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The Instagram account 'Factbytes' has earned itself 522,000 followers by sharing random trivia about the world. And while numbers alone aren't always indicative of quality content, you have to admit, such a high figure surely looks intriguing.

Why do so many people want to see this account's posts? Well, the main reason is probably diversity. From the Earth's geography to human behavior, 'Factbytes' touches on a wide variety of topics. So we decided to compile some of its most popular uploads and ask you if you think it's worth half a million fans.

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According to Steven Wooding, who is a member of the Omni Calculator project and the Institute of Physics in the United Kingdom, and the founder of the Weird Units Converter, there's something universally human about our fascination with trivia.

Speaking for Bored Panda's publication on 'WTF Facts', a similar internet project to 'Factbytes', Wooding said that people like to help others by sharing their knowledge; that's why society values intelligence so much. Essentially, these interactions boil down to delivery.

"It can be a negative behavior if someone uses their superior intelligence to belittle other people," he said.

"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.

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

This one is only true to an extent. Pictures are from an experiment to make tigers in captivity more docile. Pictures are real but there was no depressed tiger mommy. https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/07/31/fact-check-female-tiger-did-not-adopt-piglets-zoo-experiment/5400661001/

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

I was going to mention the same thing if no one else did first. The photo is real but the story isn't.

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

"I can't quite put my paw on it Lauren but your kids don't act like tigers" "Shut up Carla, these are my babies!"

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

2/2 Although these pictures might appear charming and innocent, the AWI noted back in 2004 that there may be a darker side to the Sriracha Tiger Zoo, as press reports stated that Sriracha was under investigation for illegally breeding protected wildlife for commercial export and had been implicated in the sale of a hundred tigers to China (where there is strong demand for tiger body parts for use in traditional Chinese medicines). The AWI also noted that in late 2004 the zoo was closed for a month when between 80 and 100 tigers died or were euthanized due to an avian influenza (probably spread via the raw chicken carcasses fed to the tigers) that swept through the facility. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/tiger-and-piglets/

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

1/1 This the story: These pictures were actually taken in 2004 not in California, but at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand. Although the Sriracha Tiger Zoo hosted one of the world's most successful tiger breeding programs, unlike most western zoos it also offered circus- and carnival-like shows, exhibits, and interactions, including (as evidenced here) the mixture of adults and young of quite different species in the same enclosures, as described by the AWI Quarterly, a publication of the Animal Welfare Institute: The mixture of tiger and piglets depicted in these images therefore was not something undertaken for functional reasons, but rather as a common form of visual entertainment provided by the zoo for the amusement of its visitors. According to the Pattaya Mail, these tiger-pig nursing relationships have also been reciprocated to the extent that the mother tiger shown suckling piglets was herself nursed by a sow.

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

Great all the way until she cleans them and goes "Hmmm, pork."

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

The picture is from a chinese zoo. It's a gimmick, "let's swap tiger cubs and pigglets together, to generate interest!!" There was probably nothing wrong with the cubs, it's just people being cruel.

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

My twisted mind auto complete the phrase "piglets wrapped in..." with "bacon". Yes, piglet warpped in bacon. Or maybe I am just hungry.

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

I used to have a picture book called 'Tiger Pig', he was a pig with stripes who swam from country to country. Thought about reading it to my son so looked it up again: 😱. Soooooooo racist! Nono no. And from not that long ago. (Edit: Author is John Ryan, Google the book to see what I mean.)

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

And yet "Alpha Males" instead try to gather as many women as possible and disrespect them at every turn...only to be surprised when nobody wants them.

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We get a lot out of it. For example, experts say that playing trivia games can provide a dopamine rush much like gambling, but without the negative effects. 

Whether we're playing Trivial Pursuit at home or attending a pub quiz night, the basic premise remains the same: we experience the thrill of providing correct answers to questions about lesser-known facts.

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"You get a rush or a neuroreward 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.”

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

Don't they have different movies? Are the toilets available without buying a ticket? If not, what if someone has to go but doesn't have a Ticket? So many questions

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

Crying invites a lot of attention that would put more stress on my mind and heart

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Kounios said the benefits can also be compared to those of playing a video game.

"I don’t think there are any pitfalls," he said. "Like anything else that’s fun, it takes up time," he explained.

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

And the sad thing is....the voice we hear on recordings is the same one other people hear when we talk. How do I still have friends?

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A librarian from California, Sarah Kishler, loves trivia games and enjoys attending a monthly pub trivia night in which a team of librarians participate.

"Learning facts so that I can get better at trivia is definitely a passion of mine," she also told Healthline. "Getting a question right is definitely very satisfying to me."

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

Many European countries offer free or nearly free university studies. Also, I’m sure students have to apply and be accepted. The title makes it sound like they can just show up. And given the cost of living in Norway, it may still be too expensive for many.

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

Can confirm, Mondays are terrible. But don't be fooled....Tuesdays are even worse.

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Over the past decade, pub trivia nights appear to have grown in popularity in parts of Europe and the United States.

Enthusiasts like Kishler enjoy getting to interact with people at these events.

She has learned that doing well at these social trivia games gives her a feeling of validation and increases her self-esteem.

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

This happend to an old guy who had a small kiosk. As children my friends, my brother and I would always go their with our pocket money to get candy after school. The shop was owned by him and his wife. They were a really sweet older couple who loved kids and were always fun and welcoming. They were married for ages before she passed away due to cancer. He managed the shop alone for maybe 4 to 6 weeks. It than closed down. My mom told me he didn't wanted to have the shop on his own. Several years later I found out that he died only a few weeks after her because of his broken heart. He missed her so much that being alive wasn't an option for his body. His house was empty for years before it got sold to another family. I still walk by the building the kiosk was in when I walk my dog. It's such a sad story but they'll stay a part of my childhood memory.

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

Technicality: Neither atheist nor agnostic are religions. Weed smoker too, though it it probably done religiously.

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"I love general knowledge, geography, literature, music, science trivia," Kishler said. "I just love to accumulate knowledge. I like the exercise that it gives my brain and memory."

She doesn't think of herself as a competitive person but nevertheless enjoys getting a bit amped up at trivia games. If you do too, hopefully, 'Factbytes' will help you prepare for them!

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

Yep, last time someone put a bowl of food in front of me, I leaped straight to their lap and started purring.

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

Imagine surviving one of the greatest maritime disasters in history, coming back to your country (probably traumatised) and being fired because you didn't die?

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

pretty sure that history can be summarised as: Thag hit Grug with club. Grug hit Thag with club.

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

Some of these are certainly not facts. I don't mind an opinion until someone believes theirs are fact.

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

Progeria. It's a b***h of disease. Average lifespan for these kiddos is around 13.

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

My man, on our first date told me, that all his knowledge about women is from this book 😅 and he gave me this one. I laughed hard 😂 We are together for 15 years already 😁

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The Frenchiest Fry
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A) not a fact, B) not necessarily true. She may be complaining, she may be looking for advice. How could you generalise something so vague and vast?

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

When does she find multiple partners in a pride? Isn't there usually only 1 or 2 males?

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