranks 51++?
Jerusalem Cat Syndrome 1 year ago
This one? Note: this post originally had 77 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes. https://www.boredpanda.com/facts-that-should-be-basic-knowledge/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter&all_submissions=true&media_id=5686094
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Kevin J. Henning 1 year ago
Education doesn't do any good if the person you are trying to educate is intent on remaining an idiot.
DC 1 year ago
Uh ... what's happened to the "see all submissions" button? Why can't we see the ranks 51++?
Jerusalem Cat Syndrome 1 year ago
This one? Note: this post originally had 77 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes. https://www.boredpanda.com/facts-that-should-be-basic-knowledge/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter&all_submissions=true&media_id=5686094
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