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The experience of just being alive is as wonderful as it is terrifying. The odds of our tiny planet spinning around a giant fireball being just right for habitation are minuscule, yet here we are. And while the world is a beautiful place, some aspects of it are truly horrifying (humans are to thank, in most cases).
Ignorance really is bliss, but curiosity often wins. Would our lives be easier if we weren't aware of the scary and disturbing things happening? Maybe, maybe not. Those things would still exist, whether we knew about them or not, but once you learn something, there's no way back. But hey, maybe then you could do something to change it.
One Reddit user wanted to learn some horrifying facts that shouldn't be true but are, and people made sure to deliver. Over 13k comments later, Bored Panda selected the most disturbing and chilling answers. From scary animal facts to the worst crimes humans have done, and continue to do - the facts on this list are eye-opening. Scroll down and upvote the most interesting entries, and if it gets too heavy, we have plenty of cat lists on hand.
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#1
*Anyone* can have a child. We have tests for driving cars, you have to have certain qualifications for multiple professions, and yet there are absolutely no tests, checks, exams, nothing to make sure you're suitable to raise a human being before you bring a thinking, feeling person into the world
Of course, I don't know what the hell such a test would look like, but the existence of abused children who grow up into messed up people who may or may not perpetuate such abuse is just...sad
AndThenICommented 1 year ago
No 👎 Im sorry but this is a terrible idea. The reality is that there’s plenty of us who were abused by those that would have passed a test with flying colours - they know the right answers but twist themselves in reality. My dad and ex step mom were very charming, successful people. They were monsters behind closed door. Having a test really doesn’t matter. Education, mental health support, and lessening the largest stressors that lead to a large portion of abuse is far more effective.
RELATED:
#2
In 2009 a paralyzed Belgian awoke from a **23-YEARS-LONG** coma, and it was discovered he was fully conscious and could hear everything around him the entire time.
Like.. What. The. Actual. F!?!? Just imagine lying there not being able to move for two decades but also being aware of your surroundings. That's all kinds of messed up nightmare fuel right there.
#3
Since 1978 in the US, the average CEO's pay has increased 937%, while that of the average worker has increased 5.7%.
#4
There is more actual lemon juice in lemon-scented Pledge spray than there is in Country Time Lemonade.
rosegoldmindset 1 year ago
so if i want a lemon taste that is strong but don't have a lemon, I should spray lemon-scented pledge spray in my mouth? sounds good.
#5
Being gay is illegal in 69 countries.
In 7 of those countries homosexuality is punishable by death.
Becca Kuehn 1 year ago
It's heartbreaking that this is true. I'll NEVER UNDERSTAND why some people hate someone based on something that they can not change. It's absolutely ridiculous!!!
John L 1 year ago
One word....religion. The bane of human existence, depending on whom you ask....
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Mrs. Sherri C (Sherbear) 1 year ago (edited)
People shouldn't care who someone else loves. People need to mind their business & worry about their own lives first!!!
Sky Render 1 year ago
Being transgender is illegal or heavily punished in far more countries, and being born intersex with ambiguous genitals is considered valid grounds for infant genital mutilation in all but 5 countries. We live in a very messed-up world.
Iampenny 1 year ago (edited)
I don't know why you got downvoted, so here's an upvote to counteract it.
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Greenmantle 1 year ago
And then there is the suicide rate for LGBTQ people- higher than average in many countries. Why? Because of prejudice that still exists
Rinso the Red 1 year ago
I get super annoyed when people bring up the suicide rate as a point against homosexuality for exactly this reason.
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Living Example 1 year ago
"We fear that which we do not understand" . Way too often it foments violence. Macho men seem to really fear gays. Methinks thou doth protest too much.
Jeffrey Diehl 1 year ago
Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.
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Mark Fuller 1 year ago
And people think it's weird when they realise how much research my husband and I have to do when choosing holiday destinations. Can we go there? Is it safe? Will we be attacked? Worse still, imprisoned. We went to Bali a number of years ago and the hotel staff treated us like absolute kings - they were utterly magnificent. We even (quite inadvertently) ended up sharing a rose petal bath after both having a massage and the staff didn't batter an eyelid - we felt way more uncomfortable than them. And yet since then, homosexuality has since been outlawed in Indonesia. The world is going backward, not forwards. It's so sad.
Tattooed Mama 1 year ago
Bored Panda people are much more civilized then Reddit. Everyone got to speak without being verbally assaulted.
Andrei Marentette 1 year ago
the fact that being gay is illegal in 69 countries is actually perfect
Reyes 1 year ago
My country just allowed same-sex families, but are not supportive of same-sex marriages. I mean as a first world country is it that hard to accept that being gay is a thing?
Shark Lady 1 year ago
Without major regime changes it's very unlikely to happen any time soon unfortunately.
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Kate Jones 1 year ago
It can be punishable by death in the US, too, depending on your take on it and where you are. Lgbt people are often terrorized or even killed in certain parts of the country and biased judges and juries offer lighter convictions and sentences to those that commit gay hate crimes than others. A lot of our recent shootings have been as a result of lgbt hate crimes. So yeah, it's not illegal, but considering how your still treated it might as well be.
censorshipsucks 1 year ago
just google the country before you visit it. Unfortunately, there are 1 or 2 you might want to visit, but it is ill-advised.
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Devil'sAdvocate 1 year ago
that is sick. you are who you are and all love is equal. (also, 69, heh)
RandomEpiBioPerson 1 year ago
The one that surprised me the most was it being illegal in Singapore. In many ways, that country is super progressive and is really ahead in environmental super practices, but then it is illegal to be gay. I know the two are very different, but as someone growing up in the US, they are both progressive issues, so they often are supported by the same groups of individuals.
D Peterson 1 year ago
Why do people care whether someone has a penis or a vagina? Why does anyone care who I have sex with?
Just me, myself, and I 1 year ago
I understand your dark humor but I can't upvote because I don't want you to die. Have my support and hugs instead!
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Ponyo (they/them) 1 year ago
remember that in many countries that don’t outlaw homosexuality, gay marriage is still illegal
Valerie Lessard 1 year ago
Yeah, try being a woman in those countries. Fgm is par for the course
Haywood Jablome 1 year ago
Welp, turns out "being gay is illegal" doesn't stop me from giggling at 69 countries
williamszita 1 year ago
Heartbreaking.. being executed because of whom you love... mostly in the name of religion and yet the most basic principle of all religions is love
ZuriLovesYou 7 months ago
That's ridiculous! No one asks to be born a certain way! They shouldn't be punished for it.
Jane Alexander 1 year ago
Are homophobes closeted homosexuals? If they are and word gets around will they shut up and go away?
Jeffrey Diehl 1 year ago
Coming soon to Florida, Texas, Tennessee and the rest of the old confederacy.
Diana Lucas 1 year ago
Hard to believe, but there are people in my country, USA, right now who have actually tried to propose legislation to legally murder LGBTQA+ people. How can people hate so much?
Vicki Perizzolo 1 year ago
how is it that so many people are horrified by something that is NOT contagious, affects no one else and yet won't wear a mask to save other people? THIS is the result of organized religion and control... I hope every one of those in charge is blessed with children who are gay.
Spooky Scary Skeletons 1 year ago
At the rate things are going in the US, that number will soon be 8
Limey (She/They) 1 year ago
*shocked silence, I will never understand how people could be so ridiculous. This is scary
Be Weird 24/7 3 weeks ago
Keep your damn opinion to yourself homophobic jerk....
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der sebbl 1 year ago (edited)
Accepting LGBTQ people as a normal part of society is no opinion tho. Not being hated for who we are is a basic human right
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Eric Tapril 1 year ago (edited)
Yeah! Those goddamn progressives and their goddamn progress, dragging us into the f**king future! We don't like the future, it's scary and full of genders! We want to retreat into the peace and security of a new dark age! And don't forget those goddamn do-gooders, going round the place doing good! Why can't they do harm like normal f**king people?
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SarDemMin 1 year ago (edited)
Some things shouldn't be made fun of. Especially when people are killed just for being themselves. No downvotes for The shoebill, please!
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censorshipsucks 1 year ago
compared to britain, finland, sweden, etc., yep it is intolerant.
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RandomEpiBioPerson 1 year ago
That's not how it works, that's literally been looked into. Also, homosexuality is not unnatural. It's actually an extremely natural occurrence that has shown a correlation with natural population control. It is found in a ton of different species. Being against it is only found in one. Stating it is "unnatural" already shows nothing you have started is based on fact, but really just propaganda for your own phobia. As for the pedophilia thing, that is also completely false. As it is, the majority of child molestation is heterosexual.
Load More Replies... #6
The existence of people who believe that the earth is flat, despite the overwhelming amount of evidence that it isn't.
#7
The final moments of Andreas Prodromou, one of the flight attendants on Helios 522 that crashed in Greece in 2005. The pilots failed to flip a switch on the plane that would allow the plane to pressurise itself, not noticing it was switched to manual rather than auto. During the flight, the pressure in the cabin dropped, meaning the passengers and crew were slowly being drained of oxygen, and they soon lost consciousness. Andreas Prodromou managed to find a back up supply of oxygen, and even though he was suffering from hypoxia too, for a while he was the only one conscious as everyone was passed out and slowly dying around him.
As he held a UK pilots license, he entered the cockpit and sat down in the empty captains seat (Im not sure why the captain left his seat) in what investigators believe was an attempt to save the plane, but unfortunately his training was not enough, as he was only trained to fly small planes, not Boeing 737’s like the accident flight. He also called “Mayday” FIVE TIMES into the radio, but because it was tuned to the wrong airport, nobody could hear him. Soon after he entered the cockpit, the plane ran out of fuel, and the engines flamed out, so even if he could’ve flown the 737, there still was nothing he could’ve done. The plane crashed into the hills outside Athens, killing all on board.
Being the only one conscious whilst your colleagues and passengers die around you, not knowing what’s going on, and trying to help but not being able to do anything is just nightmare fuel to me.
#8
A lone pilot was flying in Australia in 1978. He reported to air traffic control that he was accompanied by an aircraft above him. When asked to identify the aircraft, he replied "It isn't an aircraft". His plane disappeared, and was never to be found again.
#9
Google fired two of their leaders in the AI ethics team for publishing articles about the dangers of an AI Google supported:)
#10
When you have scurvy, all your old scars and wounds open up, due to the vitamin needed to maintain scar tissue.
So for me for example, I had my jaw dislocated and my gums cut open from check to check to remove wisdom teeth.
If I got scurvy I would bleed uncontrollably from the inside of my mouth out.
What would be your most horrifying scar?
#11
Virtually everybody has the capacity to kill, they just haven’t been put under the circumstances where it would be a preferable option.
Joy JoyJoy 1 year ago
this is just like saying everyone can potentially eat sh*t but normally you wouldn't want to...
#13
When you get a sunburn, your cells are dying to avoid becoming cancerous
#14
in the NT (Australia) I remember seeing a government warning that crocodiles inhabit the area. Among the few bullet points of advice on the sign, the last one read "If they see you, it is already too late"
#15
How dark the BTS of the Wizard of Oz is. In Judy Garland's(Dorothy) own words "... they had us working days and nights on end. They'd give us pep-up pills to keep us on our feet long after we were exhausted. Then they'd take us to the studio hospital and knock us cold with sleeping pills- Mickey sprawled out on one bed and me on another. Then after four hours they'd wake us up and give us the pep-up pills again so we could work another seventy two hours in a row. Half of the time we were hanging from the ceiling, but it became a way of life for us."
#16
Snails have thousands of teeth.
Powerful Katrinka 1 year ago
For some reason, this doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I'm glad to know that snails have teeth.
#17
You could die at any moment without any notice and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.
#18
Human trafficking makes 150 billion a year in money
Becca Kuehn 1 year ago
Sad and Infuriating There are people who are raped repeatedly on a daily basis.
#19
There are more slaves today than there were during the transatlantic slave trade era.
#20
An estimated 1.5 billion disposable masks entered the oceans last year, and that's on top of a dramatic increase in other single use plastics.
Ed Brandon 1 year ago
We're the disease that really needs curing, and we're well on our way to doing so. Shame we have to take so much with us as we go down, but the earth will be fine in the end.
#21
Antibiotic resistance
#22
There are 18 genocides taking place right now on this planet, and dozens have happened since WWII ended.
#23
The Indian Cheetah and Sumatran Rhino were among some of the species that went extinct in 2019 along with;
Chinese paddlefish.
Yangtze giant softshell turtle.
Spix Macaw.
Catarina Pupfish.
Indochinese tiger.
Elita One 1 year ago
The Spix's Macaw isn't extinct. It was labeled extinct in the wild, all the remaining birds were captured and taken to a facility to be put in a breeding program. The program has been very successful and some of them have been released back into a secluded, heavily monitored and guarded area back in Brazil.
#24
Over 150 dead bodies of climbers are still on Mount Everest.
Tucker Cahooter 1 year ago
Some of them even serve as landmarks for other climbers e.g. Green Boots
#25
Some monks used to endure a spiritual practice whereby they eliminated all their body fat through diet and exercise, ate wood lacquer tea to kill off internal bacteria, then sealed themselves in a tomb holding a string attached to a bell. A year after the bell stopped ringing, the tomb was opened and if the monk’s body was found to be uncorrupted they were revered as a saint; if not, they were re-buried.
The process took years and as they continued the monks required more and more help from their brothers until they entered the tomb. And the whole time you’d hear bells ringing from the nearby tombs as the monks inside slowly wound down the last days of their lives, voluntarily poisoned, starved, and buried alive for a chance at sainthood.
#26
Something is eating the Milky Way galaxy - no, it isn't the plot for a Star Trek episode, it's really happening.
In 2009, researchers found a cluster of galaxies moving at an extraordinary speed towards a small patch of sky between the constellations of Centaurus and Vela. Some unknown force is tearing away chunks of the galaxy, and astronomers still have no clue what exactly is causing it. It's been named 'Dark Flow.'
There is something big out there, far bigger than anything in our known universe. Such a behemoth would impose a kind of “tilt” on the universe, causing matter to move in one particular direction – as observations of the dark flow suggest. Could be anything - upto and including another universe.
Shyla Bouche 1 year ago
Well, considering the earth only has about six billion more years, I don't think humanity is in a position where we need to worry about this.
#27
If a person gets bitten by an animal who has rabies, he will continue to live on a normal life for 12 weeks, and after the symptoms develop, there is no way he's making out alive. You'll know you're gonna die.
Icecream Sarang 1 year ago
People do survive rabies. Though rare, placing the person in an induced coma and letting the virus run its course has been known to work.
#28
An unbelievable number of people who die of dehydration do so with a fair amount of fresh water in their possession.
#29
In Mississippi and some parts of Florida, there is a Bacteria in the water at the coast that will literally eat your flesh off of you. Florida is much safer than Mississippi though. At least, in that aspect.
There is a mosquito in Florida that, when it bites you, can make your brain swell inside your skull and can possibly kill you.
#30
For me the fact that maybe we'll never know what hapenned to flight MH370 is kinda disturbing at least
#32
Within three days of death, the enzymes from your digestive system begin to digest your body.
#33
You might feel like the healthiest person in the world and yet still randomly die in your sleep. Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome is just one example. There are tons of small obstructions and irregularities that your heart could be suffering from that go completely unnoticed by you, your friends, and your doctors. You might be at an increased risk of just passing on when you go to bed tonight, and no one would even suspect as much until you actually died.
#34
you have a higher chance of dying to a swarm of bees than of winning the lottery
#35
There are many countries in the world where you can be put in prison or killed by the state for non-violent speech.
Shark Lady 1 year ago
Just look at Iran, peaceful protesters have been arrested and not seen again.
#36
There is a parasite that will eat your brain. It's called [Naegleria fowleri] and it lives in warm water lakes in the sand and silt in the shallows. It will swim up your nose and proceed to eat your neurons and your brain. Usually symptoms occur around 4 hours after infection and include headache, sensitivity to light and nausea. If you experience any of these after swimming in a lake you need to go to the hospital ASAP. If undiagnosed, you'll be dead within 24 hours. To diagnose it, you'll have to get a spinal tap and pray the tech working knows what to look for.
#37
The supervulcano under yellow stone is still active and can errupt. The chances are very low but If it does, It can cause devistation in whole USA. Spreading ashes over the whole Country and parts of Canada.
#38
- Long-dormant bacteria and viruses, trapped in ice and permafrost for centuries, are reviving as Earth's climate warms
- Gamma-ray bursts can kill all life on earth without any warning
- Asteroids can mess earth up
Mary August 1 year ago
And there is little I can do about #2 and #3 so I don't waste my energy worrying about them.
#39
The average American consumes over 150 pounds of sugar every year.
That’s approximately 187g of sugar per day for my metric system friends.
#40
UK is trying to ban protests deemed "annoying".
What do you think ?
Stardust she/her 1 year ago
Fun fact: there’s a hypothetical type of matter known as “strange matter” made up of strange quarks as opposed to regular matter made up of up and down quarks. Strange matter is so stable that if it touches a bit of regular matter, it may convert the regular matter to strange matter leading to a release of energy and more strange matter that goes and infects more matter
Stardust she/her 1 year ago
There’s a very small chance that a field known as the Higgs field could be in a false vacuum which means that we think it’s at the lowest possible level of energy but it’s actually more higher. If that’s the case then there may be a sudden drop in the energy to a more stable state that will create a sort of bubble of destruction that grows at the speed of light, detsroying all matter on the way. Inside the sphere, there may be a different universe operating on different laws of physics.
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Bluetoyou 1 year ago
Texas Parks and Wildlife on the Saturday morning show said over ten years ago that there are alligators in every body of water in the state. Even the lake in the middle of Dallas and Grapevine lake to name a few.
freakingbee 1 year ago
grapevine lake is sooo dangerous even without alligators
Load More Replies... Rinoboyrich 1 year ago (edited)
UNfun Facts: Since we know that quantum states can change (wave vs. particle) merely by being observed, some scientists believe that looking back at the beginning of the universe can trigger the total collapse of the universe. Some also believe that the Hadron collider experiments could disrupt the Higgs boson effect for the tiniest moment (think .000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 of a second or less), altering the behavior of the universal constants in that moment, and destroying the entire universe instantly. Hope that helps!
Junebugjump! 1 year ago
I missed an opportunity to post! The sound of lava is like crushed glass!
Junebugjump! 1 year ago
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/09/21/magazine/voyages-travel-sounds-from-the-world.html
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Delight Disaster 1 year ago
Not for reading before bed - avoid if you don't want those can't sleep freak out moments
albernistuff 4sale 1 year ago
Go view "Through the wormhole" series. Set aside a budget for therapy if you do. Took me years to recover from the existential angst.
Rinoboyrich 1 year ago
That movie was funded by therapists in an effort to increase business…
Load More Replies... Disgruntled Pelican 1 year ago (edited)
Yeaahhh...my depressed and anxiety riddled äss should not have read this so early in the day...
Jp@nda 1 year ago
Eh at least i know what I'm going to have anxiety about today instead of just being anxious about everything lol
Load More Replies... Stardust she/her 1 year ago
Fun fact: there’s a hypothetical type of matter known as “strange matter” made up of strange quarks as opposed to regular matter made up of up and down quarks. Strange matter is so stable that if it touches a bit of regular matter, it may convert the regular matter to strange matter leading to a release of energy and more strange matter that goes and infects more matter
Stardust she/her 1 year ago
There’s a very small chance that a field known as the Higgs field could be in a false vacuum which means that we think it’s at the lowest possible level of energy but it’s actually more higher. If that’s the case then there may be a sudden drop in the energy to a more stable state that will create a sort of bubble of destruction that grows at the speed of light, detsroying all matter on the way. Inside the sphere, there may be a different universe operating on different laws of physics.
Load More Replies... Bluetoyou 1 year ago
Texas Parks and Wildlife on the Saturday morning show said over ten years ago that there are alligators in every body of water in the state. Even the lake in the middle of Dallas and Grapevine lake to name a few.
freakingbee 1 year ago
grapevine lake is sooo dangerous even without alligators
Load More Replies... Rinoboyrich 1 year ago (edited)
UNfun Facts: Since we know that quantum states can change (wave vs. particle) merely by being observed, some scientists believe that looking back at the beginning of the universe can trigger the total collapse of the universe. Some also believe that the Hadron collider experiments could disrupt the Higgs boson effect for the tiniest moment (think .000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 of a second or less), altering the behavior of the universal constants in that moment, and destroying the entire universe instantly. Hope that helps!
Junebugjump! 1 year ago
I missed an opportunity to post! The sound of lava is like crushed glass!
Junebugjump! 1 year ago
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/09/21/magazine/voyages-travel-sounds-from-the-world.html
Load More Replies... Delight Disaster 1 year ago
Not for reading before bed - avoid if you don't want those can't sleep freak out moments
albernistuff 4sale 1 year ago
Go view "Through the wormhole" series. Set aside a budget for therapy if you do. Took me years to recover from the existential angst.
Rinoboyrich 1 year ago
That movie was funded by therapists in an effort to increase business…
Load More Replies... Disgruntled Pelican 1 year ago (edited)
Yeaahhh...my depressed and anxiety riddled äss should not have read this so early in the day...
Jp@nda 1 year ago
Eh at least i know what I'm going to have anxiety about today instead of just being anxious about everything lol
Load More Replies... You May Like 30 Unusual Facts No One Really Asked For, But Are Pretty Cool To Know “The Brain Eats Itself From Lack Of Sleep”: 50 Interesting Facts And Stories
Gabija Palšytė
Gabija Palšytė
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