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It's no secret that the Internet and social media have seriously messed up our attention span. Supportive Care ABA reports that the average human attention span decreased by almost 25% between 2000 and 2015. We like to get our information and news in the quickest way possible.
Doug Sharpe has cracked the code in this area. He's a digital creator who posts snippets of interesting and fun information on Instagram and YouTube Shorts. Dougie makes these random facts engaging and fun, appealing even to the people with the shortest attention span. Check out this newest collection of fun facts we've collected from Dougie's Instagram account.
More info: Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
Image credits: dougiesharpe
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
At 2:30 in the morning, sheep farmer John Wierwille, awoke to hear a commotion on his property. He went outside to see his sheep backed into a corner of the fence surrounded by 11 coyotes and his guard dogs, Casper and Daisy standing between them.
Casper charged at the coyotes, most likely to get their attention off Daisy, who was then pregnant with 8 puppies. The fight resulted in many of the coyotes dead and a missing Casper. A few days later, Casper returned home with his bruised and beaten. John took Casper to the vet and, after the dog was nice and healthy again, they returned home. Now he is an inside dog.
#2
Street food in Vietnam is so convenient, healthy and cheap; Mcdonalds and Burger King have both failed in the country.
martymcmatrix 11 months ago
I'm feeling really, really sorry for both, because it seems to be the second time America has lost in Vietnam...🙋🏽
#3
During a military training exercise in Lithuania; 5 soldiers serving in the reconnaissance unit were declared missing after they failed to arrive at a predetermined location. A search party was initiated, for 24 hours the 5 soldiers avoided military members with trained dogs as well as military search helicopters.
Once they had completed their mission, the soldiers resurfaced. When asked, "where have you been, we've been looking for you!?" the soldiers replied, "yeah, we know, and you didn't find us, so we win"
Doug Sharpe has 445k followers on his Instagram page, where he shares short fun facts in video format. He posts daily, usually one fact a day. He has even more subscribers on YouTube – 508k as of November 2023. Doug also has a Twitch channel where he streams the creative process behind his Fun Facts videos.
For those who want some more in-depth knowledge, he's also got you covered. You can find longer format videos on his channel that delve more deeply into topics like the history of the Michelin star restaurant rating or a story about a Native American war chief who helped defeat the Nazis during WWII.
#4
Yuri Knorozov was soviet linguist who cracked the code of the Mayan hieroglyphic writing system and he always credited his cat, Asya as the coauthor of all his work; but his editors would always remove her which enraged him.
#5
A nursing home for people with dementia in Dusseldorf, Germany set up a fake bus stop to prevent dementia patients from just wandering off. The program was so successful, other homes started copying and expanding on the idea.
Gavin Johnson 11 months ago
My Grandma ‘escaped’ from her supposedly secure home, and despite suffering from Alzheimer’s managed to get a bus into town and was found in the bus station by a kind woman who realised she was a bit lost, my Grandma knew which bus she needed (S13) to get home, back to her old house. The Police took care of her and the manager at the secure home had to make a very difficult phone call to my Mum in order to explain that they’d lost my Grandma. Luckily by the time we got to the home my Grandma had enjoyed a ride in a Poilce car with a ‘handsome young officer’, Grandma’s words btw 😀 and she was wondering where my Grandad was ‘cause he’d have sorted it all out, sadly he’d passed away about six months earlier. A fake bus stop could’ve stopped that all in its tracks!
#6
The interrobang is a punctuation mark meant to capture the excitement of an exclamation point and the disbelief of a question mark.
We've already featured Dougie Sharp on Bored Panda and spoke with him twice before. The Fact Guy started his career on Instagram in the summer of 2021 and went on TikTok in October 2021. By October 2022, he was posting daily videos with fun facts on TikTok, but by April 2023 he was mostly focusing on content for YouTube.
Doug told Bored Panda that he made these kinds of videos "on and off" from 2018, but mostly only for family and friends. "I posted a couple on Instagram in the summer of 2021 and they had pretty good views and I was like ‘Oh cool, maybe I should make more of these'," he told us in April 2023.
#7
Humans feel more empathy for dogs than we do for other humans.
#8
A man paid a traffic fine by presenting the police with 137 one dollar bills folded into origami pigs that he placed inside of donut boxes.
Tracy Wallick 11 months ago
Honestly, I wouldn't even be mad. I'd put a dollar in the box so I could keep one of the origami pigs
#9
In 2009, Unlimited IT hired a carrier pigeon to race their internet connection to figure out what would transfer files quicker? A carrier pigeon with a USB stick or their internet.
Winston, the 11-month pigeon, was to fly 60 miles, and the same files he was carrying to the office were then sent via internet. It took Winston just over an hour to get to the second office, and another hour to transfer all the files. By that time, only 4% of the online data transfer had been completed.
Dougie told us previously that making videos about fun facts filled a hole when he just had nothing to do. "I started posting on TikTok daily on August 1st, 2022 and have been so happy people have enjoyed the facts as much as they have," he told us back then. "It's crazy to see where all my accounts are at today. I'm just really stoked people like the content," the creator gushed.
#10
Free range Turkey and Chicken farms often include Alpacas as part of their flock to help protect the birds from predators.
#11
In the first Polish encyclopedia published in 1746, if you looked up the word HORSE, the definition said "Everyone knows what a horse is."
Turnip and a Frog 11 months ago
He also writes about the dragon: "A dragon is hard to beat, nonetheless an effort must be undertaken". Less is more
#12
A supplier once told David Tran the creator Sriracha hot sauce that it was too spicy and suggested he add a tomato base to make it sweeter. David replied “hot sauce must be hot! If you don’t like it hot, use less. We don’t make mayonnaise here.”
Doug takes his work online seriously. Back in 2022, he told us that he spends almost 2 hours researching a fact and bases it on at least 3 sources. "It's been a really long process to get my production to where it is today," he said. "The fun facts were not good at the start but they got better and better with time and practice. I'm really happy and grateful everything is where it is today."
#13
A French court stopped some parents from naming their daughter Nutella, saying it could lead to her being made fun of and ridiculed and would be contrary to the child's best interest.
Natalie Bohrteller 11 months ago
It's pretty common for registry offices to do that here in Germany.
#14
When Almon Strowger noticed his business was falling off he went to investigate and found out one of his competitors wife had got a job as a switchboard operator and was rerouting all of his calls. So he began inventing! He went to work and invented the automatic telephone exchange and the rotary dial in 1889 which allowed people to dial phone numbers and connect calls from their own home. Almon's invention eliminated the need for human telephone operators.
#15
While on a night out drinking. Dan Saunders went to use the ATM, he transferred $200 from his credit account to his savings account. The ATM said transaction cancelled but the machine spit out $200. Over the next 5 months Dan withdrew 1.6 million dollars.
Ace 11 months ago
It wasn't actually dispensing cash, just performing the transfer without correctly recording the transaction - a glitch caused by late-night scheduled system maintenance - so one account was being credited but the other was not being debited. He stopped doing it after a few months, thinking that he wouldn't get away with it forever, and later served a 12-month prison sentence for it. "Totally worth it" was his final take on the episode.
Dougie also previously shared with Bored Panda that ideas for his videos come from simple curiosity. "I wouldn't be able to go through the rest of my day if I had a question sitting in the back of my head. If I have a question or someone near me has a question, I NEED TO KNOW THE ANSWER, I'll become obsessed with the question if I don't learn the answer. And sometimes that leads me down deep rabbit holes," Doug admitted.
#16
The Pink Tax is the extra amount women pay for everyday products marketed towards women versus the same product but marketed to men.
#17
A carton of expired milk has been living in MIT’s Random Hall Residence for over 28 years and has gained a cult like following.
ShellsBells 11 months ago
Unfortunately, the milk carton has disappeared and was declared missing on 20 Aug 2022. If only there was some type of container they could put this information on so people could see and share. I'm sure MIT will think of something.
#18
In the early 1990s, you could very accurately predict U.S. military action or upcoming global crisis by how much pizza was being delivered to U.S. intelligence buildings.
The phenomenon was first discovered by Frank Meeks, who owned 60 Domino's Pizza stores in the Washington, D.C. area.
Researching and writing the scripts for videos is the best part for Doug. "When I'm researching, I get to treasure hunt the best parts of the fact. I usually use 3-6 sources and will pull the best piece of information from each and use them in my script. I like that I can highlight what I think is most cool, interesting or funky about the fact," he told us back in April.
#19
After the tragic story of an unwanted baby being abandoned in a field in Iowa hit the news. Nebraska introduced a “Safe Haven Law”, where parents could drop off unwanted children at Nebraskan hospitals no questions asked and without repercussions.
Shark Lady 11 months ago
This will be needed more and more if states continue to outlaw abortion..
#20
The Netherlands is banning artificial soccer fields and mandating all soccer fields be made from real grass from 2030 onwards due to the cancer risks associated with artificial grass.
TheNewJenBrady 11 months ago (edited)
My (USA, Idaho) university has a bright blue artificial turf playing field (American football) instead of green. It looks weird but it's locally beloved and there's an urban legend that birds always mistake it for water and try to land on it
#21
Microsoft Solitare was actually just a clever trick to teach people how to use computers.
Doug posts daily on his Instagram page. That requires an always-present flow of creativity. "Creativity can get stagnant at times," he told us in April. "So many people have a pet project they’ve been working on forever because it has no deadline. I like the constant movement of the creation process."
#22
Baby carrots were invented by California farmer Mike Yurosek to solve the issue of what to do with ugly, misshapen or small carrots that couldn’t be sold at the grocery store because people don’t buy ugly vegetables.
Shark Lady 11 months ago
Some supermarkets in the UK have started selling "ugly" produce at slightly cheaper prices to try and combat food waste. Farmers have to throw out so much veg because the supermarkets won't accept it if it's not perfect.
#23
To protest the amount of air manufacturers pump into potato chip bags, a group of South Korean students built a raft out of 160 unopened potato chip bags and then paddled 0.6 of a mile across the Han River.
#24
When dutch bicycle company Van Moof started shipping their bikes to customers in the US they had a huge problem with the bikes arriving at their customers homes damaged. To solve this they added an image of a flat screen tv to their bike boxes.
Multa Nocte 11 months ago
Unfortunately, some delivery drivers don't even make sure that real TVs aren't smashed up when delivered.
You'd think that with that kind of output, Doug has excellent time management skills. However, he says it's the opposite. "I have very poor time management skills so most of the time when you see a fact posted, I more than likely just finished it. It’s a constant push to create and be consistent in my creativity," the creator says honestly.
#25
A tire shop in Fort Worth, Texas was being robbed at least once a month so the owner bought a guard dog to protect the property. The next time the thieves came, they stole the guard dog.
#26
Until 1822, we had absolutely no idea what happened to birds in the winter.
Shark Lady 11 months ago
Wasn't it discovered after a bird returned to Europe (?) impaled with a spear known to be used on the African continent.
#27
The reason water bottles have an expiration date is not because the water goes bad, it’s because the bottle does.
Hans Georg 11 months ago (edited)
For PET bottles, but not for glass. Yet water in glass bottles also has an expiration date due to laws at least in Germany.
Another skill that Doug has honed through this work is expanding his vocabulary and improving his sentence-building skills. Naturally, creating bite-sized pieces of information requires him to present the facts in a concise yet entertaining way.
But Doug says he likes the challenge. "Building the scripts, especially when I have a minute [to fit] twenty minutes worth of material and have to figure out how to piece it into a one-minute video, is very satisfying," the creator told Bored Panda in April.
#28
Modern fruit has become so sweet that zoo’s have had to stop feeding them to some their animals since they were becoming obese and showing signs of tooth decay.
staceybeaverhausen 11 months ago
honestly, as i get older, the less i can eat sweet things, to the point where even fruit is too sweet. this makes so much sense
#29
Revenge Bedtime procrastination is the act of staying awake later than you meant to, for no valid reason. While at the same time being aware that not going to sleep will negatively affect you in the morning; as you know you will be tiered.
#30
The solution to stopping phantom traffic jams is for people to stop tailgating and maintain an equal distance to both the car directly in front of and behind them.
Richard Ross 11 months ago
Leave a 2 second gap and you can guarantee someone will drive into it. 🤔
Now, six months later, Doug also posts longer videos on YouTube, a few of which are up to 10 minutes long. While you’re there, you can also find videos of his time in China where he worked as a stunt double for the movie "Seventy-Seven Days." Doug is also a professional snowboarder and mountain biker and shares some snippets of his adventurous life on all of his social media accounts.
#31
Henry Ford once wanted to take Ford's massive profits and reinvest them into the Ford Motor Company by raising employees wages and building cheaper cars.
He was sued by Ford Motors stock holders who claimed a corporations sole purpose is to generate profits for the stock holders not improve the lives of the workers or public.
Andrew Read 11 months ago (edited)
I find that very difficult to believe, given the personality of Henry Ford, antisemite, Nazi and shooter of striking workers!
#32
In 1963 an underwater volcano exploded off Iceland’s southern coast spewing lava for 4 years it formed a small island. In 1969 a group of scientist discovered a plant not native to the island growing from the lava. It turned out to be a tomato plant. But how did it get there? Growing in a strange soft pile. A scientist poked the pile and immediately realized what had happened. One of the scientists who had visited the island had felt nature's call, popped a squat, and taken a poop and a tomato seed that had made its way through their intestinal tract was now growing into a plant.
Dragon mama 11 months ago
I read that as "an underwear volcano" and it still made a weird sort of sense.
#33
Even though the Mongolian, Chinese and Russian governments constantly warn people not to hunt or eat Mongolian Marmots because they cause the plague, every year someone doesn’t listen, eats a marmot and dies of the bubonic plague.
#34
In Wiltshire, an electrical fault caused 60 tons of hay in a barn to light on fire; fire fighters rescued rescuing 18 piglets and 2 sows from the blaze.
6 months later, the farm gave the Fire Station a batch of sausages made from the pigs they had saved earlier in the year.
John O'Donnell 11 months ago
Did people think the piglets were going to live happily ever after in a corporeal hog heaven'?
#35
Researchers in Japan found that cows painted with zebra stripes were nearly 50% less likely to be bit by horseflies compared to normal cows.
censorshipsucks 11 months ago
https://www.wired.com/story/scientists-reexamine-why-zebra-stripes-mysteriously-repel-flies/ it's a thing.
#36
On May 19th, 2022 an exotic dancer posted a tweet; stating that economists were wrong and we had already entered into a recession. Turns out they were right, as the profession demands the foreseeing of trends of how rich businessmen spend their money.
Christof Irran 11 months ago
A friend of mine could predict economic trends by when the UPS, FedEx, and Amazon trucks drove by his house. The later they drove by, the hotter the economy. He was always right on the money versus the economists' forecasts.
#37
It’s illegal to wear anything with a camouflage print in these 11 countries: Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, Nigeria, Oman, the Philipines, Saudi Arabia, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The reason these laws exist is so that normal citizens aren't confused with the military but also so that normal citizens are not mistaken for rebel or militia members.
martymcmatrix 11 months ago
And NEVER has a civilian been seen wearing camouflage in these 11 countries. 🤭
#38
A Chinese man rebooked a plane ticket over 300 times so he could eat for free In the airlines first class lounge.
I’ve Seen Things 11 months ago
With a business class ticket, he was given access to the airlines private lounge for passengers. His ticket was also able to be cancelled or date changed at no extra charge. So he would book his flight, go to the lounge, eat free food and then change his flight to the next day. He did this for nearly a year before the airlines figured out what he was doing.
#39
There was once a restaurant in Tokyo where all the waiters and waitresses were elderly seniors with dementia so you never knew if you would get the correct order or if you order would ever arrive.
Shark Lady 11 months ago
I can see it being popular in the short term as s gimmick but unfortunately the novelty would soon wear off.
#40
If you’ve ever been to a foreign country and thought “the Coca Cola tastes different here”, you're right! Coca Cola has a very interesting way of getting their products across the globe. Coca Cola brews the syrup concentrate at their main facility in Atlanta, Georgia, and then they sell the concentrate to bottling partners across the world. They all use different sweeteners. Also, the water used in the mixing process is different in every bottling facility. Finally, some facilities will adjust the level of carbonation added to the final product.
censorshipsucks 11 months ago
Yep in my country we have an obesity problem (Really, I think it is worse than usa), so our health ministry imposed harsh taxes on sugar. Result, all coke contains artificial sweeteners and sugar, and the "lite" or "diet" versions contain none. Second result, the "original taste" coke still actually contains artificial sweeteners (I am a sugar connoiseur, I assure you), so it still tastes s****y. So basically, in my country, you now only get variants of diet coke (South Africa).
#41
An 82 year old man in India who was urinating near some train tracks was instantly k***ed when a cow fell from the sky and landed on him.
#42
A group of online pranksters bought all of the odd numbered seat tickets in a Shanghai movie theatre for a big budget Chinese romance film on Valentines Day so that any couple that went to go see the movie would have to sit 1 seat apart.
#43
American swimmer Mark Spitz became an Olympic legend and American cultural icon at the 1972 summer olympic games in Munich winning 7 gold medals as well as setting 7 new world records. But most of the media was focused on his absolutely glorious moustache.
Imnotthatpanda 11 months ago
While I was reading the first part of this, I was thinking “yeah but look at that ‘Stach”
#44
For 8 years, a Japanese man dressed as a Ninja terrorized Osaka, carrying out 254 burglaries and stealing 30 million Yen in cash and valuables.
He became known as the Ninja of Heisei.
Tobias Reaper 11 months ago
not a very good ninja if people heard of him also i once saw a headline that said japan has a shortage of ninjas but how do they know
#45
The boardgames Snakes and Ladders originated around 2 B.C and was originally used to teach Hindu religious beliefs.
Michael Largey 11 months ago (edited)
"Why does it always have to be ladders?!?!?" - Indiana Jacobs
#46
Nescafe, the coffee brand, has opened a sleep cafe in Tokyo where guests can enjoy a cup or coffee and/or a nap.
#47
The original Olympic Flag was unveiled at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp Belgium. But at the end of the games the flag went missing and wouldn’t be seen again for 80 years.
#48
A man is suing Taco Bell for false advertisement since the food they serve looks nothing like the food they advertise; and he’s seeking $5 million dollars in compensation for the victims of Taco Bells misleading practices.
#49
Michel Lotito aka Mr Eats Everything was a French performance artist who once ate an entire Cessna 150 airplane.
David Paterson 11 months ago
Thank you! I knew of an earlier episode where he ate an entire bicycle. And he had earlier said that he liked to eat wine glasses because they still tasted of wine. A documentary found that he had exceptionally strong stomach acid that could actually digest steel.
#50
While sleeping a Taiwanese man accidentally swallowed one of his AirPods, but he was relieved to find that it still worked on the other end.
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