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“Cows Have Accents”: 40 Fun Facts “No One Asked For,” But You Might Still Enjoy
Interview
It’s no secret that the internet is brimming with random facts that are often not only interesting, but very amusing, too. And that’s one of the things that makes it fascinating - you can find yourself reading about something you never knew you were interested in—until that very moment—just because you accidentally wandered off a few clicks away.
If you’re curious to learn some random facts today, you’re in luck, as we have prepared an entire list of them for you to browse. Shared by members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community, they ought to bring a smile to your face, or at least teach you something new, consequently providing another icebreaker for when the conversation lags. Scroll down to find the fun facts and enjoy!
Though, below, you will find not only the fun facts, but Bored Panda’s interviews with the redditor who started the thread, as well as Social Psychology Area Head and Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University, Michael E. W. Varnum, PhD, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions, too.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
There is a tiny little island in the Arctic called "Hans" island. It has been disputed Territory between Canada and Denmark. Denmark would plant its flag, and leave a bottle of schnapps. Eventually the Canadian ship would arrive remove the Danish flag and take the schnapps. They would then raise the Canadian flag on the island and leave a bottle of Canadian club. This has been going on since the 1980s and was finally resolved in 2022 when they decided to share the island.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is how war should be fought.
Shark Lady 7 months ago
Let's get the opposition drunk enough that they forget what we were arguing about.
Brandon Sheumaker 6 months ago
Supplemental fun fact: Until 2022, Denmark had a land border with only one other country: Germany. Canada also had only one land border with another country: the US. Now, they share a border with each other!
Trillian 6 months ago
Easy to have a peaceful dispute when the disputed area is a tiny uninhabited island with no strategic value or any sort of resources
Parmeisan 6 months ago (edited)
True. And everyone has always thought about this dispute as very light-hearted for that reason. But, with climate change our northern islands are expected to increase dramatically in value. New shipping lanes will open up, etc. I think it says something that neither side became hostile when we realized that.
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Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 7 months ago
That's all well and good, but it should have been local 'nip. Just saying.
Nerd ER Depot 6 months ago
This comment doesn’t pertain to the post, but I just wanted BP to know that it took me reloading the site 4 times, installing and then quickly deleting the app, closing ad after ad to finally be able to post this comment. The ad revenue has become priority and we all know how that turns out…Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk
Debra Robinson 6 months ago
Schnapps is a good offering. The 99 brand has shot of good flavors. I had to quit tho, when it just made me feel shìtty.
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#2
For my fellow 90s kids who heard a lot about this growing up - the hole in the ozone over antarctica is basically fixed! Turns out we do have the power to make positive environmental changes if we work together as a global community.
#3
When Haiti was fighting the French in a civil war the French send some polish to deal with it when they saw how the slaves were treated the Polish joined the haiti revolution.
Blue Mar 7 months ago
In 1802 Napoleon added a Polish Legion to the forces sent to Saint-Domingue (Haiti) to fight off the slave rebellion. Upon discovering that the slaves fought for their freedom, the vast majority of Poles eventually joined the slaves against the French. The Polish had a familiar situation back home, where they fought for their liberty against invading Russia, Prussia, and Austria that began in 1772. The unofficial motto of Poland is" For our freedom and yours " The concept is deeply rooted in the history of human struggle for liberty. It is a phrase that echoes the unwavering spirit of those who have fought and sacrificed for the freedom of others, often at great personal cost. Polish people were called "The White Negroes of Europe" and since then they created haiti- polish brotherhood. Beautifully story ❤️
The OP told Bored Panda that it was curiosity that encouraged them to pose the question to the online community. “I know Reddit users are knowledgeable about a lot of random stuff and what better way to learn more random stuff than asking the people who know a bunch of them but don’t know anyone who would be interested in hearing them?”
#4
Cows have accents depending on where they’re born and they also have best friends and get depressed when separated.
#5
They found a giant ocean of water floating in space thats supposed to be something like 140,000 times the size of our solar system. Space sharks might actually exist.
“I’m curious about a lot of things and I always try to find out more,” the OP shared, adding that they didn’t expect to see so many answers in the thread that they started. “I almost lost count; it honestly surprised me how people know all of these things.”
They revealed that the fun fact they love the most is that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. “I always get a laugh at that one,” they said.
#7
Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined.
#8
This may have been posted before, but still...
On 8 April, 1942, a detachment of Polish soldiers, deployed to Iran by the Allies, bought a **bear cub** from an Iranian boy. In August the bear was given to the 22nd Artillery Supply company and named Wojtek by the soldiers.
They fed him condensed milk, honey, fruit, and beer, which ended up being his favorite drink. He also picked up smoking, and enjoyed wrestling with his human friends, and bunking in on cold nights.
When the Polish II Corps was redeployed it Italy to fight alongside the British, the Brits wouldn’t transport mere mascots on a troop ship, so Wojtek was formally enrolled in the Polish army as a private.
During the brutal Battle of Monte Cassino Private Wojtek helped keep the guns firing by hauling boxes of ammo, each containing four 25 pound shells. These crates normally took four men to haul. For his bravery and service in battle Wojtek was promoted to Corporal, and his visage became the emblem of the 22nd Artillery Supply Company.
After the war the 22nd was sent to Scotland, before being demobilized, at which point Wojtek was given to the Edinburgh Zoo, where he was often visited by Polish soldiers until his death in 1963.
**TDLR:** Polish soldiers adopted a bear named Wojtek in 1942. He served in WWII, carrying ammo at the Battle of Monte Cassino, and was promoted to Corporal. After the war, he lived in the Edinburgh Zoo until 1963.
Blue 7 months ago
He must have been so lonely... Although I certainly don't agree it was a good thing that he was bought and essentially raised in captivity. Of course not. But he was raised by them, fed by them, cared for by them. With them all that time. Yes, I'm sure he went through hell... Not good. No. But to then put him into a confined space, with non of his people ever around, only the odd visit... For all those years. That's so, so sad... Poor Bear
The reason so many redditors seem to have at least one or two fun facts at hand is because, according to cognitive scientist and researcher Elizabeth Bonawitz, curiosity is innate in all humans. “Curiosity acts as a kind of filter you put over the world to help the mind decide what information to attend to,” Harvard Graduate School Of Education cites her saying. “It’s a physiological response that helps drive action and decision-making to support learning.”
#9
Before he became president, Abraham Lincoln was an elite wrestling champion. In 300 matches, he only lost one. Bonus fun fact: He was also a licensed bartender.
#10
Whales are mammals. Mammals make milk. Whale milk is so high in fat it is the consistency of toothpaste.
I love to bust that one out while someone is brushing their teeth.
Talking about curiosity, Dr. Michael E. W. Varnum pointed out to Bored Panda that a recent meta-analysis examining hundreds of studies found that curiosity appears to be positively linked to intelligence. “The personality trait of openness is also associated with higher levels of curiosity. Age may also play a role,” he added.
“Some work suggests that curiosity may decline in old age. On the other end of the lifespan, young children, much to the delight and sometimes consternation of their parents, tend to be incredibly curious.”
#12
Ignaz Semmelweis, who was the doctor that tried to convince other doctors to wash their hands, was mocked for it and eventually suffered a mental breakdown. He spent the last years of his life in an asylum.
#13
Playing a B flat on a tuba can cause arousal in alligators.
#14
In 1884, a crew stranded on a boat on the high seas ate the cabin boy, Richard Parker, to survive. (R v Dudley and Stephens case)
In 1838, Edgar Allan Poe's first and only novel was published (The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket). In the novel, a group of whaling sailors are stranded on a boat. To prevent them from dying of hunger and thirst, one of the crew offers to draw lots. The crew agrees. The one who draws the short straw is also the one who offered it. But the irony is not there. The real irony is the name of this fictional character in the novel: Richard Parker.
And no, you didn't misread the dates!
fancy unicorn 7 months ago
And Richard Parker is the name of the shipwrecked tiger in the 2012 hit film, The Life of Pi.
Even though our curiosity might decline in old age, according to Dr. Varnum, we tend to keep learning throughout our entire life. “In fact, research suggests that crystallized intelligence tends to increase in adulthood into old age, although at extremely older ages dementia or other sources of cognitive decline may kick in. But nonetheless, in general we do continue to accumulate knowledge and experience throughout our lives.
“In terms of the importance of curiosity, studies have found that it may improve well-being and enhance success in academic settings among other benefits,” the expert added.
#15
Gandhi arrived in London right before Jack the Ripper started his k*lling spree and there were no more murders after he left. He can't be ruled out as a suspect.
#16
"Louie Louie" was a #2 hit in 1963 for The Kingsmen. The vocals were so garbled and slurred, rumors spread that the lyrics were dirty. The FBI investigated the song on suspicion of violating obscenity laws. After two years, they decided the lyrics were "unintelligible at any speed."
Somehow, they missed the drummer yelling "F**k!" at 0:54
#17
Chessy (Lisa Ann Walters) from Parent Trap (1998) gave birth to twin boys on October 11th 2000 which is the same birthday the twins had in the movie!
#18
Spider legs are on a hydraulic system. To move their limbs, they use their hemolymph (basically their blood) which is why when they die, their legs curl.
#19
Penguins have an organ behind their eyes that turns sea water in to fresh water.
#20
The word *millennium* has two N's in the middle, because it comes from the Latin word for "year", *annus*.
If you spell it with one N, this changes *annus* to *a**s*, which makes it mean not "a thousand years" but rather "a thousand a******s".
#21
Brett Michaels had the cops called on him when a hotel maid saw him shooting up when in fact, he’s diabetic and was giving insulin.
#22
Oxen are just bulls (or a cow) with jobs, not a whole separate species of bovine.
#23
Locusts are just grasshoppers that have undergone a transformation. This usually only happens when huge numbers of them get together, but you can trigger it by rubbing their butts. The transformation only takes a couple hours.
Kira Okah 7 months ago
Tickling their hind legs. It simulates te jostling they receive in a crowd, triggering a serotonin increase in the thorax, which triggers the transformation. Serotonin is the key hormone in the process. https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/a-brain-chemical-changes-locusts-from-harmless-grasshoppers-to-swarming-pests
#24
The tips of giraffe tongues are dark purple, to protect against the sun. They spend most of their time in the wild, eating.
Pamela Christie 6 months ago
I once got to hand-feed an adult giraffe when I was a zoo docent. The sensation of that tongue wrapping around my hand is something I've never forgotten.
#25
Dragonflies suck water up their butts and shoot it out like jets when they get tired.
#26
Wasps lay their eggs in fig flowers and die, then the fig eats the dead wasp and grows into a fig, and the baby wasps hatch and leave, usually. But sometimes the fig doesn’t eat all of the wasp, and sometimes the eggs don’t hatch, and sometimes the baby wasps don’t escape, and you don’t really notice any of this when you eat them, most of the time.
#27
The reason UK Pubs had stupid names, was so the illiterate patrons could find them with the artwork.
Shark Lady 7 months ago
There are no stupid pub names. They are often related to the local area or royalty.
#28
When you exercise, your body compensates for the calories lost by burning fewer calories over the course of the day.
So roughly 25-50% of the calories burned are negated. Meaning if you burn 100 calories, it really only comes to 50-75.
The higher your body fat percentage the worse it is 😐.
ZuriLovesYou 7 months ago (edited)
So basically, I'll never lose weight no matter how hard I try. Super.
#29
El Paso, Texas is closer to San Diego, California than it is to Houston, Texas.
#30
Cold water holds oxygen better than warm water. Which is why you'll usually find fish in shadier areas during sunny days.
Also, if you want ice cubes to be clear, you have to boil the water first to get the extra oxygen/bubbles out.
#31
Imitation vanilla used to be made from Beaver a**l sack juice.
#32
The universe has either been around for all of eternity, or it literally went from absolutely nothing to suddenly having a universe. Thinking too hard about either one can make your head spin.
geezeronthehill 7 months ago
There is insufficient data for either hypothesis. We may never aquire sufficient data.
#33
The first predator movie has two United States governors in it.
#34
If there is someone on trial who has a history of domestic violence, the prosecutors want all domestic violence victims off of the jury.
Conversely, the defense wants them ON the jury.
Why? They clearly stood by someone who abused them. They’re, statistically speaking, more likely to be more sympathetic to perpetrators.
#35
Donald Ducks middle name is Fauntleroy.
flower petals 7 months ago
Fauntleroy Ducker could have been the name of a Hogwarts teacher ☺️
#36
Marijuana was not decriminalized in Jamaica until 2015, despite its association with the country.
David Paterson 7 months ago (edited)
It was definitely illegal in Jamaica when I was there. They defended their plantations with shotguns. They defended their shipments with machine guns. People who offended the d**g lords ended up dead and unburied in the cemetery. And all the politicians looked the other way. Personal observation on all four. Nasty business.
#37
Before the movie Psycho came out, movies didn’t have showtimes. You just walked in and watched until you’d seen the whole movie.
Alfred Hitchcock didn’t want the twist spoiled for people, so he insisted on showtimes.
#39
Meaty human thighs have 13,355 calories.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 7 months ago
In case any cannibals are reading this, I'm a 40+yo biker so my whole body is super tough and gamey and wouldn't taste good at all.
#40
Someone in the world just died as you were reading this.
What do you think ?
MaximumKarmaSaint 7 months ago
Fun fact: There can always be something behind you, out of vision.
KillerKiwi 7 months ago
Birds aren’t real, they’re government spies. And they charge on power lines.
MaximumKarmaSaint 7 months ago
Fun fact: There can always be something behind you, out of vision.
KillerKiwi 7 months ago
Birds aren’t real, they’re government spies. And they charge on power lines.
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