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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.
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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.
I knew a kid named Junior. Not named after anyone, but literally named Junior.
And once the father dies, Junior becomes Senior. His son is now Junior. Unlike royalty, the number following their names never changes. After Sr. and Jr, the rules are flexible, no right or wrong it is a family choice. See: https://emilypost.com/advice/mens-names-and-titles Or https://ancestralfindings.com/the-difference-between-ii-and-jr/ Or https://www.thoughtco.com/jr-or-ii-suffix-3972347 Middle name is a good way to distinguish which family member. Mike M vs Mike R.
It's my understanding that with the new digital age of keeping records, they do not do this anymore.
Load More Replies...In the US, you have to have the same middle name, and change from “Jr.” to “II” upon your father’s death.
In Czech republic, there's acting family. Eldest son was always named Rudolf, after father. So people called them Rudolf oldest, Rudolf older, Rudolf younger and Rudolf youngest. Youngest don't have kids, so perhaps he's last?
Rudolf Last is a bit sad as a name, though. Poor guy.
Load More Replies...How interesting! What about George Foreman who named all of his sons George?
But, if the jr. has a son with the same name, the child automatically becomes the lll, I think.
My sister is named after my mother. Mom is FIRST Maiden LAST. Sister is FIRST Dad's Mother's Maiden LAST. Same initials... KTR. Brother is named after my dad and grandfather. SSN and credit applications have been mixed up for years.
Load More Replies...we don't do this with mother names? I think "person" in this post should be "man".
Ok, now some one explain how a relative is "removed". I never understood that.
I think it’s to do with different generations of cousins? I had my babies almost twenty years before my sister had her baby and became a grandmother several months before becoming an aunt. My nibling is first cousin to my offspring and first cousin once removed to my grandchild(ren.. I’ve got three now).
Load More Replies...Shows a lack of imagination to just keep using the same name and it's so narcissistic. Give a new human a name of their own!
Also known as narcissism. Didn't even value your own kid enough to give them their own individual name, because you've somehow convinced yourself that you're so important it deserves a sr, jr,. and so on.
My husband was a ll. It was rather creepy when I accidently found his namesake's gravestone. The original was an uncle, his father's late brother.
But, I have always wondered, when do you stop being a junior and become a senior
Wow, I always thought II was the grandchild named after his father, who is also named after his father
I have wondered about that bc my husband was named after an Uncle that passed long ago. He just passed away without ever knowing that
Someone with the second (II) can also be named for the father not just another family member. It can be used in place of junior if the tradition is to be passed on (as in Bill Smith II having a son named Bill Smith III. That being said Bill Smith Jr. Cannot name his son Bill Smith II or Bill Smith III. Complicated much?
My half-brother is a junior, but then named his son the same name and his some is J. G. the III. Does this still apply? And who is he named after? His pap or his dad??? Lol
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.
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."
Note: this post originally had 110 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
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.