It’s dizzying to think of all the knowledge I will never know, read, hear, or experience. I am a bibliophile, yet there are thousands of books I will never even know about. Regardless of one’s thirst for knowledge, there will always be gaps, or areas of unknown.
With that in mind, I decided to compile a list of 20 random fun facts that I think are important, interesting, or unlikely to be known otherwise.
1. It’s actually bad to ice a burn. Ice can actually restrict blood flow and cause more damage. For minor burns, try running cool (not cold) water over it instead.
2. The body absorbs iron better when it’s paired with vitamin C, and vitamin D with calcium. Spinach and pepper omelet anyone?
3. Pheromones, the chemical that attracts certain individuals to one another, are found in your sweat. The body is fascinating.
4. Clouds are typically around 1 million pounds. Looks can be deceiving.
(Photo courtesy of Pero Kalimero)
5. Honey never goes bad. Bring on the apocalypse.
6. The word “gorilla” is derived from a Greek word meaning, “A tribe of hairy women.”* Sometimes I wish I was a gorilla.
7. You can’t hum while holding your nose closed.* I bet you just tried to do this.
8. 111,111,111 X 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321. Amazing.
9. If you don’t have a corkscrew, hammer a nail into the cork and pull out with the back of the hammer head. If you don’t have a hammer and nail I don’t know what to tell you.
10. Reading before bed helps you sleep better. Relatedly, looking at screens before going to bed can hinder your ability to fall asleep and the quality of your sleep once you do. (Photo courtesy of Zohre Nemati)
11. The small pocket in the larger pocket in jeans was originally designed for pocket watches. Who knew?
12. Believing you are sick can worsen your condition, while convincing yourself you feel better or aren’t that sick can speed up your recovery. The power of positive thinking will take you far! Hurray for placebo effect!
13. Pink used to be a more stereotypically-male color. Screw gender norms though…
14. Chickens are the closest living relatives to the Tyrannosaurus rex. Birds and dinosaurs in general are most closely related.
(Photo courtesy of Igor Ovsyannykov)
15. Russia has official warnings against using selfie sticks in dangerous situations because of selfie-related deaths. Be mindful, folks.
16. Because of evolutionary pressures, humans are losing their ability to see color. Color was once important to identify food for survival.
(Photo courtesy of Richard Jaimes)
17. Homosexuality was still classified as an illness in Sweden in 1979. Swedes protested by calling in sick to work, claiming they felt gay.** I love the Swiss.
18. Power posing is not actually a proven phenomenon. The original study was not able to be replicated, but honestly if it makes you feel confident, keep doing you.
19. Elephants have a specific warning cry when a bee is spotted. Elephants are also intensely family-oriented and young ones may revisit the gravesite of their mother.
(Photo courtesy of Tobin Rogers)
20. Meditation can physically alter the brain. It measurably reduces anxiety, increases attention, and supports faster learning.***
(Photo courtesy of Le Minh Phuong)
*https://www.livin3.com/50-cool-and-weird-fun-facts-that-you-should-know
**http://mentalfloss.com/article/63529/time-swedes-called-gay-work
(Thumbnail photo courtesy of Ben White)