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50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New
They say that knowledge brings more knowledge — the more you know, the easier it is to learn new things. Luckily, we have an endless source of information right there at our fingertips, so discovering something novel is as easy as tapping on a few links on our screens. Still, if you’re looking for a reminder to sharpen your mind and expand your mental horizons, the Today I Learned subreddit is here to save the day.
With a mind-boggling 27.2M members and counting, this Reddit powerhouse is on a mission to share "interesting and specific facts about something that you just found out." People there collect precious tidbits of wisdom and continue to share quick and exciting facts every single day.
So let’s celebrate their efforts by taking out our notebooks, grabbing our pens, and allowing ourselves to learn something different, new, and potentially useful. Bored Panda has collected some of the best facts from this online community for you to enjoy, so continue scrolling and upvote the ones you enjoyed most! And when you’re done, be sure to check out our previous posts with more interesting trivia here, here, and here.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
TIL the wolves/dogs used to film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005) had to have CGI butts/tails because they were too happy to appear menacing.
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#2
TIL that figure skater Mabel Fairbanks, who was was banned from rinks as a child due to her African American and Native American ancestry, went on to coach skating greats like Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Debi Thomas, and was the first African American in the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame.
To find out more about how learning keeps our minds healthy, we reached out to Nate Kornell, Ph.D., a professor of cognitive psychology at Williams College. When asked why so many people find factual knowledge interesting, he told Bored Panda that “it’s crazy to think about some of the things that are true.”
Like how much water there is in the ocean. Or why are there no trees in Iceland. It’s simply fascinating for us to better understand our world and notice how it changes. After all, learning is a constant process that’s necessary to keep our minds sharp and active.
So if you would like to be seen as the most innovative and creative person in the room, just start spending a little time every day learning something new. And don’t listen to the people who say that learning fun facts is a waste of time. The professor completely disagrees with them: “Fun is fun, and if you have fun learning some facts, all the better. But we all need to know more facts than just the fun ones.”
#3
TIL that two buttons in WWII RAF uniform can be put together to make a mini compass which indicates towards north.
#4
TIL in the Red Sea, giant moray eels have been observed hunting cooperatively with coral groupers. The grouper approaches an eel's hiding place and shakes its head rapidly to indicate that it wants to hunt. The eel recognizes the signal and accompanies it on the hunt where they work in tandem.
#5
TIL that some urban birds like finches and sparrows use cigarette butts as a form of pest control for their nests. The nicotine in the cigarettes helps keep parasites away.
Absorbing tidbits of information that feed our curiosity is rewarding, motivating, and generally makes life more exciting. “Factual knowledge is the foundation,” Kornell added. “We build progress and creativity on top of it.”
Barbara Oakley, Ph.D., a professor and author of Learn Like a Pro, agrees with this line of thinking. In a previous interview, she said that “your new knowledge serves as a sort of mental trellis that allows new neurons to survive, thrive, and grow. If you’re not engaged in learning, your new neurons, instead of nestling into your neural lattice, will wither and die. And you can find yourself becoming less flexible in your thinking as you increasingly rely on older neurons.”
#6
TIL that by 400 BC, Persians had developed Yakhchal, Ancient Refrigerators capable of storing solid ice in the summer in the desert.
Caro Caro 2 years ago
The ice was brought in during the winters from nearby mountains in bulk amounts, and stored in a Yakhchal, or ice-pit. These ancient refrigerators were used primarily to store ice for use in the summer, as well as for food storage, in the hot, dry desert climate of Iran. The ice was also used to chill treats for royalty during hot summer days and to make faloodeh, the traditional Persian frozen dessert. https://eartharchitecture.org/?p=570
#7
TIL that Michigan police once rounded up a group of local drug dealers by inviting them to the fake wedding of two of the dealers' regular customers, who were really undercover police officers. The arrests got underway after the band (also undercover police officers) played "I Fought the Law".
#8
TIL that during his time as the narrator for the US version of the first four seasons of the children's TV show Thomas the Tank Engine, George Carlin spoke his lines to a teddy bear in the booth because he was nervous about performing without an audience.
Virtually any kind of new learning helps keep our brains fresh — whether it’s bringing back our old rusty skills, studying a new language, or taking up a new hobby or sport. And since we have the internet at arm’s reach, picking up new facts is a great way to increase our intelligence. It “gives us incredible opportunities to learn from some of the best teachers in the world,” Oakley added.
#9
TIL the mother of the last Comanche chief was a white woman who was kidnapped at age 9 & assimilated into the tribe. She later married a chieftain & bore him 3 children before she was found at age 33 & returned to her bio-family. She never accepted white society & committed suicide by starvation.
Luther von Wolfen 2 years ago
"White society" kidnapped her at age 33 and apparently wouldn't let her return to her husband and children.
#10
TIL that the Animal Planet reality series ‘River Monsters’ ended because star Jeremy Wade was able to catch essentially every exceptionally large freshwater fish species on earth, leaving no remaining content for the show.
Foxxy (The Original) 2 years ago (edited)
I'm sure they could find some other fishing related content for Jeremy to do. I found him to be very respectful and insightful. Although one episode got me riled up a bit. He was in Australia doing a doco called Dark Waters. In the episode he caught a carp and then released it. They are a HUGE problem to our ecosystem and are in fact illegal to throw back. So I don't know how he didn't get into trouble or fined for it.
#11
TIL the crawfish farming industry in Louisiana grew after rice farmers began breeding them in their rice fields. They realized that they could farm crawfish throughout the year without it affecting their rice. It also served as an extra source of income for them.
Still, even if the internet is a good tool that can quickly assist us in our journey, some information there is false and should be taken with a pinch of salt, Kornell argued. “Always be skeptical,” he said. “Try to see if it’s a reputable source.”
“Fact-checking is important because anyone can say anything on the internet and you want to know that the information you consume is grounded in reality,” Daniel Markuson, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN, previously told Bored Panda. “A general rule of thumb is to make sure that your news comes from established, well-known sources. These outlets get their information straight from primary sources and must uphold their reputation,” the expert added.
#12
TIL that during a murder trial in 1994 an English jury got drunk and consulted an Ouija board to determine the killer. This led to a retrial.
#13
TIL that smokers whose insula got damaged after a stroke were able to quit smoking easily one day after the stroke, with no relapse and urges, suggesting that this brain region might play a role in nicotine addiction.
Got Myself 4 Pandas 2 years ago
My Gran started smoking when she was about 9. At around 80 she suddenly just stopped for no particular reason, just stopped with zero side effects. Thus now makes me wonder if something like this happened to get and somehow went unnoticed. I mean, she went from being a really heavy smoker to nothing overnight - she was already very frail and basically bed bound - but I always thought it was odd (in a good way of course)that she stopped so suddenly without any cravings/withdrawals etc
#14
TIL that In 2015, that a three-story tall lamp post became so corroded by urine that it snapped and fell over, crushing a nearby car.
So, remember that you can easily look into the author and make sure that what they’re saying is, in fact, true. And once you do, don’t be shy and dive deep into the world of knowledge. “Most people reach a point where they think they’re good enough, so they stop learning and improving,” Kornell added. “Don’t stop if you want to get to the top!”
#15
TIL Jimi Hendrix and Neil Young stole a pickup truck in order to get to Woodstock to play their sets.
Kindlovinghumble 2 years ago
Backstory as told by Neil: As it turns out, the charter plane I was on with Jimi Hendrix flew into the wrong airport. We were supposed to be picked by a helicopter. The roads were jammed and there was nobody at the airport, so we had no way to get to the concert.” He then added: “So we’re standing at the airport with Melvin Belli [an attorney] trying to figure out what to do. And Melvin Belli steals this pickup truck parked at the airport. So it’s the three of us in this stolen pickup truck trying to get to the Woodstock concert to play—Jimi, Melvin and me. That’s what I really remember about Woodstock.”
#16
TIL that dingoes were brought to Australia by humans around 4,000 years ago, and are actually an ancient breed of domestic dog.
Foxxy (The Original) 2 years ago
The origins have been traced back to South East Asia and are believed to be an ancient breed of domestic dog. Now they are considered native to Australia and are important to our wildlife as they kind of replace our extinct thylacine as the big apex predator. After that it's the Tasmanian devil.
#17
TIL about Operation Meetinghouse - the single deadliest bombing raid in human history, even more destructive than the atomic bombing of Hiroshima or Nagasaki. On 10 March 1945 United States bombers dropped incendiaries on Tokyo. It killed more than 100,000 people and destroyed 267,171 buildings.
#18
TIL Oreo has to call the white center "creme" instead of "cream" because the FDA does not allow manufacturers to use the word "cream" to describe a food that contains no cream at all.
Foxxy (The Original) 2 years ago (edited)
They are also vegan friendly. EDIT- they are vegan friendly for those that aren't too strict and will eat things that "may contain traces of milk, eggs etc" or the fact they use bone char in the manufacturing process. I do know a few vegans that still eat them though.
#19
TIL in 2015 an Australian woman put a bet on a horse at 100-1 and won $825, she then took a selfie with the winning bet slip, posted it to Facebook, somebody saw it and put the barcode into an automated betting machine and stole her winnings.
#20
TIL that two dim stars from the Big Dipper served as an ancient eye test. If you had lived in the time of the early Romans and could see them, you would have been eligible to be an archer in the Roman army.
#21
TIL: Robin Williams autopsy revealed he had about 40% loss of dopamine neurons and almost no neurons were free of Lewy bodies throughout his entire brain and brainstem from Lewy body disease (LBD).
#22
TIL Wild Rodents Will Run on Mouse Wheels if You Leave Them in the Woods.
#23
TIL that In 2010, a black Nigerian couple living in London gave birth to a white, blond haired & blue eyed baby that they called 'The Miracle Baby'.
Mimi La Souris 2 years ago
what amazes me the most is the amount of hair this adorable baby has! blond babies often look bald
#24
TIL that a "Silent Man" in the UK repeatedly gets arrested for standing on a certain road to block traffic. He never speaks a word, not even to the court or his own lawyer. Everytime he is released, he repeats the crime and remains completely silent.
#25
TIL that the snow used in the Wizard of Oz was actually asbestos fibre.
Foxxy (The Original) 2 years ago
Judy Garland never stood a chance of a long and healthy life. The amount of crap she had to go through is insane.
#26
TIL the samurai Yanagizawa Yoshisato helped his samurai clan pay off their debts by selling goldfish. He took his best goldfish breeders over to the town of Koriyama so they could use its plentiful waters for this. His clan made goldfish more available to the general public and not just the rich.
#27
TIL of J. L. Hunter "Red" Rountree, who after his wife passed and seemingly with nothing left to live for decided to commit his first bank robbery at the age of 86. Red blamed banks for making him bankrupt and by the time he passed away in 2004 he had robbed 2 more banks.
#28
TIL the record for the longest name ever used was held by a German-American man. The name is so long it can't fit in this title but was abbreviated as Hubert B. Wolfe + 666 Sr. The name has its origins in his Great-Grandfather's sarcastic response to a law mandating German Jews take a second name.
LuckyL 2 years ago
Wolfeschlegelsteinhausen bergerdorff welche vor altern waren gewissenhaft schaferswessen schafe waren wohl gepflege und sorgfaltigkeit beschutzen vorangreifen durch ihr raubgierig feinde welche vor altern zwolfhunderttausendjahres voran die erscheinen von der erste erdemensch der raumschiff genachtmittung stein und sieben iridium elektrisch motorsgebrauch licht als sein ursprung von kraft gestarts einlange fahrt hin zwischen sternartig raum auf der suchen nachbarschaft der stern welche gehabt bewohnbar planeten kreise drehen sich und wohin der neue rasse von verstandig menschlichkeit konnte fortpflanzen und sicher freuen an lebenslanglich freude und ruhe mit nicht ein furcht vorangreifen vor anderer intelligent geschopfs von hin zwischen sternartig raum Sr
#29
TIL That a journalist accidentally discovered his wife was the world's best Tetris player.
#30
TIL that in the 1990s, actor Marlon Brando would often spend time in AOL chatrooms getting into political arguments with unsuspecting strangers. His account was frequently suspended for ending arguments by telling others to “F*ck Off”.
#31
TIL the 1972 Attica prison uprising in Upstate New York, in which the prisoners demanded better living conditions, ended on the 5th day when law enforcement stormed in and killed 29 prisoners and 10 hostages. Prisoners were then stripped naked and forced to crawl through the latrine and beaten.
BoredPip 2 years ago
Some prisons are absolutely horrible, not only in the US. What can end up happening is that someone going to prison for failing to pay a fine can get horrible living conditions, lack of privacy, and generally a traumatic experience while someone who commited murder can be in a nice prison, with stuff to pass the time, clean area, and, apart from the time period obviously, have a much more enjoyable stay
#32
TIL about Frieda Caplan, a pioneer in the world of produce who built a successful business in the 1960s by promoting items that, at the time, were relatively unheard of in the U.S. such as mangoes, shallots, and a New Zealand fruit originally called "Chinese gooseberry," which she dubbed the kiwi.
Norm Gilmore 2 years ago
New Zealand growers developed the Kiwifruit from the original chinese native. Freda marketed the Kiwi fruit under that name which was given to it by the original breeders in the late 50s.
#33
TIL Miranda Gibson lived on a small platform 60 metres above the ground in a 400-year-old Eucalyptus tree to protect the surrounding forest. A bush fire forced her to evacuate after 449 days but Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage Area was officially extended by 170,000 hectares a few months later.
#34
TIL that actor Gary Busey once refused to perform a scene set in heaven because he said the set design looked nothing like the real heaven he visited during a near-death experience while in a coma.
#35
TIL that, on average, half of all service dogs fail their training. Due to this poor rate, South Korea experimented with cloning service dogs that had already passed their training. The resulting clones passed at rates much higher than average.
thEBOrdeSTpaNDA 2 years ago
My friends and I love dogs, and always adopt rejected service dogs, as well as dogs rejected from police training for 'being too friendly'
#36
TIL: Sum41 named their album "Chuck" after the UN Peacekeeper who got them out of their hotel in the Congo near a warzone.
#37
TIL Rio de Janeiro was once the capital of Portugal. Following the conquest of Portugal by Napoleon, the Portuguese royal family fled to Brazil (1808-1821). They then established the capital of Portugal in Rio de Janeiro.
#38
TIL 45 years ago, ahi (tuna) were caught for fun and ground into pet food. In Japan, tuna was called neko-matagi, meaning “fish that even a cat would disdain”.
#39
TIL that during a college football game in US, many people gathered upon the roof of a glass blowing factory to watch for free. The roof collapsed, spilling fans onto a furnace. Twenty-three people were killed but the game continued. The event is known as The Thanksgiving Day Disaster.
DUN DUN (she/her) 2 years ago (edited)
"Twenty-three people were killed but the game continued." What 😨😰
#40
TIL that Iceland was once covered in trees until the Vikings came and cut them down to make room for sheep.
#41
TIL Women have been legally allowed to go topless in public in New York City since 1992.
Mimi La Souris 2 years ago (edited)
and French women can legally wear pants since 2013 (but still without pocket)
#42
TIL the King of Norway's firstborn, Princess Märtha Louise, is a self-described 'clairvoyant'. She has started a school for communicating with angels and dead souls, and is currently dating a self-described shaman.
#43
TIL Freshwater snails are one of the world's most deadly animals because they transmit the organism that causes schistosomiasis (aka bilharzia), which is, in and of itself, one of the most deadly parasites on the planet! Nearly 230m people were infected in 2014 and there are~200,000 deaths annually.
DUN DUN (she/her) 2 years ago (edited)
WE JUST HAD HUGE SNAIL PROBLEMS AT MY HOUSE AND NOW I GET TO READ THIS!!!?? I am scared for my life now, I don't think I'm going to make it. Farewell fellow Pandas, the ghost of DUN dies again ☠
#44
TIL: For The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., Bruce Campbell auditioned by grabbing himself by the collar, then performing a forward-flip, a trick he and Raimi had taught themselves back in high school.
#45
TIL the modern gas container, the jerry can, was invented in 1937 Germany. In the start of WWII, the UK used leaky, flimsy tin containers called "flimsies" but soon captured jerry cans and the Allies started copying the German design.
#46
TIL spaces between words in documents first appeared in Irish and Anglo-Saxon Bibles in the seventh century. Paleographers today identify the extinction of 'scriptio continua' as a critical factor in augmenting the widespread absorption of knowledge in the Pre-Modern Era.
Luther von Wolfen 2 years ago
Many of the early documents that make up the Bible were written without breaks between words and without puncuation.
#47
TIL that a proposed 1896 Pennsylvania law required motorists who encountered livestock to: stop their vehicle, disassemble it, and conceal the parts until the livestock were sufficiently pacified.
Caro Caro 2 years ago
Pennsylvania Governor Daniel Hastings also had a very direct impact on America’s nascent automotive industry–defending it from the most oppressive and bonkers regulation ever concocted. The "Red Flag Laws" The laws were so-named because famous examples of them required someone to be walking, waving a red flag or lantern in front of any motor vehicle. As you can imagine, this was not exactly what most early motorists wanted—the whole point of the automobile was to avoid being stuck behind some large, hairy, farting mammal. https://jalopnik.com/this-governor-vetoed-americas-most-insane-automotive-la-1837183057
#48
TIL in Minnesota in 2017, a 20 year old woman shot her 22 year old boyfriend through an encyclopedia from about a foot (30 cm) away for a Youtube video and he died. She was sentenced to 6 months in prison.
Foxxy (The Original) 2 years ago
Who came up with that stupid idea in the first place? Idiots.
#49
TIL Eurypterids, an order of arthropods completely wiped out by the world's biggest mass extinction, were scorpion-like giants that could reach almost ten feet in length.
AzKhaleesi 2 years ago
Sweet baby jesus this is what my nightmares are made of. I was always kind of sad that the dinos got wiped out but if THIS is what would be wandering around, no I'm good.
Andy Acceber 2 years ago
It's interesting to me how large so many ancient creatures were. Knowing that the closest living relative to many exist dinosaurs are modern birds make me keep imaging ancient, 20ft chickens. XD
Anne Edwards 2 years ago
I can't imagine how you would store a dozen of those eggs.
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VeninTheNonBinaryRogue 2 years ago
Am I the only one who thinks it would be cool if they were still alive today? Like would we still be alive this long? I just wonder what would happen idk lol
#50
TIL that in 1429, King Charles VII of France exempted the town of Domrémy from paying taxes "forever", after a promise to Joan of Arc. Taxes were imposed again during the French Revolution.
What do you think ?
Brodie Bruce 2 years ago
Today I learned that you can walk on stage, slap another person in the face, go back to your seat, win an award and then go to a party and dance to your own music.
Brodie Bruce 2 years ago
Today I learned that you can walk on stage, slap another person in the face, go back to your seat, win an award and then go to a party and dance to your own music.
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