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If it’s not educational or amusing, it likely won’t hold our attention. Many of us still have an inner child whose eyes gleam brightly every time it spots something fun or interesting, whether it’s online or in real life. We’re driven by curiosity and there’s a deep inner desire to learn more about the world. Though it can get dimmer as we age, it never truly goes away. And one way to reignite our passion for learning is by snacking on cool, bite-sized facts about science, psychology, tech, and history.

That’s where the massively successful ‘Did You Know?’ project comes in. Run by a group of ‘knowledge crusaders,’ it shares fun, interesting, and unusual facts about the world that you may not have ever heard of. And today we’re featuring some of their best posts, as shared on their Instagram page, to help spread their mission of enriching people’s lives through education.

Scroll down, upvote your fave facts, and let us know in the comments which of these you found the most surprising, dear Pandas. Oh, and if you feel that you’ve fallen in love with the ‘Did You Know’ project, be sure to follow them on social media for their freshest updates.

We reached out to the 'Did You Know?' team and a representative was kind enough to answer Bored Panda's questions. We also got in touch with Steven Wooding, a member of the Institute of Physics in the UK, part of the Omni Calculator team, and the creator of the Weird Units Converter, to have a chat about how scientists should approach things when there are competing interpretations, embracing mistakes, and staying passionate about your chosen subject. Read on for what they both told Bored Panda.

More info: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | DidYouKnowFacts.com

A member of the 'Did You Know?' team told Bored Panda that they started the project over a decade ago, all the way back in 2011. The goal was to make it fun and interesting to learn new things that people might not know about the world around them, no matter if we're talking about the past, present, or the future.

"Specifically, we know if we can take something complex or long but filter it down to something snackable we have accomplished our goal," they said.

"It might sound cheesy, but we want to make learning fun," the 'Did You Know?' team representative told Bored Panda that, above everything, they put an emphasis on this key thing.

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François Bouzigues
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

THIS ! So much more important to acknowledge the past than canceling it.

ezekielrhymes1 avatar
JoyfulZebra
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Agreed. Show the truth no matter what. Even if it is dark, even if it is twisted, and even if it is ugly. Justice and reconciliation will only come about if everyone is confronted with the whole truth.

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Xottel
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, this please. We need to shed light onto this instead of covering it all up.

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Pollywog
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can't learn from it if you erase it from existence!

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Tiny Dynamine
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1 year ago

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The dinosaurs don't exist but we can still learn about them.

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Stephanie A Mutti
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Georgia there is a push to remove the Stone Mt Confederate Memorial but I've thought it's a great memorial to demonstrate even well-meaning intelligent people can be dreadfully wrong [Robert E Lee was in all other respects a good man EXCEPT for his acceptance of slavery as natural and right] and that we should all keep open minds to where we might be mistaken in thought.

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Yo Momma
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Then why tear down statues and remove people from food products? Isn't that erasing/canceling history?

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Kim Bush
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've always found it hugely ironic how the selecting of products to protest actually reinforces the stereotypes being fought against. Example: Nothing about Kentucky Fried Chicken has been challenged despite their logo prominently featuring an image of what most people see as a typical plantation owner. Must be nice to have been given the power to pick and choose what to rid the world of, except for the things that you personally enjoy.

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manalonedies
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is important. History was, whether we acknowledge it or not.

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Liz-ard
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yay! If anyone had done that for Pippi Longstocking and Tintin too! I’m scared sh*t that they look at Asterix soon too! It’s not only history it’s legendary creations! Look what censorship had led to so far!

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Tiny Dynamine
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Except it's not the same as that. Banning the use of swastikas in Germany doesn't mean they deny Hitler's actions. They just won't allow it any more.

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Monday
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is the same as that though. The banning of swatsikas isn't a blanket ban, they are still used in textbooks and documentaries to document that part of history and teach us about how Hitler used them. Similarly here the stereotypes are seen in the re-release of old media but are not used in new media.

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Christina B
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As difficult as i may seem to some this is actually really important - you can't white wash history....

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glowworm2
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This was for the 3rd volume. Unfortunately, when putting in the Discs to watch cartoons, this intro immediately appears and if you want to get to the cartoons immediately, you need to press menu. The next 3 volumes simply had a written disclaimer at the beginning of them after putting the disc in. BTW, I’ve been watching Looney Tunes for years and have accepted this message for years. That and most of the shorts were still hilarious regardless of being politically incorrect.

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Wang Zhuang
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree with this 100 percent. The classics should be left alone

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Queenie-Poo
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Disney has the same disclaimer on several of its older movies and shows on Disney+.

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Peter Trudell Jr
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do these have the WWII cartoons? I know Disney put the kibosh on theirs.

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glowworm2
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not this particular volume, which is volume 3 (I’d know, I own them all) , although it does contain “ Draftee Daffy.” Later volumes have “ Plane Daffy” , “Scrap Happy Daffy” “Daffy the Commando”; “Herr Meets Hare” , “Russian Rhapsody” and “The Ducktators.” They do not contain the infamous “Tokio Jokio” or “Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips” however. Also, none of the 6 volumes contain any of the Censored 11, which are 11 Looney Tunes shorts that have long been taken out of circulation of television due to being full of racist black caricatures. I’d highly recommend looking up “Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs” though. It’s a wartime, politically incorrect short, but it’s funny as hell IMHO.

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SuzyG
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm all about this. Erasing our history becomes more and more of a danger. And what's that saying about people who don't learn from history again?

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Helen Davies
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One million upvotes... History isn't always pretty but if we don't look at our mistakes how can we admire our growth? Yin and yang... Without chaos we don't understand order. Without evil we don't understand good.

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dev mehta
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Agree. All public speech, past and current, should be heard. This is a good way to oust racist and ignorant people. Censoring them would make them more resilient and detrimental for society.

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BonnyDK
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Silly Symphonies on YouTube are old Disney cartoons. They are the same. My kids and grandkids love to watch them but I preview ones I have not seen before. Learned that the hard way. I think it is Candyland that has the Mammy jello mold that does the hoochy-coo. My grand kids love the Ugly Duckling and Three Little Pigs. Micky Rooney is the voice of one of the pigs. They also like the skeleton dance at Halloween.

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HarriMissesScotland
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just watched O brother Where Art Thou. Disclaimers about political views, racism and bigotry. I still have mixed feelings about that.

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Ozymandias73
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

SO many media types "back then" would not stand a chance today.

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Blue Pearl
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is why the concept of values dissonance should be taught everywhere.

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Hollysmom
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And as the saying goes: those who forget (and I say, deny) history are doomed to repeat it.

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Nunya Bidnits
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Someone must have coached her; it's the only thing she's said that's made sense in 30 years

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Claire Law
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love it, very true, very honest and can be delivered in that special way that Whoopi Goldburg has

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Yo Momma
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1 year ago

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John Smith
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I do think that children should be taught why something it wrong and the basis in history rather than just "This is wrong, I said so". Also Whoopi is one of my favourite stars.

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Sutboe
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why would they choose a racist bigot to give that announcement???

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Kevin Warner
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1 year ago

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Did You Know? EVERYONE on Earth already knows this and doesn't need to be lectured by a Race-Baiting "Hack" of an Actor

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Mental Liberals
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1 year ago

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cancel the Truth...yup...times change and whoopi got so disgusting...

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Vepřík Boubelatý
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1 year ago (edited)

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You know what? It is sad, that this is a need now. Put Whoopis disclaimer in every ´period´ netflix series.

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El Dee
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1 year ago (edited)

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It is right we don't deny their existence, but it's also right that we no longer broadcast them to our children..

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They also revealed a bit about their approach to the research behind each fact.

"We focus heavily on the research and fact-checking when creating our content and hold high standards to finding and verifying sources," they explained. "No one is perfect, but we have reviews by writers, editors, and publishers before we publish to ensure we are doing our best to not misinform our readers."

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Meanwhile, Steven, from the Omni Calculator project, shared his thoughts about how scientists 'should' behave if they come across two or more competing interpretations of the truth.

"Probably the main factor when deciding on which theory is closer to the truth is the amount and quality of the evidence for each interpretation," he told us, adding that scientists have to put in the work and immerse themselves in their field. Staying up to date with the newest information and findings is critical.

"You have to be prepared to keep up with the developments in a contested field of science, as new evidence may favor one or the other over time. And therefore, you need to keep an open mind in these areas."

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Ansi
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bigot: homosexuality is not natural!! Nature: Eh, WHAAAAT? U kiddin r8?

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We wanted to get Steven's opinion on how to embrace failure, something that most people probably don't enjoy. Mistakes are great opportunities to learn, but many end up feeling embarrassed and miss the lesson. Reframing failure as trial and error might help some people shy away from failure less.

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"One very powerful way of learning a new skill is by trial and error. Take learning to ride a bike for example. We fall many times and make numerous mistakes before we finally get it and we can ride error-free. So the next time you make a mistake, reframe it as part of the trial and error learning process and normal part of it," the member of the Institute of Physics in the UK told Bored Panda.

As for keeping our passion for our beloved subjects burning bright over the years and ups and downs, Steven suggests taking a look at what's fresh and new in your chosen subject. It's bound to rekindle any curiosity or passion you feel you may have lost.

"One good way is to keep up with the latest news happening in your subject area. You will be exposed to all the new developments and realize that the subject is progressing past what you know and learn new things," he said.

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The team behind the ‘Did You Know?’ project states that their main purpose is to “enrich the lives of others by providing fun and interesting ways to learn about the world —past, present, and future—what lies within it, and what’s been discovered beyond it.”

According to them, they provide new ways of “observing and understanding life” in the massive stream of information that many of us have access to at our fingertips.

Above all, the ‘Did You Know?’ team strives for quality, reliability, and excellence. They do a ton of research to make sure that what they’re sharing is as close to the truth as it can be.

“We know you want more than just random, meaningless facts, so we work very hard to live up to your expectations. Whether you’re interested in giant tarantulas who have tiny-froggy pets, lifelong couples who die holding hands, everyday people striving for social justice, the fact that magenta doesn’t exist, or the reason why your diamond engagement ring is the result of a decades-old marketing ploy and holds no actual monetary value, ‘did you know?’ has something for everyone,” the team writes that they try to provide something interesting for everyone, no matter who they are.

No, really, they’re aiming to make everyone happy: “the knowledge junkies, the trivia addicts, the know-it-alls, the need-to-know-mores, the don’t-know-enoughs, the young, the old, the incorrigible, the bored, the eager, the downtrodden, the underdogs, the lovers, the dreamers, and you.” It just goes to show that they really do believe that everyone’s a fan of something. No matter how jaded or cynical.

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They also aim to bust myths and slay rumors, simplify science and remember forgotten history, showcase ordinary folks doing extraordinary things. And they’re not afraid of owning up to their mistakes (because nobody is perfect and we all make ‘em from time to time).

“We are against Internet rumors, recycled myths, and the spreading of fake news, therefore we cite credible sources for all our facts and credit the talented artists, photographers, and writers whose content and images we use to help further illustrate our educational information,” the ‘Did You Know?’ team explains that they invite opinions on comments on the facts they share.

The ‘Did You Know?’ team has nearly 5 million followers over on Facebook, and another 647k fans on Instagram. Our guess is that the great mix of information and entertainment works wonders to draw in the crowds and turns people into loyal followers.

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Media expert Mike Sington previously explained to Bored Panda that it’s vital to find reliable sources to rely on and to be careful what you repost on social media.

"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 shared with us some of the signs that a fact or claim might not be true.

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Serial pacifist
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Israel died so young. His funeral is shown at the end of the music video with thousands of Hawaiians showing up to show their last respect. Such a shame to lose such talent so soon.

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"The rise of social media has decreased the reliability of information because misinformation can spread so quickly before it can be corrected," Mike pointed out that the speed of sharing information has also made the spread of fake news that much quicker.

One quick way to check the reliability of a fact or a course is to start off with a simple Google search. "Do this and think before reposting or you may be contributing to the problem. Amplification doesn’t make a claim true or accurate," he said that just because something is repeated a lot doesn’t make it true.

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Kathryn Baylis
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Strauss family owned—-started—-Macys Department Store. These were rich people sacrificing themselves so younger people could live. They were also an old couple, long married and still very much in love, who wanted to die together, even though Mrs Strauss could’ve rotten a place on a lifeboat. She just couldn’t face the idea of living without him. That’s true love, people.

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According to Mike, some of the most trustworthy sources out there 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. 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 told Bored Panda.

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Kate
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And we know this because the letter was found among Stalin's personal effects after his death. Apparently Stalin was so amused by the letter, he kept it.

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"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.”

He continued: "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."

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Pat Bond
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lol. Famous actor who played a stoner in a double act in the 1970's and made a nice bit of money for his efforts is most definitely not stupid.

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Meanwhile, Joseph M. Pierre, a professor of psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said that countering misinformation is “a huge challenge” and isn’t as effective as we’d like it to be because it only presents accurate information as an alternative to false beliefs.

“In my opinion, understanding conspiracy theories and other false beliefs is best understood as a byproduct of mistrust and misinformation. If people don’t trust authoritative sources of information, they aren’t going to replace their false beliefs with facts and we’re not going to be able to agree on what facts are. That’s where we often are these days,” the professor told Bored Panda.

In his view, ‘inoculation strategies’ can help beat misinformation to the punch. However, the sad fact is that, online, misinformation usually finds its way to people before accurate info. What’s needed is a “retool from the bottom up” in the way people are taught, putting more emphasis on analytical thinking, data reasoning, and media literacy, starting in grade school.

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Justme
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then the ambulance company bills you $1,000 to take your dying child to the hospital 1 mile away and your insurance says it’s not a covered benefit.

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Jihana
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've been saying this for years. Also, an angry snarling Chihuahua is NOTcute

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DennyS (denzoren)
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It does sound like a hoax doesn't it. Just goes to show, no matter what they say, you can be anything you want to be.

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Panda in the Fake South
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I took 1 singing lesson as a child. My teacher told me to stop coming and that I didn't need them because I was awful and they wouldn't support the kind of misery my singing would bring to the world.

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Kenny Earthling
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To all teenagers everywhere: 1) You can't skip a shower and still smell OK. 2) you rarely need to spray for more than *literally* a second or two under each arm. 3) do NOT spray in your pants

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Indosidius
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Two introverts seeing each other and wanting to hookup without engaging?

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Brandon Marlowe
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a rock. Reject conformity and use that money for something useful like a down payment on a house.

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