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Whether people are setting up Trivial Pursuit at home or attending a pub trivia night, the basic premise remains the same: they're enjoying the thrill of providing correct answers to questions about lesser-known facts.

"You get a rush or a neuro-reward signal or a dopamine burst from winning," John Kounios, Ph.D., professor of psychology and director of the doctoral program in applied cognitive and brain sciences at Drexel University in Pennsylvania, told Healthline. "I think whenever you’re challenged with a trivia question and you happen to know it, you get a rush. It's sort of like gambling."

Only it doesn't really have any downsides.

To prepare you for these battles (or at least to make your Friday more interesting), Bored Panda snuck inside the 'Today I Learned' (TIL) subreddit and hand-picked some of the most interesting tidbits of information that people have shared there.

Oh, and if you want more, fire up our earlier TIL lists here, here, and here.

#1

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL a woman quit her job to search for her border collie who escaped from a hotel room during a thunderstorm while on vacation in Kalispell, Montana. After 57 days of searching and posting hundreds of flyers around town, she finally found ‘Katie’ who was starving, but otherwise OK.

LurkmasterGeneral Report

#2

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL an Austrian man left $2.4 million to the French village that hid him from the Nazis

bohoish Report

#3

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL there is a group of wolves in British Columbia known as "sea wolves" and 90% of their food comes from the sea. They have distinct DNA that sets them apart from interior wolves and they're entirely dedicated to the sea swimming several miles everyday in search of food.

BirdPlan Report

#4

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL of Vince Coleman, a train dispatcher who sacrificed his life to save hundreds, warning of a massive boat explosion nearby. The message: "Hold up the train. Ammunition ship afire in harbour making for Pier 6 and will explode. Guess this will be my last message. Good-bye, boys."

ComprehensiveAmoeba7 Report

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#5

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL That elephants stay cancer free as they have 20 copies of a key tumor-fighting gene; humans have just one.

Freak-out-time Report

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abdk333 avatar
K Witmer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love elephants so much that when I see them I could cry bc I know they are treated so bad

viviane_katz avatar
Viviane
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A local charity asked me to pay for tickets to send two children to a circus that includes elephants. I turned them down.

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Two_rolling_black_eyes
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is close to the truth. They are resistant to cancer, not immune. About 5% die from it, which is still much lower than us. They have a couple genes we think might help this, not 20 and we are studying those genes looking for help

danrider avatar
Son of Philosoraptor
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In 2050 they'll be setting up fetuses with 20 copies of that gene. If you're rich!

allanjohnbreum avatar
Allan Breum
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You know what this means, right? Time to Gene-mod those 19 extra copies into us.

5533f8496c18a avatar
Peter Ledoux
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Now how to make it work in us. What a world changing event that would be.

mohammadomar avatar
Mohammad Omar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

because they have more cells so more chance of getting cancer. watch kurzgesagt on youtube.

t-susala avatar
Tom Susala
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Plus they don't eat grains poisoned by Monsanto's products...

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#6

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL In 2012 a British man named Wesley Carrington bought a metal detector and within 20 minutes found gold from the Roman Age worth £100,000.

VinumNoctua Report

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May
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Must have had a pretty good idea about where to use the detector

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#7

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL that Apples are not ‘true to seed’, so the seeds from any particular variety apple will not grow to be the same variety as the apple tree they came from. E.g. If you planted seeds of Granny Smith it likely will produce a wide variety of different and unknown apple tree types.

Alolan_Teddiursa Report

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Norart
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People still tripping about GMO foods. Learn the very basics of genetics and you will know what our agrarian ancestors have known for thousands of years. Yes modifying genetics of plants and hybridizing for positive traits is not only desirable, it's how we've managed to feed the world effectively.

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#8

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL that in 2006, a couple lost for three nights in the San Jacinto Mountains of CA were rescued because they were able to light a signal fire from matches they found in the abandoned camp of a lost hiker who vanished exactly One year before their incident.

SkidmarkSteveMD Report

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Son of Philosoraptor
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Three of anything is the universal emergency signal. You can make three big circles in snow to alert a plane, three fires is obviously best. Or spell out SOS in a field anyway you can, with branches, with scraped lines in dirt, whatever.

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#9

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL that the details of the Manhattan Project were so secret that many workers had no idea why they did their jobs. A laundrywoman had a dedicated duty to "hold up an instrument and listen for a clicking noise" without knowing why. It was a Geiger counter testing the radiation levels of uniforms.

derstherower Report

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I I
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

wow , thats got to be illegal , subjecting people to radiation with out their knowledge , immoral at the least

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#10

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL when Steve Buscemi was 4-years-old he was hit by a bus and managed to survive with a fractured skull. He received a $6,000 settlement from the city that was to be collected from a trust fund when he turned 18. When Buscemi turned 18, he used part of the money to pay for full-time acting classes.

Str33twise84 Report

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Jayne Kyra
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He was also an NYC firefighter from 1980 to 1984 and later volunteered during the 9/11 attacks.

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#11

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL: Cats rival dogs on many tests of social smarts, but very few scientists have the patience to try and study them

Firewalker1969x Report

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K Witmer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's so sad. Cmon ladies let's all become cat scientists and have our own field we thrive in. We have patience we have to

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#12

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL that in his acceptance speech for the 1976 Best Album Grammy, Paul Simon jokingly thanked Stevie Wonder for not releasing an album that year. Stevie Wonder had won Best Album in the previous two years and would go on to win again in 1977 for Songs in the Key of Life.

trifletruffles Report

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V 2000
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then Kanye broke into the stage. - Paul imma let you finnish....

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#13

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL that in 1982, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was rushed to hospital when a fish bone became stuck in her throat, and she ended up having an operation to remove it. Being a keen fisher, she calmly joked when it was done: "The salmon have got their own back".

FredererPower Report

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Hel-B
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember this because my mum had a fishbone stuck in her throat at the exact same time. She was advised to go home and eat dry toast til it dislodged. Which it did, eventually.

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#14

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL A bank robber in France made a fictitious, coded document which he claimed as evidence during his trial. While the judge was distracted by the document, Albert Spaggiari jumped out of a window, landing safely on a parked car and escaped on a waiting motorcycle. He was never seen again.

efranklin13 Report

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Jean Lancelin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ruined, Albert Spaggiari died, 12 years after his escape, from a throat cancer.

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#15

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL that Albert I of Belgium is called the "Knight King" because he personally led his army in combat for all of WWI; also his wife, Elizabeth of Bavaria, served as a nurse in front-line field hospitals.

PvtDeth Report

#16

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL President Lincoln’s blockade of Confederate cotton caused famine in English mill towns. Suffering Manchester workers nevertheless sent a letter of support to Lincoln and he responded with thanks and a gift of food. A statue of Lincoln in Manchester displays excerpts from both letters.

wjbc Report

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Seán Baron
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've been past that statue many times. I was very surprised when I first saw it. But it's on a nice quiet side street.

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#17

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL we use 100% of our brain. It is a myth we only use a small portion of our brain, and no scientific evidence supports such a hypothesis as a valid theory.

SojourningCPA Report

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#18

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL that the world record for the most passengers on an aircraft was set during Israel's evacuation of Jews from Ethiopia in 1991, when a single 747 carried at least 1,088 people, including two babies who were born on the flight.

Loki-L Report

#19

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL the Dr. Heimlich fought against the Red Cross for 20 years over the practice of giving "5 back slaps" being a better alternative to the Heimlich Maneuver.

kieferevans Report

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Gin. No tonic
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was in lifeguard training, and we were taught the 5 back slap move, which seems to be better for choking on liquids (eg. some water in the lungs), and in helping babies and toddlers. Heimlich maneuver is painful, but is great when an adult is choking on hard items (eg. pieces of food).

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#20

TIL Otis Redding's widow, Zelma Redding, wrote a letter to Michael Bolton saying his cover of "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" was her favorite. She remarked that it brought tears to her eyes as it reminded her so much of her husband. Bolton had the letter framed and it hangs on his office wall.

trifletruffles Report

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Donkey boi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I genuinely don't think I've ever heard a cover of it. Gonna have to check that out!

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#21

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL that after the Black Plague, depopulation in Europe caused a shortage of laborers, who then were able to demand higher wages for work. Some estimates state that the typical worker's wages had increased by 50 percent

Atwenfor Report

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May
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Seems like the current 'plague' is set to increase wages for American workers, hopefully

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#22

TIL According to the convention of Geneva an ejected pilot in the air is not a combatant and therefore attacking him is a war crime.

Juslav Report

#23

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL about "lonely negatives". These are words with common prefixes or suffixes such as "dis-", "in-", "un-", "-less" but they don't have positive counterparts such as the words "disgust", "disappoint", "reckless" - they don't have "gust", "appoint", or "reckful" as their opposites.

wholesome_lonesome Report

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T Simmons
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

ive always wondered why you can be over-whelmed or under-whelmed, but never 'whelmed'. "How was the movie?" "Whelming"

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#24

TIL the last French soldier to die in WW1 was killed 15 minutes before the ceasefire. He was delivering a message to his unit that soup would be served for lunch.

EBshadez Report

#25

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL that in USA, parents are 12.7% less likely to be happy than childless people.

ViddyDoodah Report

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May
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And single women are more likely to be happy than married women

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#26

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL that the North America — and the USA in particular, has the world's most extreme weather, averaging more than 10,000 severe thunderstorm events per year, with more than 1,000 tornadoes.

Alolan_Teddiursa Report

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Jjiinnee
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a HUGE land mass. We literally have every type of eco system possible here. It's beautiful and amazing to go on a cross country tour.

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#27

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL the U.S. military has used superstition and pretended to be vampires and ghosts to scare enemies away. They dispersed scary horoscopes in Germany, staged vampire attacks in the Philippines, and in Vietnam blasted ghost tapes which consisted of spooky music and eerie voices. Only vampires worked.

WhileFalseRepeat Report

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Adonimar Pugales
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

not surprised the vampire attack worked in the philippines, we filipinos tend to believe in supernatural and superstitious solely to our culture.

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#28

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL there were no tomatoes, potatoes, blueberries, peanuts, corn, beans, chocolate, vanilla, or tobacco in the old world until about the year 1500, as they are native to the Americas. This was part of the Columbian Exchange which also included many other plants, animals, fungi and diseases.

Bass_Thumper Report

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Kari Panda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tomatos were also used as decorative plants in some European countries at first rather than as food sources.

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#29

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL in WWII, Germany carried out only one land operation in north America, the installation of a secret weather station in Newfoundland. They scattered American cigarette packets and planted a sign saying "Canadian Meteor Service" in case anyone found it, and the site wasn't rediscovered until 1977.

CLBUK Report

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Dave P
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not true, in 1943 the Germans landed teams of over 50 commandos, all Germans who spoke perfect English to sabatoge. One member who was US born, had a change of heart and ratted out the rest, who were rounded up. But for 2 months the Germans had a full blown commando team on US soil

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#30

30 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Show It’s Never Too Late To Learn (New Pics) TIL Hitler planned to replace Berlin with a megacity, Germania, to showcase Nazi power. The plan was a metropolis of madness, with wide thoroughfares only for military parades, car and foot traffic directed to underground tunnels, and no traffic lights anywhere.

BitterFuture Report

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sofacushionfort
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank God this was thwarted, and we have rational cities instead, like Las Vegas and Dubai

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Note: this post originally had 70 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.