ADVERTISEMENT

It’s clear that one simply can’t know everything there is to know about, but that never stopped a curious mind from learning. Luckily, in the age of the internet, it has never been easier; with just a few clicks you can reach information about anything and everything that interests you.

You can also start a discussion with fellow netizens in a matter of a couple of clicks, too, and that’s exactly what the redditor u/Jdavies44 did. They were curious to learn about interesting facts few people knew about so they asked fellow redditors to share them, and they discussed some rather fascinating things. If you’re curious to read about them, too, wait no longer and scroll down to find their answers on the list below.

Below you will also find our interview with a behavioral expert, author of Cracking the Curiosity Code, Dr. Diane Hamilton, who was kind enough to answer a few of Bored Panda’s questions about how fun facts, curiosity, and learning intertwine.

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious You can actually use the turn signal on your car to warn other drivers that you're turning or changing lanes.

endless-reproachment , Inline Media/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
444points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#2

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious In mid-2000s Kagoshima, Japan, an alarming rise in power blackouts was traced back to crows who were building their nests on top of electric poles. The power company formed a “Crow Patrol” in order to seek and destroy the crows’ nests. The crows responsed by building thousands of dummy nests as decoys.

The war is ongoing.

Kaelri , Umar Andrabi/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
337points
Add photo comments
POST
yvonnedauwalderbalsiger avatar
Yvonne Dauwalder Balsiger
Yvonne Dauwalder Balsiger
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, I guess we all know who is going to win this war, don't mess with crows

Vote comment up
133
133points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#3

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Not mind-blowing but worth sharing: There are more libraries in the US than there are Starbucks.

Mariposa510 , Pixabay/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
222points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu

Seeking to delve deeper into how curiosity correlates with learning, Bored Panda got in touch with Dr. Diane Hamilton, who pointed out that such a link is found not only in humans.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Curiosity, a fundamental aspect of learning and knowledge, is not exclusive to humans,” she said in a recent interview. “The Max Planck Institute introduced the term ‘curiosity gene’ based on researching a songbird. Imagine a bird that lacks curiosity. It may fly around a bush, searching for berries, but if it doesn't venture to explore other bushes, it will perish once the berries are depleted. Curiosity not only facilitates learning and knowledge, but also triggers a sense of reward in our brains, thanks to the release of dopamine.”
#4

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious The weirdest animal in the world is the jellyfish called the Portuguese Man ‘o War (also called a bluebottle in Australia).

It gives birth via a process called “budding”, where a new animal just sort of pops off a random place on the jelly. But it doesn’t give birth to whole other jellyfish. It gives birth to many different types of animal-like creatures called “zooids”. They live on the bottom of the jelly, live independently from each other, but can’t survive without the others.

For instance, there’s a zooid that can digest fish, but can’t catch them. There’s a tentacle zooid that can catch fish, but can’t digest them. There are also several other zooids like that. Scientists have been scratching their heads about how to classify this creature, and are calling it a colony rather than an animal.

And that leads to an interesting question. What is the organism? Is it the zooid, because it moves around independently, but can’t really survive very long on its own? Or is it the whole jellyfish, in which case the zooids are a bit like organs, except for the fact that they might go for a walk occasionally?

And if you say that the whole jellyfish is the organism, maybe bees aren’t an organism either, but a beehive is?

That’s the problem with classification systems. As soon as you make one, along comes some weird example that makes you have to start again.

Sir-Viette , Islands in the Sea 2002, NOAA/OER Report

Final score:
201points
Add photo comments
POST
jennikeestra avatar
Jennik
Jennik
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This probably doesn't count as an incredible fact that people don't know, but is a whole more relevant if you are at the beach: DON'T TOUCH THEM! We had this drilled into us as kids. The sting isn't usually deadly but it is extremely painful and can make you very unwell.

Vote comment up
85
85points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#5

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Otters have pouches in their sides they keep their favourite rocks in for smashing open clams. It's not just simians that use tools.

samwisethescaffolder , Pixabay/Pexels Report

Final score:
186points
Add photo comments
POST
uncannyi avatar
Uncanny
Uncanny
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even otters have pockets. Not us women, tho! Where are we supposed to keep our clam smashing rocks? In our bra? 😉

Vote comment up
225
225points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu

The author of Cracking the Curiosity Code noted that we’re not equally curious throughout our entire lives. “We are born with high levels of curiosity that peak around five and then diminish dramatically as we grow older,” she told Bored Panda.

“That same peak and drop happens to creativity as well. In his incredible TED talk about whether schools kill creativity, Sir Ken Robinson acknowledged that we have created an educational system that educates people out of their competencies. To fulfill 19th-century industrial job requirements, we created a hierarchy in education where math and science were at the top, and creative thinking was at the bottom. As education rewarded top-tiered skills like math and science more often, the system became about creating more academics, which in turn undervalued undergraduate degrees. This then caused more and more top-tiered skilled degrees to be made. Not surprisingly, such a system has harmed curiosity and creativity, which are fundamental for innovation.”

ADVERTISEMENT
#6

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Lake Superior. on that lake is an island called Isle Royale. on that island is a lake. on that lake is an island. on that island is a pond, and on that pond is boulder. that boulder is the largest island on the largest pond on the largest island on the largest lake on the largest island on the largest lake in the world (by surface area).

Whiskey_Warchild , Anne Marie Peterson/Flickr Report

Final score:
185points
Add photo comments
POST
jennikeestra avatar
Jennik
Jennik
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds like the story: "In the dark, dark, wood, there's a dark, dark house. And in the dark, dark house...."

Vote comment up
63
63points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#7

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Switzerland, the country of neutrality, has unintentionally invaded its neighbor Liechtenstein 3-5 times…1968-2007.

3/4 times Liechtenstein didn’t know of it until Switzerland apologized.

The 1/4 was that one time Switzerland fired a missile and caused a forest fire, reparations were paid.

After one incident, the Liechtensteiners reportedly offered drinks to the Swiss soldiers.

A Liechtenstein spokesman said, "It's not like they invaded with attack helicopters".

mysticdragonwolf89 , Maria Orlova/Pexels Report

Final score:
165points
Add photo comments
POST
drdlyamamoto avatar
BoredPossum
BoredPossum
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Invaded". Liechtenstein is really small. You can walk through it is an hour. The invasion was a soldier accidentally walking there or something.

Vote comment up
66
66points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#8

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious The Amazon River is over 4,000 miles long and doesn't have any bridges that cross it.

rredline , Dennis Jarvis/Flickr Report

Final score:
162points
Add photo comments
POST
jackburton_2 avatar
Jack Burton
Jack Burton
Community Member
4 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So 6500 km... That's the distance between Paris and New Delhi. Quite amazing.

Vote comment up
69
69points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

“To better understand this impact, look at its effect on children,” Dr. Hamilton continued. “As part of his work with NASA, Professor George Land created an assessment to test for creativity and studied children to view how their levels changed. He found that 98% of children were creative geniuses at age five. By age ten, that number fell to 30%. By age 15, that figure dropped to 12%; by age 31, only 2% were creative geniuses.

“Curiosity is important throughout all stages of our existence. Unfortunately, when our levels drop in adulthood, that can limit us and lead us into jobs we don't love or choices that feel safe rather than rewarding.”
#9

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Squirrels can’t find 80% of the nuts they hide.

Tinmania , Pixabay/Pexels Report

Final score:
159points
Add photo comments
POST
roy_zobel avatar
Rizzo
Rizzo
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They aren't losing nuts - they are planting trees. :)

Vote comment up
18
18points
Vote comment down
reply
View more commentsArrow down menu
#10

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious The earliest known public museum dates to circa 530 BCE and it had archeological Mesopotamian artifacts on display.

Top_Manufacturer8946 , historyofmuseums Report

Final score:
151points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#11

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious In Turkey (the country) turkey meat is called "Hindi" (India).

capricabuffy , Engin Akyurt/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
139points
Add photo comments
POST
raslemussen avatar
The danish woman
The danish woman
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And in Denmark we call "danish" (the pastry) for "wienerbrød" (bread fom Vienna 😉

Vote comment up
83
83points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT

“Reading about interesting things is great for our curiosity,” the expert said, discussing how browsing random fascinating facts like the ones on this list can affect one’s curiosity. “Sometimes, we don't know what we don't know, and reading a fun fact can spark the desire to dig deeper. It makes us want to learn more.”
#12

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Shirley Temple led an extremely successful life as a diplomat after her childhood acting career. She was present in Czechoslovakia when the Soviet's cracked down on them (as in, she seen people killed). Later after the fall of the USSR, she was the head of establishing diplomatic relations between the US and Czechoslovakia.

TheNinjaDC , kate gabrielle/Flickr Report

Final score:
119points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#13

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Trees communicate.

green49285 , veeterzy/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
117points
Add photo comments
POST
davidpaterson avatar
David Paterson
David Paterson
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Trees communicate in at least two ways. One is by releasing chemicals (terpenes) into the air that other trees can smell. A second way is by touching roots, and sending chemical signals through the root contact point. There may be a third way, direct contact between branches.

Vote comment up
70
70points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#14

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious You have a holey face. Your sinuses are big empty cavities in your skull. The maxillary sinus is the biggest. It’s just under your eye (under the cheek bones) and I swear you could fit 3 grapes in each one.

Except for when they are full of snot.

kimtenisqueen , Karolina Kaboompics/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
107points
Add photo comments
POST
kelsischloe1986 avatar
kelsischloe1986
kelsischloe1986
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Please excuse me while I go see if I can shove 3 grapes up my maxillary sinus hole. Worst case scenario, I fail the objective. Best case scenario, I get to eat grapes, the ones I didn't stick up my nose hole of course. :-) Lol!

Vote comment up
24
24points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT

According to Dr. Hamilton, curiosity is the spark to all that organizations want to achieve regarding innovation, engagement, and everything that makes people productive. “When we learn, we find out where we are the best fit in our jobs, and that aligns us with better careers.

“The real trick is determining what inhibits our curiosity,” she said, suggesting that the Curiosity Code Index assessment is a great way to do that. “Like DiSC or other personality tests, it only takes around 10 minutes to find out the things that have held us back from learning and exploring. More importantly, it offers insights into overcoming those factors that have stopped us from developing our curiosity.”
#15

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Modern postural yoga-- the type and style predominantly practiced in Western countries-- is about 100 years old. It was invented in India by Indians and is derived mostly from British calisthenics and Swedish gymnastics. It was *specifically marketed to affluent westerners by Indians* as a superior form of spiritual and physical exercise. It's working as designed for its target market.

CunningRunt , Rui Dias/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
105points
Add photo comments
POST
omboyganesh avatar
ॐBoyGanesh
ॐBoyGanesh
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Asanas, the physical postures or “exercise” part of yoga, have been around for a very long time. Specific sequences and the naming of these postures is more recent, but still based on a practice that prexists tue western version.

Vote comment up
34
34points
Vote comment down
reply
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#16

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Chicago "The Windy City" is known for political wind not regular wind.

SonoranRoadRunner , Matt Turner/Flickr Report

Final score:
99points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#17

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Sharks predate trees.

LowReputation , GEORGE DESIPRIS/Pexels Report

Final score:
97points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#18

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious The brain is the only organ that named itself.

Lvivalentine , MART PRODUCTION/Pexels Report

Final score:
94points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#19

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious When you put a bumper sticker or decal on, spray a couple sprays of diluted soapy water or simple green on the surface of the car first, then put the sticker down…. And you can slide it around until it’s even and centered. Use a credit card to squeegee the moisture out from underneath, pat dry, and leave it alone. It’ll adhere as it dries.

No more crooked stickers.

anon , Chris Yarzab/Flickr (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
93points
Add photo comments
POST
susanbosse avatar
Wills mom
Wills mom
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is called the "wet method." I use it all them time when applying vinyl to some projects.

Vote comment up
31
31points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#20

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Solar eclipses are a completely random quirk of arbitrary factors.

The sun is roughly 400x bigger than the moon. The sun is also roughly 400x further away from earth than the moon.

Nothing created or enforces that ratio. It’s just a random happenstance that from our view, on the surface of this planet, the sun and moon seem roughly the same size, and can perfectly overlap.

Lemesplain , Sebastian Voortman/Pexels Report

Final score:
87points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#21

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious The chainsaw was invented as a tool to aid in childbirth. Rotating blades to get through the pelvic bone…..

WeThePeeps2020 , Sabine Salfer Report

Final score:
86points
Add photo comments
POST
rayceeyarayceeya avatar
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Look up Symphysiotomy on Wikipedia and the feel free to be horrified that people actually did that.

Vote comment up
37
37points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#22

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious A compressed spring weighs more than when the same spring is at rest. The stored potential energy of the compressed spring makes it heavier.

Really puts e = mc^2 into perspective.

chameleon28 , cottonbro studio/Pexels Report

Final score:
84points
Add photo comments
POST
tmarofvulcan avatar
T'Mar of Vulcan
T'Mar of Vulcan
Community Member
4 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So if a weeping angel touched a spring they could live off it and not need to send humans into the past? Where's the Doctor? We should inform him forthwith!

Vote comment up
46
46points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#23

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Each (human) cell in your body has over 2m (6ft) of DNA in it.

THElaytox , Chokniti Khongchum/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
81points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#24

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious The emotion you feel when realizing, that the people around you are complex human beings like yourself with emotions, memories and "someone inside there", is called Sonder.

mordeera , Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
80points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#25

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious People aren’t persuaded to change their views with facts and this his been studied and proven.

ETA there’s a YouTube video on the BrainCraft channel about this. It was put up in the last day or so if anyone is curious..

6033624 , Craig Adderley/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
73points
Add photo comments
POST
aragornjauncey avatar
cerinamroth
cerinamroth
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It has been shown that the best way to try and change someone's mind is to empathise with their reason for feeling the way they do. So, for example, with a couple I know who turned out to be antivaxxers (I had no idea before the pandemic!), I sympathised with their underlying fears (loss of control, excessive fear for their child's health - understandable since they had nearly lost him at birth) and then changed the subject. When I brought up my own stance on vaccines later, they were able to listen. Only by doing that and giving time for the information to sink in where they are not under scrutiny were they able to come around to vaccinating their kid against other childhood illnesses (admittedly not Covid).

Vote comment up
77
77points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#26

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Infinitely more planes in the ocean than locomotives in the sky.

ChristmasTreeBarn , revac film's&photography/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
69points
Add photo comments
POST
lunashau avatar
Ash
Ash
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Eagles may soar, but weasels never get sucked into jet engines.

Vote comment up
50
50points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#27

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Nike has warranties on their shoes. If yours remains in the tread life and within the warranty date, you just make a claim and they’ll give you a voucher for new shoes and paid postage to send the old ones back.

Target will also take any Cat and Jack clothes back for an exchange as your kids grow.

Brake pads only need to be bought once for the life of a car. They are then warranty exchanged as you wear them out.

Clearly, I’m a dad.

DuckFlat , JD Danny/Pexels Report

Final score:
67points
Add photo comments
POST
acey-ace16 avatar
Ace
Ace
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At least one of these - the brake pads, is completely untrue. Anyone getting "free" replacements has signed up for a lifetime servicing contract or similar. They're treated as 'consumables', just like wiper blades and tyres, and indeed many other components including some engine parts that have a defined life span.

Vote comment up
86
86points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#28

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Most of the time, the closest planet to Earth is Mercury. Actually, most of the time Mercury is the closest planet to all of the other planets, too. Even Pluto.

If you don't believe it, try a quick experiment. Take four cookies (or other small objects) and line them up on a table in front of you, perpendicular to your body. The closest cookie represents Earth. The next cookie is Venus, then Mercury, then the farthest cookie is the Sun. Obviously, Venus is closest to Earth in this configuration.

Now move Venus and Mercury in their "orbits" 90 degrees to the right (or left, it doesn't matter) of the Sun. Measure the distance from Earth to Mercury and Venus. Mercury is now closest to Earth.

Move Venus and Mercury another 90 degrees and Mercury is obviously closer, even without measuring, but measure it if you want to.

Move Venus and Mercury another 90 degrees and you'll have the mirror image of the first 90 degrees configuration. Measure it if you want to. Mercury is still closest to Earth.

You have to move Venus and Mercury closer to the Earth before you get to a point where they are the same distance from Earth. It works like this for all the planets.

Venus and Mercury and don't revolve together like this in real life. They revolve at different speeds. But over thousands or millions of years, it all averages out.

im_the_real_dad , NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Arizona State University/Carnegie Institution of Washington Report

Final score:
66points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#29

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious You only need 39 digits of pi to calculate the radius of the universe to the width of a single atom.


It sounds BS but it's true. For the average engineer or scientist you'll never need more than 3.141.

TBBT-Joel , Pixabay/Pexels Report

Final score:
65points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#30

30 Interesting Facts To Intrigue The Ever-Curious Studies show that taking steroids and not exercising builds more muscle than exercising without taking steroids. The percentage of obese people who get to and maintain a healthy weight is statistically lower than the percentage of people who survive a gunshot to the head.

slightofhand1 , Pikx By Panther/Pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
39points
Add photo comments
POST
rayceeyarayceeya avatar
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This sounds like "facts" from a questionionable nutritional supplement site.

Vote comment up
64
64points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu

Note: this post originally had 60 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

Follow Bored Panda on Google News!