50 Random Facts That Sound Super Weird But Are Totally True, As Shared By This Twitter Account (New Pics)
Curiosity and learning never go out of style. No matter the year. No matter the season. In a world that’s full of half-baked conspiracy theories, disinformation, and over-exaggerated (or completely made-up) trivia, it’s nice to find a source that you can trust. It only helps when it’s entertaining as heck, too. Enter, stage left—the ‘WTF Facts’ Twitter account.
A project that has 182.7k fans on the social media site, ‘WTF Facts’ shares daily facts about the world that you might have never heard before. History, science, and more, the account covers pretty much everything and has something to interest everyone. And it’s a surefire way to get you to dig deeper and do more research on the bizarre topics.
We’ve compiled the most intriguing new facts shared by the account to make your week a tad more interesting, Pandas. Don’t forget to upvote your fave facts as you scroll on down, and be sure to tell us which ones really blew you away.
Meanwhile, if you’re hungry for more knowledge like the proud Ravenclaws we suspect you are, you’ll find Bored Panda’s articles about the wonderful and weird ‘WTF Facts’ project right here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
Meanwhile, read on for Bored Panda's interview with Steven Wooding. A member of the Omni Calculator project and the Insitute of Physics in the United Kingdom, he shared some of his thoughts about why intelligence is valued so much, what to do as a scientist if you expect a theory might be wrong, and how he'd get someone interested in physics.
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Steven, a member of the Omni Calculator team and the founder of the Weird Units Converter, told Bored Panda that, on the positive side, people like to help others by sharing their knowledge. That's why society values intelligence so much. Though that's just one side of the equation.
"However, it can be a negative behavior if someone uses their superior intelligence to belittle other people," he said that some people see their intelligence as an excuse for arrogance.
"As with most things, we need to find a happy balance. Looking at the big picture, humans have had extraordinary success in evolutionary terms by sharing knowledge," he said that there's a correlation between the two.
We tend to believe the things that are repeated the most, whether they're true or false. Nobody's quite immune to this, no matter how smart they are. Bored Panda wanted to get Steven's opinion on what a scientist might do if they suspect that a certain theory might be incomplete or completely wrong, even though their colleagues believe it.
"The short answer is that you should repeat the truth more often than falsehoods," Steven, from the Omni Calculator team, told us.
"The longer answer is probably to convince people one by one and hope they can spread the truth for you. Scientists can get very frustrated that a large part of the population holds a particular unscientific view, but the truth will win in the end. One example is the increasing belief now in human-made climate change compared to a few decades ago," he pointed out that the truth ends up in the spotlight, sooner or later. However, it's still important that scientists fight for the public to accept the truth.
This is why cats are so great, they're like the grumpy, sarcastic character in a book or movie that turns out to have a heart of gold....or be an evil psychopath.
We were also curious as to how Steven would spark someone's curiosity about physics. Here's what he had to say: "I would tell them about exoplanets and that nearly every star you see in the sky has at least one orbiting planet."
He continued: "Just as in our solar system, there are many different types of alien worlds out there, so the subject is endlessly fascinating. I would encourage them to learn how we detect exoplanets and introduce them to a citizen science project where they can help discover new planets." Are we going to spend our lunch break googling exoplanets? Darn right we are!
Created in May 2020, ‘WTF Facts’ has carved out a great niche for itself over the past two+ years. It hooks people in with the strange facts it presents, as well as the cool visuals. The fact-checking they do also doesn’t hurt.
If you ever felt like you know pretty much everything there is to know about the world or that things seem really boring, hopefully, the Twitter account’s posts can help reignite your passion for learning. After all, it sometimes takes merely a single fresh idea that’s outside your box and/or comfort zone to get your noggin’ jogging. The next thing you know, it’s three hours later and you’ve read half of Wikipedia. One thing leads to another and… well, we all know how research can take us down a rabbit hole into Wonderland and beyond.
There’s a dilemma when we speak about bite-sized chunks of information. Especially on social media. On the one side, we like to stay up-to-date with all the news and scientific developments.
On the other hand, the info stream is so huge that it’s impossible to spend enough time double-checking each and every fact. So it all comes down to learning to verify information quickly and picking and choosing reliable sources over iffy ones.
As a Finnish mother, I can confirm this. And we have a long, paid maternity leave and can stay at home with the child until they're 3 years old - also paid. That's why I love paying taxes. And have free education and healthcare here while we're at it.
Previously, Bored Panda spoke to entertainment and pop culture expert Mike Sington to hear his thoughts on checking the reliability of sources, media literacy, and our ever-shortening attention spans.
"Red flags to watch out for that a claim may be fake: it's outlandish, it's too good to be true, you haven't seen the claim anywhere else, you've never heard the source, the source isn't reputable, you can't find two other sources making the same claim, your gut tells you, 'this can't be true,'" he said how we ought to approach any fact or piece of news.
"The rise of social media has decreased the reliability of information because misinformation can spread so quickly before it can be corrected," he explained that even though the internet has given us a lot of wonderful things, at the same time, there are certain downsides to using it.
According to media expert Mike, a great way to double-check the reliability of something is to start off with a simple Google search. If something sounds really outlandish, try to remain skeptical until you can cross-check the reliability of the fact or source.
"Do this and think before reposting or you may be contributing to the problem. Amplification doesn’t make a claim true or accurate," the expert stressed to Bored Panda that people should try to be more aware of what they repost online.
In his opinion, the sources that are the most trustworthy are the Associated Press, Reuters, and The New York Times.
"They employ fact-checkers and editors that ensure the information they post is correct. They’re basically doing the research and homework for you," he said. "There are literally too many online sources to list that can’t be trusted and should be avoided. Anyone can basically post anything they want… proceed with caution," he said.
"Our attention spans have been reduced to mere seconds at a time because that’s the way information and entertainment is fed to us now. People get tiny bite-sized bits of news by scrolling a Twitter feed, they entertain themselves by scrolling quickly through Instagram and TikTok. It’s creating a habit that doesn’t have to be.”
However, our shortening attention spans aren’t something unchangeable or a sentence for life. We can reverse them with a bit of effort.
"The good news is there’s plenty of long-form entertainment and news available, you just have to seek it out. I believe the benefit is worth it. I’ve discovered it improves your ability to focus, it’s more calming, you retain more information, and it gives you a more balanced and nuanced view of the world."
We studied them in High School, many, many years ago. Fascinating. No one in the town blinks an eye when it happens and the subject just carry on as boys into adulthood, marry and have children. It was deemed one female ancestor great, great, great grandmother passed the faulty gene on.
Good one Bill! One can only admire the Gates Foundation for tackling Malaria, a disease which kills millions each year. And of course it's not a priority, like Covid, as it ravages only the poorer countries. Maybe Climate Change ist going to change that
This is actually a really good idea and would be useful in plenty of other countries
First those countries (companies forced by law) should pay enough that ppl could afford healthy food, i bet that is not an issue in Japan.
Load More Replies...Being fat is a health issue, which costs governments, insurance and employers a lot of money.
Load More Replies...Seems dystopian to me too. Why not just teach everyone this stuff and let people decide for themselves whether/how to apply it?
Load More Replies...Brought to you by the country that also brought you sumo wrestling.
Fun fact sumos arent unhealthy. They have a stricked healthy diet to keep their wieght but not nake them sick.
Load More Replies...34" inches seems pretty little for some people. What if they're just really tall?
The nutritionist would likely just note that and provide an overall assessment of health .
Load More Replies...The cost of insulin alone is through the roof. We have expensive medical cost so I know they won't spend money on this. Unhealthy people bring more money to the drug companies so why would they do this😔
Because they care more about the people , rather than the money :) /gen
Load More Replies...I could only imagine what would happen here in the US if this was brought up/implemented.
Aside from the obvious (was the country that wouldn't put on a mask) the average waist in the US is 40.5 inches, we can't even get our govt to pay for yearly visits to the doctor who is gunna pay all those dietitians
Load More Replies...As a social scientist...the ramifications of this could be very, very bad. Body dysmorphia, anorexia, bulimia... Despite the benefits, I couldn't support this.
I'm safe the biggest my waist has been is 30 inches (sidenote) as a skinny man I face a discrimination of sorts.like you're not big enough or strong enough to do whatever is being done.i had a Young coworker always call me small fries until I replied with how would you like it if I started calling you Whopper or big Mac
This is an amazing idea! I wonder how much money it has saved the medical profession.
As a social scientist...the ramifications of this could be very, very bad. Body dysmorphia, anorexia, bulimia... Despite the benefits, I couldn't support this. 0
Load More Replies...What has everyone got against obese people. Jeez. No wonder suicide kills so many people
This would fail in the US. We have too many obese people who like it that way. And zero healthcare to counteract.
I like this, however, some obesity is caused by medical issues. Is that taken into effect?
We would never, ever, in a million years, allow for this flagrant government intervention in the US. Sounds too socialishy.
Can you IMAGINE Americans being told they were too fat by the government!!!!!????!!!!
Never surprised at how Japan leads the World in so many attitudes!!...I look forward to seeing their take on Going Green!
I wonder how that applies to different body types though. Hourglass and Pear shapes store more fat on their hips than straight and apple types.
Since the USA is a mostly free country, we have the God-given right to be fat and die young. It leaves room for the rest of you.
A yearly medical check for free not based on only waist size would be a great way more to go... Being thin is not a sign for being healthy or well nourished -it just figures out issues that comes with obesity You need to panel eating disorders, drugabuse, mental disorders, fitness etc. the same way otherwise you only replace the problems
There was an ad campaign in Australia about 10 years ago where men were told if their waist was over 100cm and women over 95 they should see a doctor. Possibly linked with heart foundation but can't remember.
Wouldn't it be cheaper and more effective to just teach proper nutrition & exercise to everyone? Like, properly? We did units on that stuff in school but it was all memorizing the three types of food and being picked last for sports and pretending to run when the teacher is looking. Not practical things like how to meal plan, best foods for nutrients or satiation vs calories, or the benefits of strength training and cardio, how to know what weight to lift at, etc etc. Plus, we all had teenage metabolisms and thought this would never apply to us. Make this something everyone gets to learn at 25 and now you're talking.
This all began bc the Japanese government health sector noticed an uptick of heart disease and diabetes in the population in 00's. The government made an announcement that citizens should take more care of their health to prevent burdening their healthcare system. In turn companies took initiative of the message and created health check days for their employees. Downside is that diet and beauty culture in Japan is a huge industry and that some employees take drastic measures to lose weight before health days causing some to end-up going to extremes to keep thin. You can see hundreds of clinics and pharmacies touting ads for weight loss everywhere in Tokyo. This isn't exclusive to Japan either as S. Korea also has diet and beauty culture tied into the success of their employees.
Not really true. Everyone is expected to yearly health checks and it’s recommended you try to lose weight if you’re on the larger side. However there’s no health coach for the majority of people, just a letter asking you to consider eating less and exercising more.
Would body-positive folks call this fat-shaming. One of my overweight friends has ptsd from doctors always telling them they are overweight. I have mixed feelings. I dont want anyone to feel bad being told to change their bodies, but being in that body seems to make them miserable, energy-wise, dating-wise, confidence-wise. Its hard to know how to be supportive, because you want them to be happy.
Same. It does not matter what the reason for the consult is, it is always weight they go on about. She works insane hours in aged care and is on her feet and active all day. I get so angry for her. Always asking about diet and exercise. It is rude.
Load More Replies...I would gladly tell my gov't to fornicate themselves with a sharp object than ever be humiliated like that. Say what you want about the U.S. constitution but I'm sure glad it's there as this would violate many protected constitutional rights. Its between ME and MY doctor, everyone else can F off, just like abortion rights.
I have no idea why the rest of the world has not boycotted American products and services in protest over the abortion 'issue'. Seriously. I guess Amazon and Maccas are just to appealing to people. It is hard to believe that it could even happen and somehow be accepted. Let alone people have no fear over the totalitarian future we seem happy to walk in to with eyes open.
Load More Replies...If they do this in the US probably 95% of the population will end up in camps...
Some people just need the right guidance. So this is a pretty good idea. I don't think it'll work in the US though. Americans can be...well, I'm sure you all know.
Yeah of the Us cant even get people to wear masks this will never go well lol
Load More Replies...Our pasta, who art in a colander, draining be your noodles. Thy noodle come, Thy sauce be yum, on top some grated Parmesan. Give us this day, our garlic bread, …and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trample on our lawns. And lead us not into vegetarianism, but deliver us some pizza, for thine is the meatball, the noodle, and the sauce, forever and ever. R’amen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster
She was a russian FSB (ex KGB) operative. No one can pull that off without a monster of a support and logistics, not to mention her perfect disappearance.
Send this to Putin on a loop to let him know how much the rest of the World hates him ....
Swiss here, this is wrong. We actually have those in cinema toilets, but they only play movie advertisements and are silent.
Dolphins need extra brain for sonar. Bats have overdeveloped frontal lobes as well.
Doesn't have an enormous insatiable military-industrial complex to support.
They did this so that when the Dalai Lama dies, the government can veto any new Dalai Lama the Tibetans pick, if they dn't like them. It is pure religious persecution. #freetibet
Being wealthy enough to live with a view of water also makes you calmer and happier.
Japanese women traditionally managed the money, like for thousands of years budgeting has been "women's work".
Also: Karoshi (過労死, Karōshi), which can be translated into, literally, "overwork death", is a Japanese term relating to occupation-related sudden death. Yes, it happens so often that they gave it a medical term.
Yeah...sorry. I'm not sure I want to give a shout out to someone who reacts violently to having a cup of ice dumped on them 🤔 By all means...yell, curse, have a dance fight, but out the window is a bit too far.
Why is this wierd? It's Texas, where idoits shoot each other over nothing at all.
Unless you are a fundamentalist (for this read mostly 'mental) Christian in the USA today who think the World was created 8000 years ago or something ....... How can so many supposedly educated people be so stupid / delusional ? Ah, religion, that's how !!
I was born in Chennai. There’s a statue of him near some park. I believe my parents told me that he fought some child labor laws or something. If that’s the case then his popularity is well deserved
I'm sorry for this. I always thought he acted like a decent person. Maybe I'm wrong, but it's still a shame.
If anyone's wondering why this hasn't been done yet: 1. That's a metric sh*t-ton of solar panels - roughly 10 times the number of solar panels in use today around the globe 2. Unworkable, since the desert moves, the sands shift, there's nothing to anchor the panels to 3. You'd need an army of people to clean the panels every day - where are you going to house them? 4. You'd need the combined output of every cable company in the world for the next 15 years to wire it all up
I would be really upset if I hiked up there only to find out there are no rooms available.
As far as I know, this is more of like being naked in view of the public (like at your balcony if you live on a low floor)
Where does one apply for such a position? Asking for the gamer whose dad hired other gamers to kill his son's character.
What blows my mind is that he had 15 kids and the first was born in 1815 and died in 1847 but the last was born in 1860 and died in 1947. His oldest and youngest died 100 years apart. It hurts my brain.
No they didn't. This had a religious meaning, related to the highest in their society.
It's almost as though sex and gender are two different things, and should be treated as such.
Maybe one of these days you folks will change notifications to something like, "Your comment on ________________ has received an upvote, but don't bother clicking on this because that's one of the items we've removed."
You can see the old items if you click under the last one on the current list where it says, "Note: this post originally had 150 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes."
Load More Replies...I need to move to Finland. Or Iceland. Or anywhere other than the USA
Charlie Chaplin entered a Charlie Chaplin lookalike contest in 1975 and came 3rd!!!!!
Maybe one of these days you folks will change notifications to something like, "Your comment on ________________ has received an upvote, but don't bother clicking on this because that's one of the items we've removed."
You can see the old items if you click under the last one on the current list where it says, "Note: this post originally had 150 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes."
Load More Replies...I need to move to Finland. Or Iceland. Or anywhere other than the USA
Charlie Chaplin entered a Charlie Chaplin lookalike contest in 1975 and came 3rd!!!!!