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40 Lesser-Known Facts Shared By The “Not Common Facts” Instagram Account (New Pics)
Can you think of a better way to spice up a stalling conversation than artfully whipping out some surprising trivia? After all, random bits of knowledge catch you off guard and entertain you in the best possible way, so they are bound to leave you talking far into the night. Thankfully, heaps of golden nuggets floating online are just waiting to be uncovered, and the 'Not Common Facts' Instagram account is truly an excellent place to start.
Self-described as "The OG Fact page on Insta," it is dedicated purely to sharing lesser-known pieces of information about how intriguing our world really is. The project's creators can’t get enough of the compelling trivia they share on their social media feeds, and with a whopping 7.1 million curious readers, they’re clearly not alone.
Below, we’ve gathered the newest batch of the most unusual, weird, and riveting facts to get those brain cells buzzing. So continue scrolling and upvote your favorite ones! And if you’re interested in even more trivia goodness, check out Part 1 of this feature right over here.
This post may include affiliate links.
Our time is precious, isn’t it? We don’t want to waste it by spending hours scrolling through the endless source of information that is the internet, aiming to find interesting pieces of trivia to have on hand at our next dinner party. What we do want is to spend this free time wisely, so carefully curated accounts like the 'Not Common Facts' are the perfect outlets to help our mission. This page on Instagram is like a breath of fresh air where people can find concise and easily digestible information that is also fun to read through.
But as much as it is delightful to discover lesser-known historical and scientific details about our world, acquiring new knowledge is much more than just pure entertainment. According to an article by Harvard Health Publishing, learning and mastering new activities trains our brains and gets our minds going. The researchers explained that our mental muscles can grow and learn as we get older, but they can only do that if we give them something to work with, like picking up a new hobby or performing a challenging activity.
He had Tritanopia, which made him unable to tell the difference between blue and green, purple and red, and yellow and pink.
"Eventually, your cognitive skills will wane and thinking and memory will be more challenging, so you need to build up your reserve," Dr. John N. Morris, director of social and health policy research at the Institute for Aging Research, said. "Embracing a new activity that also forces you to think and learn and requires ongoing practice can be one of the best ways to keep the brain healthy."
The good news is that we can pick out any new activity we can think of, as long as it follows three important guidelines that would maximize brain training. The first one, Dr. Morris stated, is that it must be challenging. Although if you can’t think of something new that would pique your interest, you can spend time improving your existing skills. "You don't have the challenge of learning something new, but rather the challenge of increasing your skill set and knowledge," he added.
Because women are conditioned to be polite which men mistake as interest. When men are interested women think they’re just being polite. Can we all just start being honest and clear about how we feel about other people?
Another thing to keep in mind is the complexity of the activity. Not only does it make us more excited to delve deeper into the subject, but it also accelerates problem-solving and critical thinking. And lastly, you need to practice it to make it permanent, just as with everything else in life. "You can't improve memory if you don't work at it. The more time you devote to engaging your brain, the more it benefits," Dr. Morris said. "It is the constant repetition of working to improve, and not the quest for mastery, that can have the greatest impact."
I even hear the voices of the characters in books while I'm reading. I really love to read.
I lost both of my best friends I’ve had in the past 3 years . I miss them so much sometimes
We previously had a chat with Barbara Oakley, Ph.D., a professor of engineering at Oakland University in Rochester and author of Learn Like a Pro: Science-Based Tools to Become Better at Anything, who agreed with Morris’ line of thinking.
"New knowledge serves as a sort of mental trellis that allows new neurons to survive, thrive, and grow," she told Bored Panda. When we’re not engaged in learning, these "new neurons, instead of nestling into your neural lattice, will wither and die. And you can find yourself becoming less flexible in your thinking as you increasingly rely on older neurons," the professor added.
Happens to me often. That's so very irritating ,and exhausting. It usually happens, if I'm stressed, or sick.
When you wish to become better at educating yourself, setting a goal is of the utmost importance. After all, when you have your eyes on the prize, it encourages you to keep going and helps a lot with the whole process. "You might set a goal of reading 20 pages a day of a book, which can amount to 15 books or more each year," Oakley suggested. "And there are wonderful online courses on learning!"
The professor herself teaches courses online like Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects. According to her, online learning is great since we can access these lessons from any corner of the world, and they can add a lot to our educational journey. "You’ll see that many of these online courses are divided into 'chunks' of material that you can reasonably cover each week," Oakley told us. "And you’ll get weekly reminder emails to help keep you on track."
Oakley pointed out that virtually any kind of new learning helps keep our brains fresh, as long as it is challenging and complicated enough to increase our intelligence. "Whether it’s a new language, bringing back your rusty math skills, improving your ability to code, or taking up a new sport," the professor provided a few examples. And if you’re not sure where to start, picking up a book and reading a certain number of pages is a great way to feed your curiosity.
"If you want to make your new learning 'stick' even better — and reduce mental fog — add some exercise to your life," Oakley continued. "Exercise helps produce a chemical, BDNF, that serves as a sort of fertilizer for newer and stronger neural connections in the brain. In other words, BDNF helps you focus and remember better!"
When asked whether the internet is a good tool for learning new facts and building up our knowledge, she told us that it gives us incredible opportunities to learn from some of the best teachers in the world. "Athlete Julius Yego, for example, couldn’t find top javelin throwing coaches in his native Kenya and couldn’t afford to travel overseas to train," Oakley said. "So he started watching YouTube videos." Surprisingly, by watching tutorials online and practicing on his own, "he became the world champion in the javelin!"
Also, if you want to become better at remembering the things you recently learned, the professor explained that the best way "is to use what psychologists call 'retrieval practice.'" She noted that this simply means retrieving information from your brain. "That is, checking to see if you’ve got that information stored inside you."
For example, try using flashcards or take a few practice tests. "Or simply look away from a page or webpage (like this one!) and see if you can retrieve (that is, remember) the key ideas. Like Julius Yego, through learning, retrieving, and practicing, you too can become a world champion — or at least the best person you can be," Oakley concluded.
I can’t get my mind to stop talking to me enough to go into a true meditative state. I wish I could.
Visualize your thoughts as clouds passing through your mind. Notice them, but don't engage with or fight them.
Load More Replies...But does the brain structure change for the "better" and what would "better" mean here? To be snarky, my brain structure also changes if you hit me over the head with a shovel, way more efficient than mediating for 8 weeks, whatever that means
I'd be willing to bet that the brain's structure would change after 8 weeks of doing any daily activity. That's what brains do - learn, adapt, change.
Load More Replies...This implies that there is a single technique to meditate, which is incorrect. There are many different types designed for different purposes and practicing any meditation without knowing the effects originally intended can lead to undesired results. For example, if you just want to relax and worry less but you end up having a no-self experience that can be very frightening.
You're right about needing to know how to meditate but it is important to address that it isn't something that can help everyone. Just like yoga and acupuncture. Source - 17 years of study and practice of yoga, 2 years managing an acupuncture practice (yay free treatments,) 2 years studying and 6 years practicing meditation as one of the acupuncturists at my office also taught both yoga and meditation courses at a local holistic wellness center. Unfortunately none of these have helped with my PTSD and I still can't sleep at night and it sucks. Lord knows I've definitely put in the work to learn the hows and whys. Lol
Load More Replies...My school tried doing mindfulness and meditation, they make us all sit still while the teacher talks about waves or something. It really doesn’t work for me :’)
If I’m going to try to meditate, the very LAST thing I want is to have someone droning on about waves. STFU, will ya!?
Load More Replies...The same can be said of most things. Play the piano, learn a language, start writing. After a few weeks of concentrating on one thing that involves the brain, it will start to rewire neutral pathways to be more efficient at the thing you want it to be good at!
All I end up doing is reverting to memories that make me angry. I don't get meditation.
There are many kinds of mediations, maybe try loving kindness meditation.
Load More Replies...Scientists use brain imaging techniques, such as MRI and CT scans, to study the structures of the brain. The things they've learned about the brain just in the last 20 years are fascinating!
Load More Replies...I do it for ten minutes before I start work. Honestly, it's helpful. You don't feel like working is interrupting anything or getting in the way of fun.
Wow, you are getting a good result! Ultimately, nothing should be an interruption.
Load More Replies...Any kind that works for you. For catholics it can be praying the rosary.
Load More Replies...I had no idea it changes the brain. I do it to control hunger and fatigue growing up. It worked after some practice. I could skip meals, work after school and get by with little sleep. You don't need to actually sit up like that. You could do it in any position as long as you're comfortable and can take controlled breaths effortlessly.
I can't stay still and I get distracted easily. My longest time for meditation is two minutes
I tried meditation, unfortunately after 5 minutes I started humming commercial tunes in my head, and random thoughts like why is it called chili when it is hot?
Have to start back doing that again, right after I get back from the wine fountain
I can't meditate. My brain keeps telling me someone is watching me when I have my eyes closed.
Ha! That's nothing. Veganism is so powerful that it takes only five days for you to become really annoying.
That’s insulting. My IQ is above 140, and my mind is very active, making meditation damn near impossible for me. I also often have a hard time falling asleep for the same reason. I do NOT consider my brain unsophisticated, or myself merely a notch above primates intellectually. I would say a “not that sophisticated” brain “one notch above primates intellectually” would have no problem stopping its activity to meditate.
Load More Replies...OK this is really deceptive. "The false ad lawsuit all started in 2013 by a US consumer, Benjamin Careathers, who believed the company's slogan "Red Bull gives you wings" is dishonest. He argued the slogan clearly doesn't mean the drink will give you wings but it is generally understood the drink should give a higher energy boost than an average cup of coffee. But when Careathers found Red Bull had less caffeine than a cup of coffee, he felt there were grounds for a lawsuit. According to the Red Bull website, One 250ml (8.4 oz) can of Red Bull Energy Drink contains about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, which is about 80mg." He argued the slogan clearly doesn't mean the drink will give you wings but it is generally understood the drink should give a higher energy boost than an average cup of coffee."
Fatal familial insomnia (FFI)
It's genetic and there is a test you can take. Many people don't take the test because there's nothing that can be done about it and would you really want to panic every time you can't sleep that this is it, it's kicking in, I'm dying?
Nope for me. I need my space and can't be touched by anything; though sometimes I can fall asleep when my dog cuddles my leg but I have to be able to freely move it
Which inventor of the TV? Because as with movies and the telephone and the aeroplane there are several people who could lay claim to being the inventor.
Psalm 23 A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
There's a saying in Greek that roughly translates to "an old person will either die from falling or from pooping" 😂
Yeah, these are phrased so badly... This makes it sound like you always know after that time period, meanwhile, I actually fell in love with my now husband over months of regular interactions, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Oh… so that’s why I tell my sister all of my deepest secrets at night and the regret it in the morning
It's true: average distance from earth to the moon is 384,400 km - add up the diameters of the seven other planets and you get 380,008 km - that's 8,030 km to spare. See this link: https://www.universetoday.com/115672/you-could-fit-all-the-planets-between-the-earth-and-the-moon/
Inmates under punishment for smuggling contraband have to mop up the puke off the floor the next day.
But we have a built in mechanism to stop us from doing it except in really extreme situations so we won't destroy our bones and muscles in the process, apparently.
This sounds like the statistic that 75% of stuff in the internet is made up. (And I made up that stat too)
Wrong direction of cause and effect. The Latin for 'left' is 'sinister'. And since left-handedness was associated with the devil, the word 'sinister' gained a meaning of 'potential evil'.
That one is just stupid: mucosa is the generic name for any membrane that cover a body cavities or internal membrane, such as oral mucosa, nasal mucosa, vaginal mucosa, etc. Some secretes mucus, some don't. It doesn't mean they are all the same.
Came here to say this lol. A lot of them sound either cherry-picked, completely out of context, or completely fabricated.
Load More Replies...Take these with a fine grain of salt. Be amused but ffs don't treat these like some would the bible.
True. I've interacted with many very intelligent, empathetic, and well educated Pandas in my almost year visiting the site; most do underestimate their skills and smarts, in particular those Pandas on the spectrum or members of the Community, shout out to those suffering from depression or other serious medical issues. I have no interest in social media, have no accounts, but I do participate in Bored Panda. Occasional trolls & morons are less prevalent here, and called on their failures. Lotsa worthy, nice folks here, homie likes this.
Came here to say this lol. A lot of them sound either cherry-picked, completely out of context, or completely fabricated.
Load More Replies...Take these with a fine grain of salt. Be amused but ffs don't treat these like some would the bible.
True. I've interacted with many very intelligent, empathetic, and well educated Pandas in my almost year visiting the site; most do underestimate their skills and smarts, in particular those Pandas on the spectrum or members of the Community, shout out to those suffering from depression or other serious medical issues. I have no interest in social media, have no accounts, but I do participate in Bored Panda. Occasional trolls & morons are less prevalent here, and called on their failures. Lotsa worthy, nice folks here, homie likes this.