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Who doesn't love a deep dive into a rabbit hole of interesting facts? I know I do... sometimes (or often) at the most ungodly hours. But every now and again, I come across something that I wish I hadn't. The type of information I'm convinced I was better off not knowing. The stuff that keeps me awake even later at night, brewing over, or worrying about, whatever it was that I just read.

Did you know that thousands of lives are cut short every year because of doctors' sloppy handwriting? Or that when a pregnant woman is buried, the gases inside her can push the baby out... A grim occurrence known as coffin birth. These are just two creepy facts that were mentioned when someone posted on TikTok, "Tell me the scariest fact you know. I don't want to sleep tonight."

Bored Panda has bravely gone through more than 20,000 comments to select the ones that gave us a case of the creeps. Feel free to add more in the comments section, and don't forget to upvote your favorites.

#1

Golden retriever wearing a harness and leash walking near water, unrelated to coffin birth or dark scary facts. After 9/11, the rescue dogs searching the rubble started to become depressed because they weren’t finding any live bodies. Rescue workers started burying themselves in the ruins so the dogs could actually manage to ‘save’ someone.

0liliac_edits0 , Shantanu Goyal Report

poiplescales
Community Member
14 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I volunteer to be found if this is needed again.

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If you're just learning (from this list) that thousands of people pass away every year due to messy handwriting on doctors' notes, you're not alone. It does sound crazy... Although now that we think about it, it might make sense.

Many of us have tried, and failed, to read what's meant to be a diagnosis and script for medication. And while jokes aplenty have been made about doctors' handwriting, it's no laughing matter.

An estimated 7,000 people suffer fatal consequences every year because of illegible scribbles on prescriptions, medical charts or notes. And according to a report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), a further 1.5 million injuries occur annually due to pharmacists and healthcare workers misreading sloppy handwriting.

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RELATED:
    #2

    “There Are Over 300 Bodies On The Tops Of Mount Everest”: 30 Creepy Facts That Are Anything But Fun You're not scared of being alone in the dark, you're scared of not being alone in the dark.

    flyingbobaytack1 , Fernando Martinez Report

    Beak Hookage
    Community Member
    12 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To quote a novel I read as a kid, "it's not the dark you should be worried about - it's the things that might be hiding in it".

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    #3

    View of Earth from space showing clouds, continents, and oceans, related to coffin birth and dark scary facts. We are on a rock floating in the middle of a dark void we don’t understand.

    reem1994r , NASA Report

    Vix Spiderthrust
    Community Member
    17 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Or, as The Onion memorably put it, "the Earth is falling uncontrollably through space"

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    A rather old (2005) study produced some shocking results. Three surgeons in the U.K. randomly selected operative notes from an orthopedic ward. Nurses, physiotherapists, and medical officers were then asked to rate the legibility of the notes.

    Get this: only a quarter of the notes were rated as good or excellent. 37% were categorized as poor. And yes, times have moved since two decades ago, with electronic prescription systems and technology available at our fingertips, but many doctors around the world still choose to use a pen and paper to write prescriptions and notes.

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    #4

    Snow-covered mountain peaks glowing pink at sunrise with clear sky, illustrating the dark and scary place concept. There are over 300 bodies on the tops of Mount Everest.

    luke.bet , Parth Savani Report

    Russell Bowman
    Community Member
    17 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Roughly everything above 26,000 feet, is known as the “death zone.” Within the death zone is a section called “Rainbow Valley” after the multi-colored jackets of the numerous dead climbers who remain on Everest.

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    #5

    Woman lying awake in bed at night, looking distressed and overwhelmed by dark and scary thoughts about coffin birth. There’s a rare brain disorder called Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI), where a person loses the ability to sleep completely. No matter how exhausted they get, their brain’s sleep center shuts down permanently. Within months, they begin hallucinating, lose control of their body, and eventually [pass away] from total sleep deprivation. There’s no cure, and it’s genetically inherited, meaning if one parent has the gene, their child has a 50% chance of developing it later in life.

    myluv.kiki , Getty Images Report

    Nik Odongray
    Community Member
    Premium
    16 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It’s so rare that only a couple families have it.

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    #6

    Smoke detector mounted on a white ceiling, symbolizing safety in a world with dark and scary coffin birth facts. Carbon monoxide is completely odorless, tasteless and invisible. And it can [end] you in your sleep without warning. Get a detector if you don’t have one.

    Chance_Pair_6807 , syda_productions Report

    glowworm2
    Community Member
    14 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And don't be that one idiot who throws theirs out because it kept beeping!

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    At least one expert says patients should never be afraid to ask for clarity when it comes to a badly-written doctor's note.

    "Your health is worth a quick question or two, and most healthcare providers welcome the chance to ensure understanding," wrote Dr Nyandia Maina, adding that doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and patients all play a role in catching potential errors before it's too late. 

    #7

    Scuba diver exploring deep dark ocean waters, illustrating the eerie sense connected to coffin birth facts. There are thousands of creatures lurking at the bottom of the ocean we have never seen..

    Specialist-Freedom64 , Bobbi Wu Report

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    16 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, but they've never seen us either - so there!

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    #8

    A single red rose resting on a dark coffin, symbolizing coffin birth and the eerie mysteries of death. When a [deceased] pregnant woman is buried, the gases inside can push the baby out, which is also [deceased]. This is called coffin birth.

    farfromthelighttheygo , Pablo Merchán Montes Report

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    #9

    There are bees that eat flesh, they make honey, but MEAT honey.

    amxliah5 Report

    Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het
    Community Member
    Premium
    17 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Have people tasted it? Is it savoury rather than sweet?

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    #10

    Close-up of a woman’s face reflected in a handheld mirror, evoking eerie and dark coffin birth themes. Your reflection is lying to you. You’ve never seen your own face. Only distorted reflections and pictures. Your brain actively edits what you see in the mirror to fit what it thinks you look like.

    rwphax , Elisa Photography Report

    Rick Murray
    Community Member
    17 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't look in mirrors, saves having to deal with subpar editing skills. 😂

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    #11

    Your organs could start failing at any moment without you knowing until it’s too late.

    christmaskanao Report

    #12

    Man sitting indoors with head in hands, appearing distressed, illustrating feelings related to coffin birth. Your mind can create false memories.

    sugurugeto316 , Getty Images Report

    Rick Murray
    Community Member
    17 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have extremely detailed dreams. Sometimes in the daytime I remember a location, and I'm like "hang on, that's not a place, it's from a dream". So unless dreaming is some weird astral projection mojo, the locations and all of the details (which feel every bit as real as actual places) is just something my brain threw together one night because it was bored and wanted a place to set a story.

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    #13

    There's a real medical condition where a persons body starts shedding layers of skin much faster than normal, leaving them in constant pain and wrapped in bandages, so they are technically skinless.

    yeezyyyyyyyyyy Report

    HamsterGirl
    Community Member
    9 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I was NOT ready to read that yet

    #15

    Not scary, but makes me sad. The cut grass smell that we love is grass telling other grass it's under attack.

    drifted78 Report

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    16 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And what is the other grass supposed to do? Run away?

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    #16

    Young woman peacefully sleeping in a cozy bed, wrapped in white blankets, reflecting calm before coffin birth facts. Every time you lay your head down in bed could be the last time. No need for theories when Aneurysms exist.

    nouserfound41112 , Getty Images Report

    Bi.Felicia
    Community Member
    Premium
    17 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Tbf, every time you do anything could be your last time.

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    #17

    The fact is that you alone in your brain you can't prove that there are objects around you, you are really alone, everything you see, you hear, you feel, could just be an illusion that your brain created.

    blinsbop41 Report

    Vix Spiderthrust
    Community Member
    17 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Which was the point Descartes was making with "I think, therefore I am" - it is the one thing you can know for sure even if all your senses are lying to you

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    See Also on Bored Panda
    #18

    Scientist in full protective gear examining samples under a microscope in a dimly lit laboratory setting related to coffin birth research. There are more bacterial cells in your gut than human cells in your body. These bacterial colonies are essential and can manipulate your health, mood, and behaviour.

    Random-Mutant , Getty Images Report

    Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het
    Community Member
    Premium
    17 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Gut health has only recently been studied seriously. The impact a good or bad diet can have on your gut is enormous.

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    #19

    There are babies that are born with all of their organs outside of their bodies.

    jordan.fay5 Report

    Upstaged75
    Community Member
    10 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Omphalocele is what it's called. And they can fix it.

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    #20

    You’re not scared of heights, you’re scared of falling.

    giraffe1738 Report

    Bi.Felicia
    Community Member
    Premium
    16 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't tell me what I'm scared of! I am most definitely fearful of both heights and falling, thank you very much.... Umm, I think? Thanks no thanks.

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    #21

    India could send 2 million people to every country in the planet and STILL have 1 billion population.

    der_bar20 Report

    #22

    Doctor wearing a white coat with stethoscope, writing notes in a notebook on a desk with laptop nearby, coffin birth concept. Thousands of people [pass away] every year because of messy handwriting on doctors' notes.

    allstartedwthebigbang , Getty Images Report

    Hippopotamuses
    Community Member
    15 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank God where I live scripts are loaded into a text based database.

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    #23

    If you stare at yourself in the mirror for too long, especially in dim lighting, your brain starts to mess with you. Your eyes lose focus and your brain fills in the blanks — distorting your face until it looks warped, unfamiliar, or even monstrous.

    theworldisdistorted2 Report

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    16 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    With me, it takes about a nanosecond and a half.

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    #24

    A stressed woman at her desk surrounded by paperwork, holding her head, illustrating dark and scary workplace stress. Chronic stress can cause your brain to start literally eating itself.

    autxmn_mustdie , Getty Images Report

    Jaya
    Community Member
    16 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's why I recommend stress eating, because then your brain remembers you've already eaten more than enough.

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    #25

    Woman in a white shirt reacting with shock while looking at her phone, illustrating coffin birth horror concept. The movie the human centipede was inspired by real things that happened in Unit 731 during WW2.

    itsveryundecided , Karolina Grabowska Report

    Ursula S.
    Community Member
    16 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Special place in Hell for those people.

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    #26

    Young man giving a thumbs up in a home setting with stairs in the background, unrelated to coffin birth or dark scary facts. MrBeast has more subscribers than the population of the United States.

    mr..candr , mrbeast Report

    Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het
    Community Member
    Premium
    17 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is not dark. However if you look into his business practices, how he treats his employees, how he forced extreme measures on people in his videos and his apparent knack for hiring sëx offenders. It does get dark.

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    #27

    Your eyes see the world upside down so your brain flips it back.

    klojo02 Report

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    16 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I stand on my head to give my brain a little time off.

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    See Also on Bored Panda
    #28

    The earth, the solar system, even our galaxy and the ones surrounding it are all moving towards a massive region of gravity called ‘The Great Attractor’ and we don’t know what the great attractor is.

    mrcasualcat Report

    #29

    Your body is at its weakest when it hits 3am.

    mrtakeyoshordy Report

    Ervin Conn
    Community Member
    16 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I seem to wake up every day at 3am for an hour or two. I wonder if it is related to this?

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    #30

    If you're ever in a forest and it goes fully silent, like FULLY silent. Never turn on a light or make noise. fine the nearest object, rock or tree, and lay down and wait for sunrise. If the crickets stop making noise then it means a big predator is coming and you have to hide.

    user0643831568 Report

    GOZ
    Community Member
    14 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    yea, except the "big predator" is usually you.

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    Note: this post originally had 39 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.