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The internet is so massive it feels like a universe of its own. Yet out of the endless stream of content we move through each day, very little actually stands out. Our attention span on social platforms is only 1.7 seconds, meaning most of what we see passes by without us taking the time to read or absorb anything.

But some corners of the web are worth slowing down for. One of them is the Facebook page Strange Things, which shares odd and interesting facts about the world. Below are some of their most intriguing posts—hopefully they’ll pique your curiosity and make you linger a little longer.

#1

Two emergency responders showing stained fingers with purple ink, illustrating strange facts from our world.

"Two firefighters arrived at an accident scene to find everyone safe,

except for one little girl still trembling with fear.

She clutched a few bottles of nail polish in her small hands, eyes wide and tearful.

Instead of talking about the crash, the firefighters knelt beside her.

They asked about her favorite colors.

They let her paint their nails.

Her smile bloomed. The fear faded.

For a few precious minutes, the flashing lights and sirens disappeared.

When they left, their nails were far from regulation,

but painted in the perfect shade of comfort and kindness.

Because sometimes, the greatest rescue isn’t pulling someone from danger.

It’s helping them feel safe again."

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    #2

    Older man with gray hair and beard wearing an orange jumpsuit, looking surprised in a strange world facts story setting

    In 2011, a 59-year-old man named James Verone robbed a bank. He did so by handing the teller a small note that asked for one dollar. Just one dollar. After receiving his dollar, Mr. Verone sat down and waited for the police to arrive.

    Suffering from chronic health problems, Verone had recently lost his job as a delivery driver—and with it, his health insurance. As a result, he could not afford the medical care he needed to survive. He knew that in prison, he would receive the treatment he needed even without insurance, so he committed the robbery simply to stay alive. He was sentenced to one year in prison, during which he received life-saving treatment.

    A civilized country should never allow any of its citizens to become so desperate for medical care that they are forced to commit armed robbery just to survive. Charging people exorbitant amounts for the medications and treatments they need merely for profit is an insane injustice

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    Upstaged75
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "A civilized country should never allow any of its citizens to become so desperate for medical care that they are forced to commit armed robbery just to survive." I can't say it any better than this. Living in the US is so depressing most of the time.

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    #3

    Man pouring honey on a table at night with a bear approaching, showing strange and unusual moments in our world.

    A turkish bee keeper was tired of bears taking all of his bees honey.

    He’d tried every type of security system even putting the bees in cages.

    He instead decided to allow the bears to become taste testers.

    It turned out they were great candidates for this job as they had very specific and refined tastes for honey. They would come each night, and sniff the different honeys, before starting with their favorite one.

    He makes great money from this honey now. His top honey sells for $300 for 2 lbs.

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    Upstaged75
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I admit that I'd probably pay more for bear-approved honey 😁

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    Now that you’re here, it’s safe to say you’re someone who loves learning more about the world around you. But have you ever stopped to wonder why we’re curious in the first place? 

    It’s not just a cute personality trait—curiosity is woven into who we are, and it serves a bigger purpose than simply wanting to know things.

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    #4

    Young child reading a book beside a golden retriever on hay, capturing strange moments of our world with animals.

    In Finland, children read to dogs in libraries - and even to cows on farms - because the animals are calm, attentive listeners who help kids relax and concentrate, with organized programs run by the Finnish kennel club and participating municipalities

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    Gregory W
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This isn't exclusive to Finland, except for the cows.

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    #5

    Beehive-shaped ancient structure with cross-section diagram showing unique cooling system in strange world facts and stories.

    You can't store ice in a desert!
    Oh yes you can.
    The Persians could! Because they had the ingenious yakhchals, the ancient refrigerators!
    By 400 BCE, Persian engineers had mastered storing ice in the middle of the desert, in the middle of summer; Yakhchal or "Ice Pit" is an architectural method used to produce ice and preserve food.
    A yakchal was dome-shaped with thick brick and clay walls. This construction helped maintain a cold temperature inside the dome. During the winter, water was collected from rivers or melting snow Mountains. This water was directed to yakchals through canals and was distributed in small ponds or pools within the dome. During the night and the coldest hours of the day, the water would freeze due to the low desert temperatures at night. Once frozen, the ice was cut into pieces and stored in the lowest part of yakchal, where the temperature was colder.
    The shape of the dome ( often rising as tall as 60 feet tall) and the natural insulation of the walls (made out of a special mortar, composed of sand, clay, egg whites, lime, goat hair, and ash in specific proportions) helped keep the ice frozen for many months. During summer, the stored ice was used to cool drinks, preserve food, or even for medicinal purposes.
    In short, the yakchal took advantage of the natural cold of the desert night to create and maintain ice, using simple but effective storage techniques and thermal insulation.
    Simply genius!

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    #6

    King's Guard in traditional uniform kneeling and hugging a child, showing a rare compassionate moment in a strange world.

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    Cee Cee
    Community Member
    1 week ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This soldier was raised right. Child (Tom) has lost his parents in the crowds at the changing of the guard. Kid went straight to the guard.

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    At first glance, curiosity seems a little strange for humans to have. Biologically, we’re programmed to survive: eat, drink, reproduce, and avoid danger whenever possible.

    Venturing into the unknown doesn’t exactly fit into that plan. If every early human had an uncontrollable urge to wander into dark caves or reach out and touch every snake just to see what it felt like, our species probably wouldn’t have made it very far.

    And yet, we still feel that pull. On different levels, we want to learn and understand. It’s the same drive that led us to discover new continents, develop vaccines, map the ocean floor, and send rockets into space. So where does this curiosity come from?

    #7

    A strange flat-topped island surrounded by icy waters, illustrating unusual facts and stories about our world.

    The "war" between Denmark and Canada has been going on since 1984.

    The two countries, specifically Greenland and Canada (the Danes are deputies), are 'fighting' over a small, uninhabitable island called Hans Island.

    The war goes like this:

    In turns, both countries send their military to the small island in order to hoist their own flag, and to remove their counterpart's one. Over and over again.

    The Danes always leave a bottle of Danish liquor for the Canadians, and the Canadians leave a bottle of whiskey for the Danes.

    If that's not the right way to resolve a conflict, I don't know what is

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    chi-wei shen
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    On 14 June 2022 both countries agreed to split the disputed island roughly in half.

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    #8

    A low brick wall with oddly placed short black fences along a sidewalk in a strange urban setting.

    These London fences look so strange for a special reason.
    There are housing estates in London that have pretty ugly fences and you wonder who designed them.
    If you look closely, you'll see strange curved pipes around the edges.
    But they're actually good for something.
    Well. They were.
    These "fences" were once stretchers.
    During the war, when wounded were carried away, they were placed on these steel scaffolds.
    It wasn't comfortable and there was a lot of complaining about it.
    But it was easy to clean them and they were not so heavy because of the grids.
    After the war one had masses of such stretches, which were now useless.
    And since many fences were no longer available in London, because all available metal had somehow been misused for the war, they came up with a "recycling idea".
    And they built fences from the stretchers.
    The stretchers were placed on the curved poles on the ground.
    And so the London fences are silent monuments for us, which can admonish us not to let it come to that again.

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    amy lee
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The number of lives that fence must have saved and the number lost is something quite remarkable. I think this is what a monument should be.

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    #9

    Old stone floor with embedded animal paw prints revealing strange facts about our world’s history.

    Cat paw prints in the medieval floor tiles of the 12th century CE St Peter Church in Wormleighton, England.

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    There isn’t a single answer, but scientists have a few ideas. One group of psychologists believes curiosity comes from within, much like hunger or thirst. According to what’s called the drive theory, curiosity is an internal urge that needs to be satisfied. When we feel it, we look for something, new or familiar, that scratches that itch.

    It explains why we pick up a musical instrument or read about a topic we know nothing about. These things aren’t necessary for survival and could even lead to failure, but they feed that mental appetite.

    #10

    A bear inside a shop pawing at ice cream in a freezer, showing strange moments from our world.

    A bear broke into an ice cream shop in Tahoe and ate so much that he passed out on the floor. The shop had just released its new monthly flavor — honey — and locals loved it, but the biggest fan turned out to be this hungry bear.

    On only the second day of serving the new flavor, workers opened the shop to find tubs of honey ice cream completely empty and a large black bear lying on the floor, fast asleep after his feast.

    Wildlife officials were called. They carefully woke the bear and safely guided him out before moving him to a safer place far from town.

    Experts explained that bears have an incredible sense of smell — up to seven times stronger than a bloodhound’s — which helps them find food from miles away. It wasn’t surprising that the honey ice cream drew him straight inside.

    The local wildlife center paid for the ice cream, and when the shop owner was asked about it, he just laughed and said, “As long as someone’s paying, I hope he comes back — that’s the fastest we’ve ever sold out!”

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    Cee Cee
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Must have been a shock opening up that morning to find a huge bear snoring away. Great that the ice cream was paid for.

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    #11

    Yellow goby fish at the ocean floor interacting with a pistol shrimp, showcasing strange facts about our world.

    Shrimp and goby fish.

    The goby fish has much better vision and will stand guard, while the shrimp digs a hole for them.

    Then, at night, they both share that hole so that they are safer from predators.

    What amazes me is that this behavior became inbred in the species over time. The shrimp became less afraid of the fish and vice-a-versa. They just figured out, “We are better off together, than against.”

    If only more humans realized this

    StrangeThings Report

    #12

    Canadian five-dollar bill with a doodle transforming the portrait into a strange character, highlighting odd facts about our world.

    Canadian fans of the late Leonard Nimoy have angered the Bank of Canada by defacing their $5 notes in tribute to Mr Spock.

    The image of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, who was the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911, has long been altered to look like Nimoy’s iconic Star Trek character

    StrangeThings Report

    glowworm2
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's apparently called "Spocking".

    Major Harris
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    this is called "spocking the 5"

    Nova Rook
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Vulcan Alberta is a small town with a fun name.

    Cailyn B
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My brother just had a hockey tournament in Vulcan last weekend! I was surprised by all the start trek stuff there (I haven’t watched Star Trek, so I was a bit confused until someone explained lol)

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    Lee Gilliland
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He looks much better that way.

    Jnausicaa
    Community Member
    Premium
    6 days ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have a few fivers in my wallet. Time to get out a pen.

    Lotekguy
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I thought it was Bela Lugosi.

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    But the drive theory doesn’t explain why we become curious about specific things. That’s where the incongruity theory comes in. This idea suggests that curiosity kicks in when something doesn’t match our expectations about how the world works.

    We like predictability. So if something breaks the pattern, our brain demands answers. Imagine you’re reading this and you hear a strange noise in the other room. Most likely, you wouldn’t be able to ignore it. You’d try to investigate and figure out what happened. That instinct to investigate fits perfectly with incongruity theory.

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    #13

    Turkey vulture perched on wooden post showcasing strange features in facts and stories about our world.

    Oil and gas companies will sometimes use Turkey vultures to help spot gas leaks.

    Ethyl mercaptan is added to natural gas to help people smell when there is a gas leak (otherwise they often won’t know, making the leak potentially lethal). This smell is also emitted from a rotting carcass.

    Turkey Vultures happen to be very attuned to this smell. Natural gas company employees know to take note if they see a bunch of turkey vultures converged near one of their pipes or facilities because that usually means there is a leak somewhere.

    The vultures are probably confused, wondering where their dinner is when it is in fact just a metal pipe.

    It’s a rather clever, albeit indirect way of dispatching wildlife to help solve business needs.

    Vultures, aka “nature’s cleanup crew” are one of the more underappreciated animals.

    In nature, there is no malice and no remorse. And absolutely nothing goes to waste.

    StrangeThings Report

    Agfox
    Community Member
    1 week ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    TV doco in 3050, "Turkey Vultures have adapted overtime & developed claws capable of ripping open metal pipes"

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    #14

    Rows of eggs being sprayed with water in an automated factory line showing strange processes in our world facts.

    European vs. American way of dealing with eggs.

    As with most things, there are two approaches. American and European. One of them is clearly inferior and the other superior, again as per standard operating procedure.

    The Industrial egg washer.

    One major risk with egg consumption is the bacteria salmonella that is often present on eggs and can be dangerous if you eat undercooked eggs, as we all like to do on a daily or at least weekly basis, plus other bacteria that might penetrate inside. To that end Americans wash eggs thorughly, to remove anything that was in the chicken alongside the egg and remove bacteria. This works, but they also remove the protective coating on the egg that prevents bacteria from penetrating the pores on the shell. The egg isn’t contaminated when it leaves the factory, but something else could make its way inside quite quickly, so the egg needs to be refrigerated to prevent an infection.

    European approach is to vaccinate the chickens against salmonella and rely on the natural coating to protect the egg. These eggs don’t need refrigeration, but you also need to clean the chicken cages more often than Americans, because dirty eggs aren’t as appealing to the customer. The costs work out to be about the same in both cases.

    When it comes to food poisoning from eggs, the incidence in Europe is about one tenth that in America, which should provide a clue as to which approach is superior.

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    Jrog
    Community Member
    1 week ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    US health and safety standards when coming to food is generally far lower than the European counterparts. In the US meat butchering is done in ways that do not prevent fecal contamination from the animal's entrails, because it's faster, but that requires washing the meat with chlorine-based disinfectant, making it unsuitable for raw consumption. US chicken can be grown using antibiotics that accumulate in the meat, but are banned in the EU in favor of cleaner and more controlled environments. Raw milk in the USA in banned because it poses a significant health risk, while in Europe the risk is mitigated by better production standards and the milk can be used for cheese and such.

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    #15

    Three strange horned sheep standing close together in a grassy field showing how strange our world is.

    The Manx sheep.
    Is one of the few sheep breeds that can grow 4 horns! They are currently endangered.

    StrangeThings Report

    What scientists do agree on is that curiosity feels good for a reason. When we experience something new and enjoy it, our brain releases dopamine—the chemical linked to pleasure and reward, the same one that kicks in when we taste something delicious.

    That’s why discovering unfamiliar information feels satisfying and exciting, whether it’s wandering down a street you’ve never explored or finishing the last chapter of a book and finally finding out what happened to your favorite character.

    #16

    Reindeer with glowing antlers at night, showing strange and unusual facts from our world.

    “In Finland every year, about four thousand reindeer lose their lives on Finnish roads in car accidents, so they paint their antlers with reflective paint so drivers can see them at night.”

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    Manic Mama
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Have to confess, if I came around a bend and found a reindeer with glowing antlers, I'd probably crash the car simply from the shock.

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    #17

    Two tall trees in a forest connected by a horizontal branch, illustrating strange facts about our world.

    Inosculation is a natural phenomenon in which trunks, branches or roots of two trees grow together. It is biologically similar to grafting and such trees are referred to in forestry as gemels, from the Latin word meaning "a pair."

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    Fat Harry (Oi / You)
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Gemels, presumably, has the same root as "gemini", the twins.

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    #18

    Close-up of a dog’s nose showing a strange vertical line, illustrating unusual facts and stories about our world.

    Did you know that the small vertical line between a dog’s nose and upper lip has a function? It is called the philtrum, and it is not just a random feature.

    When a dog licks its lips, saliva gathers in that groove. Through a process called capillarization, the moisture moves upward to the nose and helps keep it damp.

    A moist nose is more effective at collecting and holding scent particles from the air. This plays a role in making a dog’s sense of smell highly sensitive.

    It is one of many examples of how animal anatomy supports survival and adaptation.

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    Cee Cee
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Humans too have a philtrum - the little dip beneath your nose.

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    Curiosity isn’t limited to humans either. Researchers have found that some birds carry a gene called Drd4, which influences dopamine receptors. Birds with a common variation of that gene are more likely to explore new areas or investigate unfamiliar objects.

    Rats wander into new parts of mazes without any promise of food, and primates in labs learn to open small windows in their enclosures just to peek at what’s happening outside. While that doesn’t mean animal curiosity functions exactly the same way ours does, the fact that it appears across species suggests it serves an important purpose.

    #19

    Venetian gondola floating over submerged wooden beams in clear water, showcasing strange and unique world facts.

    Beneath Venice, the historic structures rest on thousands of wooden piles, mostly oak and fir, driven into the lagoon bed.

    Although it may seem strange to build on logs submerged in water, this engineering method has proven to be extraordinarily effective. The brackish water, devoid of oxygen, prevents the wood from rotting, while its constant contact with the water helps to harden it over time, transforming it into a stone-like material.

    This system has allowed Venetian palaces to maintain their stability for more than 2,000 years

    StrangeThings Report

    marianne eliza
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To clarify, the logs/pilings were driven in right next to each other, making a building platform. Forcing the pilings into the ground compacted the waterlogged soils and make for a great foundation for all those huge stone buildings.

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    #20

    Person in protective gear pouring chemical in a smoky room, illustrating strange facts about our world’s unusual moments.

    Some people think Hydrofluoric acid is the king because of Breaking bad.
    It's a lie told by Hollywood!
    Jesse dumps a body in a bathtub, the floor dissolves.
    It was a messy thing - but was also nonsense.
    Hydrofluoric acid is a mean nasty thing. But it is weak - chemically.
    It is a thing that does not dissociate enough to eat a man whole. It just pickles him - If you really need to get rid of the evidence, you want Hydrochloric acid.
    The stomach uses a weak version to digest steak.
    In high amounts the thing becomes a weapon - It eats the calcium in bones and breaks down the proteins - It turns a person into sludge.
    But it takes days, not minutes and reeks bad - You have to stir it, like soup.
    It is not a thing of magic - It is only chemistry - The business is slow, wet, gruesome work.

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    Upstaged75
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Probably a lie told so a bunch of idiots didn't go and try it out for themselves!

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    #21

    Several people sitting on the back of a crowded pickup truck showing strange and unusual facts of our world.

    Schrodinger's people

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    Mike Beck
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I tense up every time I see this photo.

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    So why are some people more curious while others hold back? Is it all down to genetics, the way it can be in certain birds? Not quite. A more recent study suggests that curiosity also depends on life circumstances.

    People who feel safe, stable, and financially secure tend to explore and seek new experiences more freely. But someone dealing with stress, scarcity, or instability is less likely to take risks, because even harmless curiosity can feel unsafe when survival is the priority.

    #22

    Group of people standing near a dining table and a woman speaking, illustrating strange facts and stories about our world.

    A man in China, identified only as Mr. Liu, had a blind date.

    Having set up this blind date through a matchmaker, Mr. Liu was quite eager to meet the lady. Only to find out, to his great dismay, that she did not come alone — she had brought along 23 of her relatives to the restaurant.It was a fairly high-end restaurant too, making things worse…

    The woman’s relatives kept on ordering more and more food, cigarettes and countless expensive beverages, as the bill kept increasing… Mr. Liu, desperate at the insanity of the situation and helpless to do anything about it, was stressed out and overwhelmed. When the bill came in, it was nearly 20,000 Yuan ( approximately $2,800!) and he was completely flabbergasted. He immediately informed the crazy lady and her family that he would NOT be settling the bill and that she and her family would have to figure out how to pay the amount among themselves…

    The woman eventually SUED Mr. Liu, trying to get him to pay back the entire amount. The court, mercifully, ruled in Liu’s favor and had him pay for only the food and drinks he and his date consumed, leaving the bulk of the bill to the woman’s family. But yes, this is the worst thing you could ever do on a date — you never, EVER, bring other people on the date unannounced and expect your date to foot the bill.

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    Mik
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Aha 'the worst thing' *cough* r@pe *cough* mur der *cough* trying to steal a lot of money is horrible too, afraid it's not the worst thing though

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    #23

    Man walking alone on a long road in a rural area, illustrating strange and unusual facts of our world.

    After qualifying for the 5000m Olympic trials in 1928, black athlete Dolphus Stroud had to make his way to Boston on his own. He walked, ran, and hitch-hiked for 12 days, arriving just 6 hours before his race.
    Exhausted and malnourished, he collapsed on the 6th lap.
    In June 1928, Stroud won the 5,000 metre Rocky Mountain regional Olympic qualifier. He expected the organizers to cover his transportation costs to Boston for the 1928 United States Olympic trials. After winning, he was informed that they would not be covering his expenses, alleging that he did not approach the previous record, which was a requirement.It was speculated that this may have been an excuse the organizers invented to prevent a Black man from riding on a bus with white athletes. After being declined funding, Stroud walked, ran, and hitchhiked for 12 days over the course of 1,765 miles.He departed at 4 a.m., wielding a "Denver to Olympia" sign, $10, a backpack, water, and a golf club for protection. Initially, the streets were desolate—he reported sometimes walking 20 miles without seeing another car—but coverage in the Chicago Daily News led to an increase in pickups.He ultimately arrived six hours before the start of his race. Due to malnutrition and exhaustion he was unable to complete the race, collapsing on his sixth lap

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    #24

    Unique sand formation shaped like a dragon's head on a beach illustrating strange facts about our world.

    When lightning strikes sand, it often creates a fulgurite.

    It melts all of the silica and then fuses it into glass—even though it doesn’t quite look like glass.

    Scientists often refer to it as “frozen lightning”.

    StrangeThings Report

    Jrog
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is one type of fulgurite. The other type happens when the lightning strikes a rock, that melts and vitrifies.

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    So hopefully you pandas are in a place where you can indulge your curiosity, even if it’s just picking up a few unusual facts online or taking a walk through a neighborhood you’ve never explored. There’s a whole world to discover, and if there’s one thing curiosity does best, it’s leading us somewhere interesting.

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    #25

    Microscopic images showing unusual crystal patterns representing sadness, happiness, and onions in strange world facts.

    Microscopic view of tears. The left one is tears of grief, the middle is of happiness and lastly tears from onions.

    Your eyes produce three types of tears: basal tears, reflex tears and emotional tears. Each type has a different function.

    Basal tears. Basal tears are responsible for keeping your eyes lubricated. Your eyes constantly release small quantities of them to nourish and protect your corneas. They’re baseline tears that are present all the time and should never leave your eye. Basal tears help keep dirt and debris washed away from your eyes. They also help you see clearly.

    Reflex tears. Physical triggers cause reflex tears to form. They help wash away harmful irritants like dust, smoke or onion fumes. Reflex tears contain antibodies to help fight bacteria.

    Emotional tears. Strong emotions like sadness, joy or grief cause your body to produce emotional tears. Scientists are still studying the exact purpose of emotional tears, but they may help release stress hormones and promote social bonding

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    Blue Bunny of Happiness
    Community Member
    1 week ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Apparently, I was crying as a child and told my mum that they were real salty tears, not crocodile ones!

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    #26

    Man in historical clothing leaning over a table with a mouse in a glass jar, illustrating strange facts about our world.

    In 1774, Joseph Priestley, theologian and scientist, performed a curious experiment:

    - He placed a lit candle and a mouse under a glass jar: both went extinct shortly after.

    Priestley wondered what would happen if he added a plant to that same jar. He chose a mint plant, placed it in the jar with the mouse and the candle, and waited. To his surprise, the mouse survived, and the candle stayed lit longer.

    He had discovered that plants "restored" stale air, and at the time, when the composition of air was unknown, he called it "dephlogisticated air." In fact, he had discovered oxygen! (O2).

    And the phenomenon he was observing was photosynthesis, the process by which plants produce oxygen from light and carbon dioxide.

    Finally, in 1779, Jan Ingenhousz discovered photosynthesis, when he showed that plants need sunlight to produce their food, releasing oxygen in the process and using carbon dioxide and water. His experiments were fundamental to understanding that plants not only needed soil and water, but also light to grow and live.

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    Linda van A.
    Community Member
    1 week ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What kind of character does it take to watch a mouse die under a glass jar?

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    #27

    Close-up images of strange animal mouths with unusual human-like teeth, illustrating facts and stories about our world.

    The Sheepshead, a name that evokes a sheep more than a marine predator, is actually a real fish, far from a figment of imagination.
    It inhabits the waters of the Atlantic and can reach considerable sizes, up to 76 centimeters. But what makes it truly unique is its teeth: strikingly human-like incisors, followed by a set of molars arranged in three upper rows and two lower rows, all covered in enamel like a primate's mouth. This anatomy is not only bizarre, but functional: the Sheepshead feeds on crustaceans and mollusks, and those teeth are used to crush shells and carapaces with surgical precision. Despite its vaguely disturbing appearance, it is not an aggressive fish. Its dorsal spines can inflict painful stings if handled lightly, and a bite may hurt, but is not dangerous. In essence, it's a perfect example of how evolution can create creatures that look like they came out of a lab, but are simply the result of millions of years of adaptation

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    frinny
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm british, it has much better teeth than me!

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    #28

    Cars plugged into outdoor electric heaters in a snowy parking lot, illustrating strange facts about our world.

    In Canada they plug in the vehicles in the winter.. These are not electric cars. But have a block heater. If the temperature falls below -20c your vehicle simply won’t start without “being plugged in” as your battery is too cold. Here in the Canadian Prarries (Manitoba) it can easily get to -40c and if your not plugged in…
    “Your Gonna need a Boost”
    Most employers will supply plugins in their parking stalls for their employees as after a 8 hour shift sitting in -25c to -40c their vehicles won’t start unless plugged in
    This was the temperature reading outside a typical vehicle last winter… no way was this vehicle going to start if I wasn’t “plugged in” that morning.

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    #29

    X-ray image of a foot inside a high heel shoe illustrating strange facts about the human body and world.

    This X-ray shows the position of a foot when wearing a high-heeled shoe.

    High heels may enhance a woman's beauty, but human biology teaches us that the body is not adapted to this accessory. Therefore, overusing high heels can cause severe problems due to the improper biomechanical stress placed on the entire body.

    Wearing high heels forces the foot to be on its toes for extended periods. This causes the muscles to adapt to this position with a shortened length, and in fact, muscle shortening of the triceps surae (gastrocnemius and soleus) and plantar muscles has been demonstrated as a result of this posture. In the long run, this can lead to pain in the back of the knee.

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    Zig Zag Wanderer
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just try doing ballet if you want to see deformed feet

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    #30

    Portrait of a person with a hairy face holding a letter, illustrating strange facts and stories about our world.

    Portrait of Antonietta Gonsalvus (1593) by Lavinia Fontana.

    How many women out there have felt that they were too hairy to exist in a smooth-skinned world of constant razor advertisements? As in, the sight of your leg hair has caused you great dismay and discomfort? Imagine that everyday, but times a million and on your face.

    This is what life was like for Antonietta Gonzalez and her hairy sisters, who stunned and puzzled 16th century observers with their rare and unique genetic condition: hypertrichosis, or werewolf syndrome. An excessive growth of hair about the face and body, of which only 50 congenital cases have been recorded since the Middle Ages.

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    Stephanie Did It
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For a fascinating read, Google Julia Pastrana's life as a hirsute woman.

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    #31

    Train entering a building in a crowded city, illustrating strange facts and unusual scenes from our world.

    The train station that runs through a residential building.

    This station is unique in that it is located on the sixth to eighth floors of a 19-story residential building, with the monorail trains going through the middle of the building. It uses specialized noise reduction equipment to isolate station noise from the surrounding residence.

    Contrary to some misreporting, the station and building were actually constructed together as one whole structure, and the monorail was not retrofitted through the middle of an existing structure.

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    #32

    Unusual long slide with a loop in a park, showcasing one of the strange facts and stories about our world.

    In 1985, the infamous Action Park in New Jersey, USA, built this waterslide with a loop at the end. It was only open for one month before shutting down due to many injuries. Kids were coming out with scratches and cuts all over them. Sand, and rocks and was piling up at the bottom of the loop .Water pressure was not enough to wash all the way through .

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    Upstaged75
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's why they called it Class Action Park. People actually died there. There's a Netflix documentary about the park that's pretty good.

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    #33

    Two slices of bright green bread on a kitchen counter, showing strange and unusual food appearance.

    In Malaysia they have a fragrant leaf called pandan, which they use to flavor bread. It also gives the bread this green colour.

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    #34

    Woman with closed eyes speaking indoors, illustrating unusual and strange facts about our world in a casual setting.

    Jewel Shuping was born with perfectly good eyes.

    But since being a child, she was obsessed with becoming blind. It was all she wanted.

    In 2006, she said a psychologist poured drain cleaner into her eyes, completely blinding her (this part isn’t verified but she is indeed blind now). My guess is she did it to herself.

    She has Body Integrity Identity Disorder. It’s a rare condition where people who are born healthy believe they are supposed to be disabled. They don’t usually understand why they feel this impulse but they do. Some people with it have gone so far as to amputate limbs.

    Jewel’s decision to blind herself ruined her relationship with her mother and sister.

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    Norfolk and good
    Community Member
    1 week ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There was a man in the UK who was sent to prison for fraud earlier this year. He had submerged his legs in dry ice so that they needed to be amputated. He did it partly for the insurance money, but he probably also had body integrity identity disorder and a s3xual interest in amputations. To make it worse, he was a vascular surgeon and there were concerns that he may have convinced some of his former patients that they needed healthy limbs removed.

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    #35

    Vintage drawing of a man using an unusual device to interact with a woman, highlighting strange facts of our world.

    Back in Victorian times, shoe fitters used this device to fit a woman’s shoe on.

    They used this so that the fitter couldn’t see up the woman’s dress or make eye contact with her during the interaction.

    The whole contraption feels a bit over complicated, but is interesting nonetheless.

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    Jrog
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is just a patent drawing for a product that had no actual diffusion. The caption is BS.

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    #36

    Man riding a homemade goat-powered vehicle in a black and white photo showing strange facts of our world

    The Goatmobile.

    An American farmer demonstrates his Goatmobile.

    The vehicle is powered by a goat, which is in a running wheel.

    The vehicle could reach speeds around 12MPH.

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    #37

    Basket of unusually burnt bread rolls showing strange and unexpected facts about our world.

    "Well fired" rolls (bread) are a Scottish delicacy, specifically Glasgow rolls, that are intentionally baked longer at a high temperature to achieve a dark, sometimes slightly burnt-looking crust. The result is a roll that is airy and chewy on the inside, but with a more intense, robust flavor from the well-baked top. Some bakeries now market this "well fired" quality as a distinct product, though traditionally they may have been a cheap or discarded byproduct of the baking process.

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    Hugo
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm sure the burnt parts are carcinogenic.

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    #38

    Close-up images of unusually shaped fingers and nails, highlighting strange facts about our world’s human diversity.

    Clara was 52 years old and had noticed for years that her nails were a little different. They were rounded, rounded, like upside-down spoons. She even joked with her friends that she had "artist's nails."

    Because they caught her attention. They never hurt, they never changed color, so she thought they were just “just the way she was.”

    She lived a quiet life. She was an elementary school teacher, an occasional smoker, and had stopped getting checkups years ago. “I feel fine,” she said. Only lately she was feeling more fatigued when climbing stairs, had a dry cough that wouldn't go away, and woke up a bit sweaty at night. But she attributed it to stress.

    One day, while grading exams, she fainted. She woke up in hospital. The first thing the doctor noticed were her fingers: obvious clubbing. While running tests, the real shock came: an X-ray showed a mass in the upper lobe of her left lung. The CT scan confirmed the suspicion: advanced pulmonary adenocarcinoma with pleural metastasis.

    She never considered that her nails, which she considered “part of her identity,” were actually a sign of hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy, a paraneoplastic manifestation common in some lung cancers.

    Her friends still remember her smile… and her fingers. Today, one of them checks her nails more closely

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    Panda McPandaface
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy, a paraneoplastic manifestation common in some lung cancers." Why did she never think of that? I mean it's the first thing that popped into my mind.

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    #39

    Group of people wearing masks and "Googler Against" shirts sitting indoors, highlighting strange world facts and stories.

    In 2024, 28 Google employees went to the Google CEO’s office and said that Google should cancel all its contracts with Israel, otherwise they would sit in the office and protest until the contracts were canceled.

    Google immediately not only fired all 28 employees, but also seized all their benefits such as gratuity, etc. Charges of breaching service contracts and indiscipline were filed against them, and serious criminal charges were lodged in any way possible.

    Now all these 28 employees are apologizing, saying that they made a mistake and should be forgiven. And Google has written a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor stating that the H1B visas given to these employees are being canceled and they should be deported back to their countries.

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    David
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    it wasnt over their complaint about Israel contracts, but rather in their protest, they violated multiple rules about workplace conduct, as well as they used a chant that violated Google's hate rules. Others protested but didnt break the rules or use hateful language.

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    #40

    Traffic lights showing gender symbols in green, illustrating strange facts and images that show how unusual our world is.

    "Transgender traffic lights" refer to pedestrian crossing signals that display transgender symbols and other LGBTQ+ icons, rather than the traditional green and red figures. These symbolic lights were installed in several locations, notably in London and Manchester, England, to show support for the LGBTQ+ community, especially during Pride parades.

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    Lyone Fein
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These lights aren’t trans. They’re gayy.

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