52 random facts you should know
👋 Well hello, fellow nerd! Here’s your assortment of 52 useless (and some useful) facts.
Ever wonder just what exactly is vinegar? Or why we get brain freezes? Or why lizards do push-ups? Well, you’ve come to the right page on the internet.
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Okay enough plugs, let’s get into the random facts!
Cornstarch is one of the best coatings to make your fried food extra crispy.
When you hit your "funny bone," you're not actually hitting a bone. You're hitting a nerve.
Shakespeare is the only author explicitly required to be taught in the current Common Core English curriculum.
The scientific name for twinkling stars is atmospheric scintillation.
The reflections off of skyscrapers can dramatically increase the heat in surrounding areas. One building allegedly caused parked cars to melt due to its reflected rays, earning the nickname "fryscraper."
A magnetic field is created when electrons spin in the same direction.
We need oxygen because it dramatically speeds up our body's ability to convert food into energy.
Sloths host blue-green algae in their fur which gives them a camouflaging green tint.
The international standard date format is YYYY-MM-DD, chosen in part because it doesn't favor one country's traditions over another (e.g. Americans liking to put month before day).
Humans tend to break eye contact when thinking because processing another person's facial expressions comes with a heavy cognitive load.
English speakers use one unique metaphor for every 25 words spoken.
In low air pressure systems, hot air rises. In high air pressure systems, cold air sinks. The variation in temperature is what causes wind.
The United States may have adopted the metric system if it weren’t for pirates kidnapping a French scientist who was on his way to make the case for the metric system.
To darn a sock means to close a hole in a sock through a simple sewing technique.
Vinegar is fermented alcohol.
We can see the Milky Way galaxy from Earth because we are relatively close to the brightest section.
In many other languages – such as French, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish – the letter "W" is pronounced as "double V,” not “double U.”
One reason why we cry when we laugh hard might be because our brain is confused as to what emotion we are feeling
Lizards do push-ups to create airflow under their bellies, which helps them cool off.
Candles "smoke" after they're blown out because the wax is still hot enough to vaporize, but there's no flame to burn off the vaporized wax.
Certain diseases (like liver disease, diabetes, and anemia), psychiatric issues, and even nerve damage can cause itching.
Recycled aluminum is 95% less energy intensive to produce compared to new aluminum.
Camel humps do not contain water. They contain fat that helps them stay cool during the day, warm at night, and energized for long stretches without food.
Lightning is the result of different particles in a cloud colliding into each other, which results in electrical charges.
Non-alcoholic beverages can contain up to 0.5% alcohol by volume, whereas alcohol-free beverages must not contain any alcohol whatsoever.
Some electrical devices produce a humming noise because the alternating flow of electrons causes a vibration to occur.
Bluetooth is named after King Harald Bluetooth who united various Danish tribes into a single kingdom.
The "I'm not a robot" checkbox is checking for way more than if you can click a box.
At the quantum level, particles exist in all possible states until an observation or measurement forces the particle to be a single state.
A brain freeze is a result of a rush of blood to the roof of your mouth (to warm up the cold area), which causes the blood vessels to swell.
Soaking beans makes them easier to eat because soaking indigestible carbohydrates. Remember to throw out your bean water!
Subway wheels screech because the wheels slide on the track while turning curves.
Seconds of time are called that because they are the second division of an hour (minutes are the first).
Sunsets have their distinct hues because higher-wavelength blues and violets are scattered, leaving the lower-wavelength yellows, oranges, and reds to be more visible.
In America, dental insurance is separate from health insurance because dentistry wasn’t considered medical expertise when medical schools were being formed.
Court reporters can type at an 360 words per minute, with an accuracy rate of 99.8%.
When dry cleaning was first invented, kerosene and gasoline were used as cleaning agents.
Babies and monkeys can intuitively identify musical harmony.
One reason why soccer isn’t a popular spectator sport in the U.S. is that it is difficult to weave in commercial breaks.
Electricity is transported from power plants via high-voltage transmission lines because the high voltages (up to 500,000 volts) minimize energy loss.
There is a tiny hole at the end of a gas pump nozzle which helps sense when the gas should stop pumping.
Goosebumps are an evolutionary response to make us appear bigger to potential threats.
It’s best to use your device’s official chargers (vs. off-brand) as they often include specific mechanisms designed to prolong your battery life.
It’s theorized that our brain is designed to not easily recall dreams because we might otherwise start to confuse dreams with reality.
“Natural flavors” are derived from natural sources, but they often include non-natural additives and preservatives.
Sublimation is when a substance transitions from a solid state to a gaseous state without going through a liquid state (example: dry ice).
Rubbing our eyes when we’re tired stimulates our vagus nerve which helps prepare us for sleep.
Toilets work because of siphoning technology.
Cats’ purring vibrations has evidence of being a natural healing frequency that can strengthen and repair bones, relieve pain, and heal wounds.
Dipping your fingers into a cosmetics product and using applicators (like mascara wands) adds microorganisms each time you use them.
There is a condition called ACHOO syndrome which is why bright light triggers a sneeze.
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