Many of us, Pandas, probably had trouble maintaining focus during class in school. Doing algebra, filling in the right grammatical form of a word, or memorizing the parts of the cell wasn't particularly fun, leaving many students craving something more interesting.
Luckily, the internet offers us exciting knowledge in the form of bite-sized interesting facts. Places like this Instagram page share fun tidbits that you might've not seen before yet. "Let's explore the wonders of the universe together!" is their motto. So, scroll down and see what a dog's belly full of little puppies looks like and what unusual form of payment one city in Romania now accepts for public transport!
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Famous Australian blood donor James Harrison OAM, aka "Man with the Golden Arm", who saved over two million babies by donating his rare Anti-D plasma, has died at 88. Australian Red Cross Lifeblood confirmed his death on February 17. Harrison began donating blood in 1954 at 18 and donated over 1,100 times until he retired in 2018 at 81.
The saying "My boss is a jerk" is a sentiment, if not a cliché, as old as time. But did you know that some people in executive positions even have a narcissistic streak? One study found that 18% of CEOs score moderately or highly in narcissistic traits, while only 5% of the general population do.
What's more, they also tend to hire narcissistic people around them. You'd think that people with narcissistic traits like a grandiose sense of self-importance and a sense of entitlement wouldn't want similar people around them. But researchers analyzed 13,000 LinkedIn profiles of CEOs and found that the more narcissistic the CEO is, the more likely they are to hire narcissistic people.
One of the two remaining northern white rhinos in the world, guarded 24 hours a day to guard against poachers
What a sad world we live in that we have to guard animals 24/7 from poachers even though they are the last of their kind. Humans suck…:(
The photo of one of the only two remaining great white rhinos may shock you a little bit. There are indeed only two left in the world, both of whom currently live in Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. Both rhinos are female, a mother and daughter named Najin and Fatu, making it extremely hard to save the subspecies from extinction.
But scientists may have found some hope recently: in vitro fertilization. BioRescue scientists successfully impregnated a southern white rhino in 2023 this way, though she did not carry her pregnancy to term. Nevertheless, the scientists hope they will be able to impregnate Fatu this way, as they announced the production of five additional northern white rhino embryos in the second half of 2024 to the existing 30. Here's to hoping we soon hear news of a northern white rhino pregnancy!
Psychopaths, known for traits like a lack of empathy, manipulativeness, and charm, make up about 1% of the general population. However, studies reveal that an estimated 12% of CEOs in the United States exhibit psychopathic tendencies. This stark difference highlights how certain psychopathic traits, such as risk-taking and assertiveness, can thrive in high-stakes corporate environments.
A wildlife photographer, N. Hayakawa, has captured rare footage of a group of orcas in Japan, including two unusual white orcas. The white orcas are believed to have leucism, a condition that causes a partial loss of pigmentation, rather than albinism, which would result in pale eyes.
A male white orca was first spotted in 2023, followed by a female white orca.
The white orcas seem to be accepted and protected by their typically colored whale counterparts.
Hayakawa hopes to continue observing and photographing the white orcas to learn more about their behavior and habitat.
Beautiful! If only humans could learn to be accepting of differences…
A King Cheetah, known for its unique coat pattern caused by a rare recessive gene, stands beside a regular cheetah. This striking difference highlights the beauty and diversity of genetic variation within the cheetah species. The King Cheetah's bold black stripes and spots create a distinctive appearance, setting it apart from its spotted counterpart.
As the page shares, chemotherapy can cause trichomegaly: an abnormal growth and curling of the eyelashes. Yet chemo can change the hair on our heads, too. About 65% of cancer patients experience at least some changes to their hair during treatment. And "chemo curls", as people call them, can be one of the side effects. They're usually temporary; as the body recovers after chemotherapy and the hair grows longer, it usually goes back to its original texture.
Sweden replaced books with computers in 2009, but after 15 years, it's reversing course due to concerns over digital learning's impact on student focus and skills.
The country is investing €104 million to bring back printed textbooks from 2022 to 2025.
Research shows that reading on screens can cause eye strain, decreased focus, and lower retention compared to paper books.
Digital devices can be distracting, leading to decreased social skills and attention spans.
The Swedish government aims to find a balance between technology and traditional learning methods.
The move highlights the importance of finding harmony between innovation and tradition in education systems worldwide.
It's enough to have classes in IT and have the other classes without computers to still get the whole education and have focus and be more creative. The use of pencils on paper educates the brain in many more ways than tapping can ever do.
The beetle in the image is a Chrysina limbata, commonly known as the Mexican jewel scarab or Mexican sun beetle. Its stunning metallic appearance is not due to pigmentation but rather the way light interacts with microscopic scales on its exoskeleton. This structural coloration creates the beetle's iridescent, mirror-like sheen, making it one of the most visually striking beetles.
In this list, you'll find the story of James Harrison, the "Man with the Golden Arm". The antibody in his blood plasma was used to make the medication Anti-D. For mothers whose blood is at risk of attacking their unborn babies, the medication was a literal lifesaver. Over three million doses of Anti-D with Harrison's blood were issued to Australian mothers with a negative blood type.
A Norwegian man had a 27 kg malignant tumour removed after 12 years of doctors telling him he was just fat. He began to have health problems in 2011, when his stomach began to inflate. Recently, however, when a doctor took a closer look at him while preparing him for gastric sleeve operation for obesity, they discovered the tumour.
In 2019, a Jamaican man turned up to collect his winning $1.5 million lottery cheque wearing a Scream mask. He said he wore the mask because he didn’t want his relatives hounding him for money.
He waited 54 days to collect his $1.17 million US . Lottery winners in the Caribbean country often disguises while collecting their prizes due to high level of crime and fears that they will be hounded for money by family.
In Cluj-Napoca, Romania, a so-called "health ticket" was introduced that allowed individuals to use public transportation for free by completing 20 squats. However, the organisers only implemented it in one city for a limited time. As of now, it's unknown if the program will resume at a future date.
USA can we please get on board with this?? Id personally love this! I don’t take public transportation because I have a car but if I could ride for free just by doing a few exercises? Sign me up! :)
Who hasn't had to hold in a fart at least once in their life? Whether you're in a job interview or a romantic date, there just are some places where letting it rip isn't the best idea. But scientists caution not to hold in farts too often, as it can cause bloating and cramping, and even constipation. In some cases, the gas can be released through our mouth or nose. On average, the normal amount of farts to release in a day is 25.
Sweet Sapphire grapes, also known as Moon Drop grapes, are a dark grape variety with a tubular shape and dark purple skin. They are seedless, have a translucent green flesh, and are very sweet. Sweet Sapphire grapes are so firm that they can be snapped in half, and they can be stuffed. They were first developed in California in 2004 using traditional breeding practices such as cross-pollination.
A new study supports the theory that dogs may have domesticated themselves by choosing to coexist with humans for a steady food supply. This theory, known as self-domestication, suggests that wolves began to frequent human settlements to scavenge for food, eventually becoming more tolerant of humans and adapting to a domestic lifestyle.
The study used a statistical model to show that over 15,000 years, natural selection could drive self-domestication in wolves, provided they chose to stay near humans and select mates with similar temperaments.
This theory is supported by archaeological and genetic evidence, which suggests that dogs (Canis familiaris) are descended from gray wolves (Canis lupus) and became domesticated over two historical periods.
The strange-looking shark that a fisherman found in the deep waters of Australia caused quite a confusion for marine scientists. They couldn't identify the shark 100% accurately. Christopher Lowe, professor and director of the California State University Long Beach Shark Lab, told The Independent that it might be a deepwater kitefin shark, Dalatias lata.
Another marine expert guessed it's a completely different kind of shark. Dean Grubbs, associate director of research at the Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory told The Independent that it's possibly the roughskin dogfish. "They are in the family Somniosidae, the Sleeper Sharks, the same family of the Greenland Shark, but obviously a much smaller species," the marine researcher explained.
A remarkable discovery in Siberia's permafrost has unveiled a 35,000-year-old saber-toothed kitten, with its fur and even whiskers impeccably preserved. This ancient feline provides an extraordinary window into Ice Age wildlife, showcasing the pristine conditions of the permafrost that protected it for millennia. Such finds are vital for understanding extinct species, their habitats, and the ecosystems they once roamed.
In a lion pride, the male typically oversees up to 15 lionesses, who are the primary hunters. These lionesses work together to hunt and secure food for the entire pride, including the dominant male. While the male lion defends the pride's territory and protects the cubs from external threats, it is the lionesses who ensure the pride's survival through their cooperative hunting skills.
And he guards off other male lions until he gets defeated himself. The new male will then proceed and k**l all the cubs by his predecessor to bring the females back in heat and to give on his own genetics.
This microscopic view reveals an astonishing variety of marine organisms collected with just one dip of a hand net. These tiny creatures, representing a vibrant and diverse ecosystem, demonstrate the richness of marine biodiversity that thrives below the surface.
A good reason one does not want to get any marine water in one's sinus cavity.
The Instagram page shares an example of "relative deprivation" in the context of romantic relationships. But we also tend to think others have it better than we do in other aspects of life, too, like money and social status. Psychologists first observed this phenomenon among soldiers: those who believed their peers had more benefits thought they were not obtaining enough rewards themselves.
Mauro Morandi, who lived alone on Italy's Budelli island for 32 years, has died aged 85 following poor health, three years after returning to civilisation. He stumbled upon Budelli, the island famous for its pink-sanded beach, in 1989 after his catamaran broke down. After living there for over three decades, he was evicted by the Italian authorities in 2021.
The turkey vulture, scientifically known as Cathartes aura, is a bird that uses its bodily fluids in unique ways for both cooling and defense. These birds vomit gastric juices as acidic as battery acid, which can be projected up to 10 feet away to deter predators. This vomit is not only a defensive mechanism but also helps the turkey vulture lighten its body weight for quick escape when threatened.
Additionally, turkey vultures defecate and urinate on their own legs to cool down in hot weather. The digestive juices in their excrement are highly acidic and act as an antiseptic, cleansing their legs of harmful bacteria picked up while feeding on carcasses. This behavior helps maintain hygiene and prevents the spread of diseases.
Turkey vultures have a bald head and unfeathered feet and legs, which help them regulate body temperature and stay clean while feeding on decaying flesh. Their powerful digestive system can break down rotting meat and neutralize toxins, including anthrax and botulism, which would otherwise make them sick. This ability makes them crucial in preventing the spread of diseases in ecosystems.
This is what I try to explain, that pooping and peeing on my legs cools me down and acts as an antiseptic, nothing unusual in the natural world. But no one ever listens, they just back away slowly. They must really hate nature...
When archaeologists opened King Tut's sarcophagus in 1922, those who opened it passed away shortly after. Alas, it wasn't a curse like the one from the 1999 film The Mummy, although some people believed it and called it "The Curse of the Pharaohs". In reality, it was the toxic levels of uranium and poisonous waste emanating from the tombs. Radiation levels in ancient Egyptian tombs reportedly are 10 times above the accepted safety standard.
Lina Medina is known as the youngest confirmed mother in history. She was born in Peru and gave birth to a healthy baby boy on May 14, 1939, when she was just 5 years and 7 months old. Her son, who weighed 2.7 kg (approximately 6 pounds), was delivered via caesarean section because her young pelvis was not developed enough for natural childbirth.Lina's case is a rare instance of precocious puberty, where a child's body begins changing into that of an adult at a very early age. The circumstances surrounding her pregnancy remain unclear, and despite investigations, the identity of the father was never confirmed. Lina Medina's story remains a remarkable and tragic medical case.
They could give her a caesarean, but not an abortion, despite the fact that she was r***d - and probably not just once. 5 year old children don't get out that much, so how many men could have been in her circle? But hey, way too interesting to see how a 5 year old body deals with pregnancy, who cares about the piece of s**t who f****d her?
A man, Dan Hentschel, revealed that he proposed to his girlfriend by spelling out 'Will You Marry Me' on the US map by tracing the cross-country road trip they took together. "And in the end, the trip ended up having an even more important function. It showed us that, ultimately, we weren't a good fit for each other," he revealed.
A new study by researchers from the Universities of Gothenburg and Stockholm has found that male flies have evolved to sharpen their eyesight to avoid being deceived by female flies that try to appear more attractive by inflating their abdomens and growing hair on their legs. This "sexual play" has led to an ongoing evolution where both sexes try to outsmart each other, with males developing better vision to find the optimal female in the swarm. The study suggests that this interplay has driven the development of different traits in male and female flies, with females adapting to fool males and males adapting to see past the bluff. The researchers believe that this evolutionary system may lead to further development of new traits and strategies in both sexes.
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So, Pandas, what fun facts from this list are your favorites? Let us know which ones you haven't seen before! If you have an interesting fact you'd like to share with other Pandas, don't hesitate and do so in the comments! And while you're here, be sure to check out these interesting facts for your daily dose of new knowledge!