Have you ever had a moment that made you stop and wonder if everything you know about the world is actually true?
Well, get ready to have your mind blown!
From the hidden luxuries of North Korea to a jellyfish that could technically live forever, these 35 facts will challenge what you think you know about life, the universe, and everything in between.
And trust me, you won’t believe what’s waiting for you at fact #13. So buckle up and prepare to question reality in ways you never imagined!
Fact #1: Pizza is considered a food for the elite in North Korea.
Kim Jong Il hired Italian chefs in the 1990s to introduce pizza to North Korea.
However, due to its high cost, pizza remains out of reach for most citizens, considered a luxury reserved for the elite.
Fact #2: Iranian chess player Dorsa Derakhshani chose freedom over restrictions.
Dorsa Derakhshani was forced to choose between wearing the hijab or never competing in chess again by the Iranian regime.
She chose her freedom and left Iran, later becoming a Grandmaster and a world-class competitor.
She is now pursuing medical school, although her journey has not been without challenges.
Fact #3: Identical twin couples gave birth to genetically unique children.
In 2021, identical twin couples had baby boys around the same time.
These children are classified as “quaternary multiples,” meaning that genetically, they are considered full siblings even though they are cousins by family relation.
The boys share an unusually high amount of genetic material due to both sets of parents being identical twins.
Fact #4: Bitcoin mining consumes more energy than some entire nations.
Bitcoin mining requires immense computational power, leading to a significant demand for electricity.
In fact, the energy consumption of Bitcoin mining exceeds that of Argentina, due to the constant need to validate transactions on the blockchain.
Fact #5: A third of Vietnam’s population shares the same last name.
In Vietnam, over 30% of the population has the surname “Nguyen,” and about 85% of the country’s population shares one of just 15 common last names.
The prevalence of these names is due to various historical and cultural factors.
Fact #6: Smokers tend to have higher testosterone levels—but at a cost.
Male smokers generally have higher levels of total and free testosterone compared to non-smokers.
However, the health risks associated with smoking, including respiratory and cardiovascular issues, far outweigh any hormonal benefits.
Fact #7: Heating calcium gluconate causes it to break down.
When calcium gluconate is heated, it breaks down into calcium and gluconic acid, releasing water, carbon dioxide, and sometimes char.
This chemical reaction causes the compound to lose its structure at high temperatures.
Fact #8: Disney digitally removed cigarettes from photos of Walt Disney.
At Disneyland, photos of Walt Disney that originally showed him holding a cigarette have had the cigarettes digitally removed.
This decision was made to preserve the company’s family-friendly image and discourage smoking, though Walt Disney himself was known to avoid smoking around children.
Fact #9: Deep Blue, one of the largest recorded great white sharks, is awe-inspiring.
Deep Blue is considered one of the largest great white sharks ever recorded, measuring over 20 feet in length and weighing around 2.2 tons.
Estimated to be over 60 years old, Deep Blue represents an incredible example of her species’ longevity and size.
Fact #10: Thailand’s ancient Three Whale Rock is over 75 million years old.
Hin Sam Wan, or Three Whale Rock, is an ancient rock formation in Thailand, estimated to be 75 million years old.
The rock resembles three whales emerging from a mountain when viewed from certain angles, making it a striking natural wonder.
Fact #11: David Bowie once ran his own internet service provider.
In 1998, David Bowie launched BowieNet, an internet service provider that offered subscribers exclusive content, including Bowie-related material, and personalized email addresses.
The service ran for several years before being discontinued in 2006.
Fact #12: Phosphenes can be seen when rubbing your eyes but not in an MRI.
Rubbing your eyes creates pressure on the optic nerve, causing the brain to perceive flashes of light called phosphenes.
While these visual effects are intriguing, they do not show up on MRI scans as they are a subjective visual phenomenon.
Fact #13: The “Man with the Golden Arm” saved millions of babies.
James Harrison, known as the “Man with the Golden Arm,” has a rare antibody in his blood that helped treat Rhesus disease, a condition where a pregnant woman’s immune system attacks her unborn baby’s red blood cells.
Harrison donated blood for nearly 60 years, leading to the development of a treatment that has saved an estimated 2.4 million babies.
Fact #14: Ukrainian sniper sets world record for the longest confirmed sniper k!ll.
Ukrainian sniper Vyacheslav Kovalskiy reportedly made the longest confirmed sniper kill at a distance of 12,468 feet (approximately 2.36 miles).
The bullet took around 9 seconds to reach its target, a feat that required immense skill and precision.
Fact #15: AI created a fake music band that earned millions.
Michael Smith reportedly used AI to generate a fake music band and uploaded songs to streaming platforms.
By manipulating streaming data with bots, Smith earned over $10 million in royalties before the scheme was discovered.
Fact #16: A credit card theft cost Demi Moore $169,000.
Demi Moore became a victim of credit card fraud when a man stole her card and went on a shopping spree, racking up $169,000 in charges.
The theft went unnoticed for several weeks, allowing the charges to accumulate significantly.
Fact #17: The world’s quietest room can drive you to hear your own heartbeat.
The quietest room in the world, located at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington, has a negative decibel rating (-20.35 dB).
In such an environment, you can hear your own heartbeat, blood circulating, and bones creaking, making it difficult for most people to stay inside for more than a few minutes.
Fact #18: Honey never spoils.
Archaeologists have found pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that are over 3,000 years old and still perfectly edible.
Honey’s natural properties make it one of the few foods that doesn’t spoil, largely due to its low moisture content and acidic pH.
Fact #19: Scorpions can survive underwater for days, but whales need air.
Although scorpions are land-dwelling creatures, they can survive underwater for up to 48 hours by entering a state of near hibernation.
They slow down their metabolism to conserve oxygen.
In contrast, whales, which are aquatic mammals, can stay underwater for around 10 to 15 minutes before needing to surface for air, as they rely on lungs to breathe.
Fact #20: Bananas are technically berries, but strawberries aren’t.
Botanically speaking, bananas are classified as berries because they develop from a single flower with one ovary.
On the other hand, strawberries are considered “aggregate fruits” because they form from a flower with multiple ovaries, meaning they aren’t true berries despite the name.
Fact #21: The Eiffel Tower grows in the summer.
Due to the expansion of iron in hot weather, the Eiffel Tower can grow by about 6 inches (15 cm) during the summer.
As temperatures increase, the metal structure expands, making it slightly taller than during cooler months.
Fact #22: A day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus.
Venus rotates very slowly on its axis, taking about 243 Earth days to complete a full rotation.
However, it only takes about 225 Earth days for Venus to complete one orbit around the Sun, making a day on Venus longer than its year.
Fact #23: Octopuses have three hearts and blue blood.
Octopuses have three hearts: two pump blood to the gills, while the third pumps it to the rest of the body.
Their blood is blue because it contains hemocyanin, a copper-based molecule that helps transport oxygen in cold, low-oxygen environments.
Fact #24: Humans and giraffes have the same number of neck vertebrae.
Despite the dramatic difference in neck length, both humans and giraffes have the same number of neck vertebrae: seven.
However, in giraffes, these vertebrae are much larger, allowing their long necks to be both flexible and strong.
Fact #25: The average cloud weighs about 1.1 million pounds.
Clouds look light and fluffy, but the average cumulus cloud weighs about 1.1 million pounds (500,000 kg).
This is because they are made up of millions of tiny water droplets, which, collectively, weigh a surprising amount.
Fact #26: There’s a species of jellyfish that can technically live forever.
The Turritopsis dohrnii, often referred to as the “immortal jellyfish,” can revert to its juvenile form after reaching adulthood, essentially restarting its life cycle.
This process can, in theory, continue indefinitely, making it biologically immortal under the right conditions.
Fact #27: The Great Wall of China isn’t visible from space.
Despite popular belief, the Great Wall of China is not visible to the naked eye from space.
Although large, the wall is too narrow and blends in with its natural surroundings.
Astronauts have confirmed that it’s challenging to see without magnification.
Fact #28: Water can exist in all three states—solid, liquid, and gas—simultaneously.
Under a special condition known as the “triple point,” water can exist as ice, liquid water, and water vapor at the same time.
This occurs at a specific temperature (0.01°C) and pressure (611.657 pascals).
Fact #29: The longest hiccuping spree lasted 68 years.
Charles Osborne from the U.S. holds the record for the longest hiccuping spree, which lasted from 1922 to 1990—68 years in total.
Osborne reportedly hiccuped up to 40 times per minute at the height of the condition, though it slowed in his later years.
Fact #30: Sharks existed before trees.
Sharks have been around for more than 400 million years, predating trees, which appeared around 350 million years ago.
Sharks are among the oldest living species on Earth, having survived several mass extinctions.
Fact #31: The shortest war in history lasted 38 to 45 minutes.
The Anglo-Zanzibar War, fought between the United Kingdom and the Sultanate of Zanzibar on August 27, 1896, is considered the shortest war in recorded history.
After a brief naval bombardment, the war ended in less than an hour with a decisive British victory.
Fact #32: Sloths can take up to a month to digest a single meal.
Due to their incredibly slow metabolism, sloths can take two to four weeks to digest food.
Their diet primarily consists of leaves, which are low in energy, contributing to their lethargic lifestyle and slow digestive process.
Fact #33: Some turtles can breathe through their butts.
Several species of turtles, including the Australian Fitzroy River turtle, can absorb oxygen through their cloaca (an all-purpose orifice) when underwater.
This unusual form of respiration allows them to stay submerged for extended periods without needing to surface for air.
Fact #34: The hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth was 134°F (56.7°C).
The highest temperature ever recorded was 134°F (56.7°C) in Furnace Creek, California, in Death Valley on July 10, 1913.
Death Valley holds the title for the hottest place on Earth, with extreme heat being a common occurrence.
Fact #35: There are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on Earth.
Astronomers estimate there are about 100 to 400 billion stars in our galaxy alone, and there are more than 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe.
This means there are far more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all of Earth’s beaches combined.
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