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“The Average Number Of Human Skeletons Inside The Human Body Isn’t 1”: 30 Facts That Sound Fake But Are True, As Shared Online
One of the main reasons the internet was created (probably, it sure turned out that way) is so that people could waste their time, disconnecting from reality and enjoying something more trivial. Like fun facts.
If you’re in this camp, then you’re also in luck as the internet has provided again, this time around giving folks facts that sound fake but are absolutely true.
Scroll down to find the best submissions from this thread and vote on the ones you find most fascinating. Or most anything, really.
More Info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
ScorpionX-123 said:
Fred Astaire had a life membership in the National Skateboard Society and broke his left wrist skateboarding at 78.
_austinm replied:
Was he skating down Astaire?
rush87y replied:
I'm a Fred so.
April 2 years ago
It is true, I googled it. But I agree that this is written in a way that makes it seem like it's just a joke.
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#2
_Light_The_Way said:
Hippos kill at least 500 people a year.
things_most_foul replied:
I’ve traveled a bit. The only time I’ve seen locals get scared of wildlife was in the Okavango Delta when we encountered a pair of Hippo ears sticking out of the water.
MC936 replied:
We were out there camping years ago, it was absolutely stunning. Not a cloud in the sky, hundreds of miles away from any major light pollution and I still haven't made peace with the fact that I'll probably never see the night sky like that again. Went to bed, woke up needing to pee later on. Got my boots on and headtorch, unzipped the tent and was face to face with an adult hippo about 10-12ft away.. didn't need to pee after that, went back to bed and tried to ignore what I saw.
and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 2 years ago
The babies teethe on crocodiles, and they know they can’t do s**t about it with mama watching
Load More Replies... Jen Mart 2 years ago
Pablo Escobares hippos are thriving wild in Colombia . A very large invasive species
Mojo Flizash 2 years ago
That story is nuts. It makes me giggle a little because of how preposterous it sounds.
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Cara G 2 years ago
I read once that what makes hippos (phone wanted to type "hippies" LOL) so deadly is their unparalleled endurance. While they are not the fastest runners, they are able to run for extremely long distances without stopping. A hippo can outrun a cheetah simply because the cheetah will need to stop while the hippo will not, therefore they are almost always able to catch up with whatever they are chasing. And once they do it's game over.
RedMarbles 2 years ago
Also, even if you suffer a bite that wouldn't otherwise be fatal, their mouths are so full of dangerous bacteria that they don't even close a hippo bite wound until they're really sure there is no infection. And of course being bitten by something with a mouth that large and powerful is unlikely to leave you whole in the first place.
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two-sided llama 2 years ago
once i was on vacation in south africa because of a freind's wedding and we stayed at a hotel whiuch we had to go inside at night because the hippos come at night. i woke up to a baby hippo trying to get into our cabin
SkyBlueandBlack 2 years ago
And ol' Walt wanted to have real hippos in the Jungle Cruise. I mean, the pirates might not eat the tourists (which I still think is a bit of a shame), but can you imagine?
Ozymandias73 2 years ago
"Tried to ignore what I saw"???? Maaaaaan, there's no way I'd be able to just crawl in my tent and go back to sleep knowing there's a water tank that close to my tent!
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 2 years ago
I want to know what the hippo was doing that was so disturbing.
#3
Robinkc1 said:
1/8 pregnancies end in miscarriage.
Edit: You guys keep messaging me with 1/4, 1/3, and a bunch of other numbers so let me clarify… 1/8 of known pregnancies end in a miscarriage. When you factor in unknown, it goes up. There are articles and studies done that can articulate that better than I can, but anyone who is messaging me with nothing more than a number? Feel free to argue amongst yourselves.
twinkedgelord replied:
Technically it's more. A woman in her fertile years having regular unprotected sex with someone who can impregnate her is going to have multiple miscarriages. It's relatively common for fertilised eggs to go away with menstruation.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN CONTRACEPTION IS OPTIONAL. WRAP IT UP.
Andy Frobig 2 years ago
And in some places, women are being prosecuted for having miscarriages
WonderWoman 2 years ago
Only in places where ignorant men are in charge of women's reproduction.
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boone williams 2 years ago
If miscarriages are "God's will," then technically, God is the world's most prolific abortion provider. You're welcome.
David McLean 2 years ago
It’s not God’s will people are just trying to make whoever is hurting feel better but it’s not a good thing to say
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Black Rabbit 2 years ago
Contraception is optional. You aren’t required to use it because this isn’t a göddamn authoritarian world. But you better be prepared for the consequences of your choices.
Panda Kicki 2 years ago
If the fertilised egg goes out with menstuation it isnt tecnically a misscarriage as it never implanted. (second part of post) If we count all fertilized eggs that didnt implant we will have much higher numbers.
#4
fantawillrule said:
Adding salt to pineapple makes it taste sweeter, gonna try this because i just learned this and I don’t like pineapple so maybe I’ll like it if it’s sweeter.
sbarto replied:
I put salt on watermelon. It really does enhance the taste.
pumfr replied:
Salt on watermelon is good, but salt on cantaloupe (or muskmelon) is AMAZING.
SeeYouSpaceCowboy--- replied:
This is why prosciutto and melon is an insanely good combo.
TJeffersonsBlackKid replied:
I put lemon juice on watermelon. Changed me life.
Mister Dave 2 years ago
I always add a little salt to my salt. It really brings the saltiness to the fore.
Bec 2 years ago
Freeze some watermelon chunks then toss in a blender with some lime for a refreshing summer drink
White Sauce Hot Sauce 2 years ago
For the adults in the room, try salted watermelon juice mixed with raspberry vodka.
#5
Confident-Juice-7 said:
The average number of human skeletons inside the human body isn't 1.
BlueBabyCat666 replied:
That thought makes me uncomfortable for some reason. Ik this is because of pregnancies but still, creepy fact lol.
Triceracops0115 replied:
Think about those people that find out later in life they partially absorbed a twin in the womb.
moonpie269 repliedL
"I now have the power of a grown man and an infant"
OrangutanBeard replied:
There are also people who are born missing bones, or who have lost them in accidents. Technically, they don't have a complete skeleton.
EmBree 2 years ago
My sister works as a nurse and kept buying new shoes because her feet hurt all the time. She thought it was because she walks a lot at work and that she would be fine once she found the right type. One of the Dr's told her to get it checked out and it turns out she has extra bones in her feet. The bones are not connected to anything but they move around when she walks and cause the pain.
Vikylein 2 years ago
I was born without a third metatarsal in one of my toes... May be I can have one of your sister's extra bones?
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Libstak 2 years ago (edited)
I think that average is inflated by number of active pregnancies in the population on any given day too, so even without absorbed twins etc the average could never be one.
Andy Frobig 2 years ago
That's how I interpreted the fact from the second I laid eyes on it
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Duckie Measles 2 years ago
Just let a relative who is currently expecting twins know that she has 3 skeletons inside of her body.
Hetal Vyas 2 years ago
When my feet start hurting, it's usually because my toenails are too long
ShellsBells 2 years ago
Do you think the photographer was actually smiling in their X-Ray, or it's just what X-Rays do? I think they are smiling.
Ozymandias73 2 years ago
To add to the last comment by OrangutanBeard, there are also those who were born with extra bones/appendages/etc as well.
#6
algomasuperior said:
Men are seven times more likely to leave their partner after their partner is diagnosed with cancer than women are.
Dizzy-Ad2333 replied:
Check if this was true and it is. source I want to emphasize that most people – regardless of gender – do not leave their partners when they get sick.
MattieShoes replied:
1 in 5 vs 1 in 34... Pretty stark difference.
weednumberhaha replied:
To be more precise, that study reported:
"Women composed 53% of the patient population. Divorce or separation occurred at a rate similar to that reported in the literature (11.6%). There was, however, a greater than 6-fold increase in risk after diagnosis when the affected spouse was the woman (20.8% vs 2.9%; P < .001). Female gender was found to be the strongest predictor of separation or divorce in each cohort. Marriage duration at the time of illness was also correlated with separation among brain tumor patients (P = .0001). Patients with brain tumors who were divorced or separated were more likely to be hospitalized, and less likely to participate in a clinical trial, receive multiple treatment regimens, complete cranial irradiation, or die at home (P < .0001)."
In plain English, there's seemingly a ~80% chance of staying together when the sick partner is a woman, but the chances of staying together improve to ~97% when the sick partner is a man. Ughhhhhhhhhhh
Lakota Wolf 2 years ago (edited)
My dad had an accident when I was 18. Catastrophic brain damage resulting in near-total disability (he was bedridden, had to have a feeding tube, and had to wear diapers.) My mom chose to take care of him at home. My sister and I both were pressured into staying living at home to help. I never moved out, got married, etc. I’m 41 now and my dad died in 2021 after 21 years of being near-vegetative. My sister and I lost our entire youth to taking care of my dad. I loved him a ton, but man, it did suck. My mom whines that she “lost so much of her life” and it takes everything I have to not scream at her that I lost my entire 20s and 30s to being my dad’s caregiver and it was HER choice.
Jennifer Clayton 2 years ago
I have that old sob story of becoming disabled and my husband left me. No doubt, he was an abusive a*****e during the lead up to the end. But I know that while this disability destroyed my life, honestly, only one of us was capable of escaping. Still hate him, but sometimes I think a person has to evaluate the sacrifice and decide if their one life to live is worth all that. When one person is in a deep hole with no way out, sometimes it's right to jump in after them if you love them that much. And sometimes that sacrifice is too great and you realize two people in a proverbial prison is worse than just one.
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Two_rolling_black_eyes 2 years ago
One would think there's a deep seated societal bias for women to be the caregiver in a relationship.
Sonja 2 years ago
There's that statistic about the uneven distribution of responsibility and homebuilding that says that women still take on more household duties and more emotional load in relationships. So this isn't exactly surprising to me. Men don't step up while nothing happens besides the usual everyday routine and don't see what needs to be done until told. So what expectation can be held for them to step up when things become difficult? A man who can't even empty the dishwasher without being promoted will not be able to juggle anything bigger when the need arise. If they fixate only on the things you tell them to do and never show initiative, it's unreasonable to assume they'll suddenly see what needs to be done and have the tenacity to stand by you when their manager falls sick and can no longer tell them what needs to be done
Mimi M 2 years ago
Good points. But still, let's give a shout-out to the 80 percent of men and 97 percent of women who stay and care for their loved one.
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Saint Tim the Godless 2 years ago
That prick Newt Gingrich ditched his wife when she had cancer. Classic "family values" there.
Janet Wheat 2 years ago
The statistics for divorce after having a child with disabilities are probably worse
Ray McArdle 2 years ago
My vice-president (AKA the $800,000 man) left his wife when she got cancer. He then married a colleague who's had so much plastic surgery you can readily tell even if you're meeting her for the first time. I don't know if the first wife survived the cancer, but at least, he earns enough money to pay alimony and the plastic surgery. It's also well known that another vice president previously slept with the new wife to help advance her career.
The Original Bruno 2 years ago
... and yet the myth persists that 50% of married people will get divorced. (The germ of this myth is that shortly after no-fault divorce laws were passed, there was also a collapse in marriages. Briefly, the number of divorces was 50% of the number of marriages. The number of divorces is now 1/3 the number of marriages. And a surprising portion of those divorces are repeat-divorcers.
#7
bolivar-shagnasty said:
The Tyrannosaurus rex lived closer in time to the founding of Waffle House than it did to Stegosaurus.
You guys can stop with the Cleopatra pyramids fact. It’s been done to death. Might even say it’s extinct.
valtl replied:
A picture with a T-rex riding a scooter while holding an iPhone is more accurate than him fighting a Stegosaurus.
baconmaverick replied:
Based on your comment and the one that you replied to I'm starting to think my Christmas sweater of Santa riding a stegosaurus might not be historically accurate.
AtDawnWeDEUSVULT replied:
No, Santa is eternal. Who do you think brought presents to the little stego's on Christmas??
the cat overlord 2 years ago
santa isnt eternal, the one that delivered the presents was santasaurus!
Ellie 2 years ago
The idea of baby Stegos opening presents on Christmas just about did me in, don't start with Santasaurus 😭
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Andy Frobig 2 years ago
So if a T Rex gets in a fight in a Waffle House at 3 AM, it won't be with a stegosaurus
boone williams 2 years ago
St. Nicholas was absolutely real, got in fistfights with other clergy over the nature of the Trinity, and helped compose the Nicene Creed on which most of modern Christian belief is based
Giles McArdell 2 years ago
I feel this fact is only useful to T-Rex's trying to save fuel in their time-machine when going for a snack.
Black Rabbit 2 years ago
Santa delivers gifts to all the good boys and girls, regardless of their species.
#8
Gubble_Buppie said:
A man, Michel Lotito, ATE an entire airplane. It took him 2 years.
dolly241 replied:
His parents, feeding him as a baby: Here comes the airplane!
Michel Lotito: challenge accepted
BrisklyBrusque replied:
“Lotito holds the record for the 'strangest diet' in the Guinness Book of Records. He was awarded a brass plaque by the publishers to commemorate his abilities. He devoured his award.” 💀
Lakota Wolf 2 years ago
“He had an eating disorder known as pica, which is a psychological disorder characterised by an appetite for substances that are largely non-nutritive. Doctors determined that Lotito also had a thick lining in his stomach and intestines which allowed his consumption of sharp metal without suffering injury. Lotito also had digestive juices that were unusually powerful, meaning that he could digest the unusual materials.”
Stephanie Barr 2 years ago
My son has pica (and is on the spectrum, non-verbal). He managed to squeak through relatively unharmed until he turned 18. Since then (18 months) he's had fourteen surgeries and lost a sizeable portion of his digestive track from the wide array of dangerous things he's swallowed. His prognosis, if we can't stop him--and we can't, technically, short of locking him into a straight jacket or wiring his jaw shut--is not good.
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TheDivineMsM 2 years ago
I love how Wikipedia says he died at age 57 of natural causes. BS. That dude probably doed from eating an entire plane over 2 years.
Demosthenes 2 years ago
This guy had nothing on Tarrare, that dude ate EVERYTHING: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarrare
#9
Ok_Security_8657 said:
10th US President John Tyler, who was born in 1790, currently has a living grandson.
PCoda replied:
"Born in 1928, Harrison Ruffin Tyler is currently ninety-four years old, and resides in the enduring homeland of the Tyler clan – the state of Virginia. Apr 10, 2023"
[...]
"Tyler’s first wife Letitia died while he was in office in 1842. She was the first presidential spouse out of three who would die in the White House. Two years later in 1844 when Tyler was 54 he married Julia Gardiner and had seven children with her, one of which being Lyon Gardiner Tyler (1853-1935). Lyon was born when Tyler was 63.[...] Lyon also had a child at an unreasonably old age; after his first wife Anne died in 1921, Lyon married Sue Ruffin who was thirty-five years his junior. In 1928 when Lyon was 75, Sue gave birth to Harrison Ruffin Tyler, who lives to this day."
I'll be damned.
Richard Graham 2 years ago
Tyler was also the first President born in the United States. (All presidents before Tyler were born before the U.S. was created; thus, they were born in the British Colonies.)
ShellsBells 2 years ago
My great grandmother was born before the Civil War. I'm a product of older people having children. My dad was almost 50 and he's 93 years old now. Sheiße, I'm telling my age 😲.
two-sided llama 2 years ago
i did a report on John Tyler before and my teacher didn't believe me when i said this
Trophy Husband 2 years ago
I'm not impressed by people who marry someone 30 years younger than them and then their child makes someone 35 years younger than him.
Ken Beattie 2 years ago
Well technically he doesn't. His grandad is dead after all.
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J 2 years ago
2020. It was their daughter who was handicapped. She got it after her mother died. https://gizmodo.com/this-is-the-drug-in-the-rolling-stones-song-mothers-li-1693032181
Load More Replies... #10
Raccoonisms said:
Martin Luther king jr and Anne Frank were the same age. King just lived longer. (Timelines f me up).
ducksinthepool replied:
So was Bob Newhart, and he’s still alive. It’s wild that these historical figures still could be alive today.
TheNorselord replied:
One might argue that if Anne Frank was alive today, she wouldn’t have been a historical figure.
DrunkOnRedCordial replied:
She would always have been a talented writer, and she would have had an amazing story, even as a survivor. So maybe not an iconic figure, but she still could have made a name for herself.
Richard Graham 2 years ago
Both Dr. King and Anne Frank were born in 1929. Also born that year were Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Grace Kelly, Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Bob Newhart, Berry Gordy Jr., Max von Sydow, Buck Owens, and architect Frank Gehry. All of these people seem to exist in different time epochs, yet were born in the same year.
Shelli Aderman 2 years ago
Bob Newhart is always one of those where I say to myself, “is he still alive?” There’s a few that defy the odds in my mind.
Chewie Baron 2 years ago
Queen Elizabeth II, Marilyn Monroe and Sir David Attenborough were all born within a few weeks of each other.
Michael Largey 2 years ago
If she had survived, Anne Frank could well have grown up to be a famous literary figure.
Ken Beattie 2 years ago
Sad to say, but sometimes famous people dying young means they remain unimpeachable. They don't get 20, 30, 50 more years to F* up their legacy. Look at people like Cosby or Rolf Harris. If they'd died young they'd still be viewed as maybe not heroes but great entertainers and comedians. Would Kennedy be the hero he is considered to be if he'd served his full term and kept doing what he was doing?
Lakota Wolf 2 years ago
There’s a time and place for puns. Puns based on people who were murdered are not exactly appropriate, IMO.
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#11
ThingFromEarth said:
The reason there's not a lot of Egyptian mummy's is because the British elite ate them in the early 1800s due to a misunderstanding that eating them had healing properties.
Known-Pop-8355 replied:
Not just eat them, but they would also mix parts with their beauty creams, makeup and other medicines and etc. it was INSANE.
Voynichmanuscript408
They made a specific color of paint with it to replied:
MrsMalvora replied:
And had mummy unwrapping parties.
whaletacochamp replied:
Sometimes when I’m putting together some mediocre ass party I think about all the ABSURD parties that have happened throughout history and get a little sad. Like my party will never be as wild as a mummy unwrapping party.
Voynichmanuscript408 replied:
Hopefully less curses being unleashed at your parties.
Your Local Forza Enthusiast 2 years ago
So people in England just used to eat 3,400 year old human flesh, mix mummy body parts into their beauty supplies, and overall just destroy these pieces of human history? What the actual fūck was going down in the Victorian era?!
Markus Holstein 2 years ago
those were not mummies of pharaos, but of regular Egyptian schmucks, and they were so abundand in the Egyptian desert that they fired the first trains with them because they were cheaper than coal
Load More Replies... Laura Binns 2 years ago
And this is why it's better to get cremated than buried. Stops people digging you up at some point in the future for their dinner.
#12
Alfith replied:
Wombat poop is square.
Otherwise_Window replied:
Cubic, actually. They poo in three dimensions.
Ok_Time8560 replied:
We all poop in three dimensions but some of us never truly live.
bottomless.abyss.of.bordem 2 years ago
I'm gonna need a source on this one. Or maybe we can just have a dumb off. Guarantee the wombat will win tho because they won't be talking about how smart they are while doing dumb s**t!
Load More Replies... #13
LlhamaPaluza said:
That the last execution by guillotine in France was in 1977 the same year that Star Wars premiered on movie theathers.
OldMastodon5363 replied:
Hopefully he got to see Star Wars before being guillotined.
thesystem21 replied:
And was witnessed by sir Christopher Lee, who would later go on to be in a star wars movie.
skebe replied:
Yeah no, Lee witnessed the last *public* execution in France, back in 1939.
thesystem21 replied:
This is correct. I got my facts mixed up, I am ashamed by my inaccuracies.
However, still cool that Sir Christopher Lee saw the last public guillotine, the last private one was when star wars came out, then he was in a star wars as a person who was decapitated.
Oerff On Tour 2 years ago
Convict: "The severity of the punishment depicts the weakness of the system." Executioner: "Well, no-body is perfect"
David 2 years ago
People talk like guillotine is so horrible. But it's really about the sensitivity of the public. If the government is going to end me I would rather a quick "lop" than an electric chair like the USA used. Ideally though it would just be something like put me to sleep with chemicals. A dentist almost killed me as a teen. Put me to sleep for a procedure, could not get me back for hours. I was oblivious and had to be told what happened after I finally woke up. A bit more chemicals and I would not have woken up. no blood, no pain.
Andy Frobig 2 years ago
I avoided seeing the prequels and I still have my head. Dude took it a little far
The Original Bruno 2 years ago
I think it's rather MORE amazing that Christopher Lee watched an execution in 1939.
Foffy Skrimshaw 2 years ago
If I was sentenced to death, I think I would want to go by Guillotine.
#14
CountRoloff said:
Orcas evolved from a land mammal.
jgiffin replied:
Also whales and dolphins have a more recent common ancestor with deer than they do with any fish in the sea.
_Steven_Seagal_ replied:
Also with humans and the platypus, as we're all mammals.
brieflyamicus replied:
The variant of this that I tell people: Camels are more closely related to whales than they are to horses.
jgiffin replied:
Yep, any even- toed ungulates! Also includes giraffes and boar.
tuzdayschild 2 years ago
Whale, that's what you get when you mess with orcas.
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Moxitron Jazz 2 years ago
Orca's saw the future of what living on Earth was gonna be like and just said "f**k this noise..."
SkyBlueandBlack 2 years ago
Not just orcas; all whales evolved from land animals. As for camels, they evolved in the Arctic.
#15
JackCooper_7274 said:
More people are killed by vending machines than shark attacks every year.
InevitableAd9683 replied:
To be fair, if people made a habit of shaking sharks back and forth because dammit I paid for the Snickers now GIVE IT TO ME YOU PIECE OF [TRASH]
Sorry, what was I saying?
CyptidProductions replied:
I forget what's it called, but that's actually a form of deceptive statistics caused by the potential for one event being more commonly created than the other so you can't directly compare the level of danger
Ie: people are near vending machines far more often then they are sharks so there's more opportunity for people to die that way on any given day
Ken Beattie 2 years ago
Interestingly it's also a case of where statistics can prove the opposite as well. It all comes down to how you interpret a statistic. There are times I think statistics weren't invented by mathematicians they were invented by politicians.
RedMarbles 2 years ago
Whether it's a misleading comparison or not, I like to see this one repeated to emphasize both how unlikely you are to be killed by a shark and how risky it is to rock a vending machine.
Robert Trebor 2 years ago
The contents of the vending machine are poison, and the cost of an item can cause a heart attack.
Sonja 2 years ago
We would need the percentage to compare those two. So we needed to know how many encounters with sharks lead to shark attacks and how many times people interacting with vending machines died. And I'd bet in that statistic it would be pretty clear that it's still less likely to die in an encounter with a vending machine than during interaction with a shark. Especially when you consider that to be possibly killed by a vending machine you have to interact with it in an unintended way and do things you're not supposed to do while people often find out that there is a shark when it attacks them.
Andy Frobig 2 years ago
Makes me think of the Tick villain Eastern Bloc Robot Cowboy, who was an ambulatory Slavic soda machine with an evil cowboy's brain. The Tick beat him by throwing a quarter in his coin slot and vending his brain
#16
UsedToHaveThisName said:
Cleopatra lived closer to the time of the first moon landing than to when the ancient pyramids were built.
15jtaylor443 replied:
I know this is true, I've heard and verified it myself dozens of times, but a part of my brain is always floored with this fact. Like, it sounds crazy, but it's true.
the_c_is_silent replied:
I think people get tricked because of technological advancements. The 19th, 20th, and 21st century alone advanced more in technology than the previous 5k years.
Like it only took 50 years to go from first plane flight to literally sent a rocket to the moon.
The look and feel of 2500 BCE doesn't feel that different to 33 BCE. But even something like the 1950s feels a hundred generations removed from 2023.
Nikki Sevven 2 years ago
It's mind-blowing because human perception is linear, but technological advances are exponential.
Ken Beattie 2 years ago
It also explains some of our unrealistic expectations. Having experienced shuttle launches and the growth of computers, the invention of stuff like MRIs and CT scans it's not hard to understand why people expect flying cars, living on Mars and other crazy developments to happen in their lifetimes.
Load More Replies... Andy Frobig 2 years ago (edited)
I often think about how much more mind blowing the technological advances of the 19th century must have been than those of the 20th. For the entire history of humanity up to 1800, the biggest advances were the printing press, firearms, and optics. Horses and sailing ships had moved us for millennia. There was some steam power in the 18th century, but it was almost all stationary and industrial. Then by the time of the US Civil War, steam ships and trains were common, telegraph wires crossed the continent AND THE OCEAN, and photographs preserved loved ones and events exactly. U. S. Grant's memoirs mention how armies destroyed telegraph lines and railroad tracks in retreat, and fixed them as they advanced. Repeating pistols and Gatling guns helped make the war the most lethal up to that date. Before the century was over, there were phonographs, movies, electric lights, telephones, bicycles that are very similar to what we have today, and steam, gasoline, and electric cars.
Malfar 2 years ago
But one thing remains unchanged, eternal: old men complaining about the youth.
Saint Tim the Godless 2 years ago
And it would take less than 1 year for all of us to be taken back to the stone age with enough nukes.
Apatheist Account2 2 years ago
It was more than 50 years between powered flight and the moon - actually nearer 65.
#17
AndyFromTheWPC said:
Goats like to stand on trees.
blue4029 replied:
Goats can defy gravity to walk up mountains
Seriously, look up pictures of mountain goats. they can stand on mountains without any visible foot-holds.
Loko8765 replied:
Hell, they can climb dams.
chuffberry replied:
I once watched a goat fall out of a tree. I was really worried because it was a pretty tall tree and he landed on his side, but he just stiffly walked it off. I still wonder about that goat because, again, it was a pretty huge tree and he just pancaked.
cadena kuhn 2 years ago
When I was a kid a guy around the corner had a goat that lived in a large dog house. He was always standing on the roof. I loved that goat
Stephen Smith 2 years ago
Torcal Spain, fantastic rock formations. I was walk in a valley there, and looked up to see a goat leap across a Hugh gap from one rock to another about 300feet above my head. So I will always remember the day I saw a goat fly.
Grudge-holding Treefrog 2 years ago
I should show this to my goats. It might encourage them to do stuff
Octopus 2 years ago
Squirrels falling out of trees make an abnormally loud THUMP. You'll be walking along the street when suddenly out of nowhere a squirrel just THUMPs right in front of you, lies there pancake pose, then walks (yes, squirrels can walk, it looks hilarious) off kind of dazed and forgets the whole thing. Meanwhile you're standing there staring blankly into space, just as surprised by the incident, and you lie awake that night hearing over and over again that hilarious, strange THUMP of the squirrel overconfident in its flying abilities.
ThreeAngryLlamas 2 years ago
Mountain goats are not goats. They're a different animal entirely.
The Original Bruno 2 years ago
My very hairy dog used to like to stand on a fairly tall tree stump so he could see the front yard from the back yard. Looked like he was pretending to be a mountain goat.
#18
MeruFaw said:
4300 years old: The oldest pine tree in the world stands in the Inyo national forest, California. But no one knows what the tree looks like, where it is exactly, or if it really exists because the government keeps its location a secret.
SciGuy013 replied:
And also because the older one was killed when a sample was taken from it.
dizzley replied:
I heard that the scientist who took the sample was completely mortified. I can only imagine.
Audiman09 replied:
This is accurate, he was unfortunately blamed for the demise of the tree, a bit unfairly. I heard the story on an Ologies podcast(highly recommend the podcast in general) where Allie hosted a tree expert(I forget the technical "ologist" name) and he described the story of when the oldest tree on earth was having a sample taken from it by some guy. The tool used to take the sample got stuck, so he tried another tool ending in the same result. I can't remember the exact specifics but if I recall he wasn't aware that this was indeed the oldest tree in the world and the damage ended up being enough to be the demise of the tree somehow.
Edit: to clarify that the guest on the podcast was not the same person that hurt the tree
SukieTawdrey replied:
Dendrologist! That one and the one about bats are my favorite episodes.
cadena kuhn 2 years ago
The oldest tree in Florida was burned down a couple years ago by someone smoking crack
Kraneia The Dancing Dryad 2 years ago
The study of trees and other woody shrubs is "dendrology", so a scientist who studies them is more than likely a "dendrologist". I'm a plant nerd, and I approve this message 😁
#19
onefreckl said:
There are only 25 Blimps left on Earth.
OrangutanBeard replied:
This makes me sad.
Hey there... blimpy boy... flying in the sky... so fancy... free....
[Sobs]
onefreckl replied:
And only half of them are operable. If blimps had feelings…I wonder if they’re lonely.
JetLag_550 replied:
And I get to see one every summer! They fly one around during the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) in Oshkosh, WI. Also get to see a bunch of WW2 planes and shit. I highly recommend going if you get the chance.
memesforbismarck replied:
Lucky you. I dream about getting to Oshkosh one day, but its too far away for me. Best I can do is Duxford airshow which is cancelled until they find a new location too.
Cara G 2 years ago
Okay time for my favorite (dirty) joke of all time: What's the difference between a blimp and 365 blow jobs? One is a Goodyear, one is a great year. I'll see myself out.
Your Local Forza Enthusiast 2 years ago
Well, nobody really uses blimps anymore... so only 25 left in the world doesn't surprise me.
Zedrapazia 2 years ago
Well, after the disaster of the Hindenburg thars actually not surprising
Lakota Wolf 2 years ago
I used to see the Goodyear Blimp “Spirit of America” all the time when I was younger (I live in Southern California.) It retired and was decommissioned in 2015 :(
amy harvey 1 year ago
It's because the thing that makes them float (helium) is really expensive in large quantities and cost 100,000 Canadian dollars per trip.
#20
When our hands and fingers get like older people's when we stay in water for too long, it doesn't mean we have to get out of the water.
Fingers and hands become like that to help us grab objects when wet or underwater.
[Writer's Note: while kinda sorta true—the grip does improve but nobody's sure if it's the intended evolutionary purpose—but the primary reason why it does that is because the outermost layer of the skin swells up as it absorbs the water. Since it's attached to the skin underneath, rather tightly, this way it compensates for the increased skin area.]
Alice Durden 2 years ago
Correct if I'm wrong but I read somewhere that if you have nerve damage to a finger or whatever, it won't wrinkle when it's in water.
Moxitron Jazz 2 years ago
true for me...have nerve damage in multiple fingies and they do not prune...
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Rinso the Red 2 years ago
I still think the "aquatic ape" theory explains some of the weird things that distinguish Humans from other primates.
The Original Bruno 2 years ago
The Writer's Note is incorrect. This was proven so by the observation Alice Durden makes.
ShellsBells 2 years ago
If you soak in 1000 ilbs of Epson salt mixed with 20 gallons of water, your fingers and toes don't prune up!
Lakota Wolf 2 years ago
I’m guessing OP means “wrinkly”, but why they couldn’t just use the WORD “wrinkly” or “pruney” is beyond me.
Load More Replies... Vix Spiderthrust 2 years ago
There's no evolutionary purpose to it, it just happens when your skin gets saturated with water.
Becky Samuel 2 years ago
If it's not evolutionary why is it controlled by the nervous system and why doesn't it occur in other primates?
Load More Replies... #21
Shells_and_bones Said:
Sharks have been on the planet longer than trees.
DistributionPerfect5 replied:
Sharks exists longer than the ring of Saturn.
TheAnythingGuy replied:
For a long time after trees evolved, there were not yet any fungi or bacteria that would break it down, so when a tree died, it just sat there, dead. Decomposers eventually evolved, that’s why there’s oil layers under the soil.
Lord_Phoenix95 replied:
Before that we had Mushrooms trees.
Mindshred1 replied:
The Cambrian period alone lasted 53 million years, and that was basically just sponges, trilobites, and other weirdos vibing in the ocean. Dry land plants hadn't evolved yet, so on land, it was just dry rock as far as the eye could see.
Even after the Cambrian period ended, it would be another 70 million years before algae got around to turning into dry land plants, and it took another 10 million years for them to become the first trees.
Ray McArdle 2 years ago
It's just mind-boggling that 99% of all species ever have become extinct. Imagine the cool animals we never got to see.
Ray McArdle 2 years ago
Bishop James Ussher said that God created everything on October 22, 4004 BCE. Hmmm..
#22
PhreedomPhighter said:
Vatican City contains 5.9 popes per square mile.
ST616 replied:
Until last year there were twice as many as that.
Eoron replied:
That's about 2.28 metric popes per square kilometer.
Michael Largey 2 years ago
That's live popes. If you include dead ones, the number skyrockets.
Charlie the Cat 2 years ago
There are 484 football fields per square mile. That equals 0.1219 popes per football field. Hope this helps 😊
Load More Replies... Ray McArdle 2 years ago
And a whole lot of men with silly hats pretending to communicate with "god."
Cj Churchall-McKenzie 2 years ago
there not popes, nowhere in the official title of the head of the catholic church does it call them a pope.
#23
KnockMeYourLobes said:
Humans with a deficiency in thyroid-stimulating hormone production can fix that by taking a pill made of dessicated, ground up, smashed into pill form pig thyroid. The best part is it smells a little like bacon.
Chickadee12345 replied:
I'll have to crush one up and taste it. LOL. Insulin used to be made from the pancreas of cows and pigs. But there were problems with that method so they came up with a bunch of other ways to make it. It is still produced but not widely used.
cryptic-coyote replied:
I tasted mine this morning. I don't have a baseline for what powdered pig thyroid is supposed to taste like, but I don't think the pill tastes much like anything at all.
Chickadee12345 replied:
Bacon, isn't it supposed to taste like bacon??? So this means you can skip the side of bacon with your eggs in the morning if you're on thyroid medication.
redfeather1 replied:
How dare you suggest anyone deprive themselves of bacon. YOU HEATHEN!
Sami-Jo Ross 2 years ago
I can confirm this one. My mom has Hashimoto's disease and was prescribed this for a while. It causes some god-awful halitosis.
Robin DJW 2 years ago
Levothyroxine is usually prescribed for Hashimoto's. It's a synthetically produced product.
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Nikki Sevven 2 years ago (edited)
Why would it taste like bacon, though? Ain't nobody out there smoking pig thyroid in their Traeger. I mean, probably. Maybe in the some silly chef's pretentious restaurant where it's served in a gilded trough plated on a bed of fennel pollen capellini "hay".
Dale Williams 2 years ago
I have both hypothyroidism and type 1 diabetes, both my Insulin and Thyroxine are artificial versions (I don't react well to the natural versions) but the do both keep me alive so I'm not going to complain. Anyway, both Type 1 Diabetes and the form of Hypothyroidism I have are Autoimmune diseases which is where my immune system decided that my Pancreas and Thyroid were not actually part of my own body and started destroying them, my pancreas is now pretty useless (23 years since I became diabetic) while my Thyroid keeps trying to repair itself so my TSH levels are constantly going up and down, never staying stable so I am always having to change the amount of Thyroxine I take.
catastrophegirl 2 years ago
eh, the natural versions of insulin are pretty unstable in humans. i think pork insulin (now mostly sold as Vetsulin) is now really only considered useful for diabetic dogs and some cats (cats respond really well to synthetic human insulins). do you also have exocrine pancreatic insufficiency? i've got type 1 diabetes, hypothyroidism, and EPI. stupid organs, succumbing to the immune system like that. sorry about your thyroid being unstable, that sounds wretched.
Load More Replies... catastrophegirl 2 years ago
i take a medication made from pigs to replace my non-existent digestive enzymes (Creon) and while i don't keep kosher i was curious when i started it and confirmed it's allowed. i just looked up this one (i suspect they are talking about Armour Thyroid) and according to an Orthodox Rabbi it falls under the same exemption. a) it's a pill and swallowed whole and b) necessary to save a life with no medical alternative. there apparently is an OTC beef version but it's not medically regulated and the hormone levels in that version can vary widely.
Markus Holstein 2 years ago
people with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (the pancreas being no longer able to produce digestive enzymes) are still being treated with porcine (pigs') pancreas powder to be taken with every meal
AliJanx 2 years ago
The Robles with pig hormone is that you have no guarantee that the batches will be exactly the same. Tried pig hormone a couple of years and went back to synthetic for consistency reasons.
Howard___fan 2 years ago
dont leave it around, my dog rooted through a dufflebag, found it in a paperbag, and ate a $147 bottle of my moms and I had to make her throw up!
#24
DukeManbert said:
The human body is the most efficient on earth for running. We use the least energy for running less then any other creature on earth.
[Writer's Note: technically, *one* of the most efficient on earth. A unique experiment on mice, engineered to lack the gene called CMAH—that's responsible for the long-distance endurance trait in humans—made them run stronger, for longer, and with less fatigue.]
froggrip replied:
It's theorized that before weapons were invented, humans would chase deer until the deer collapsed of exhaustion.
lump77777 replied:
And we are able to cool our bodies much more efficiently based on how we sweat. That was another evolutionary advantage, and it enabled hunters to pursue game until the animals were exhausted.
Your Local Forza Enthusiast 2 years ago
So if we are one of the most efficient runners on the planet, how come I can't even make it to my mailbox and back with a light jog before I run out of breath? How does this happen? Some kind of de-evolution?!
Red_panda 2 years ago
Yes. There is actually a theory that says that since we, as humans, are allowing members of our species, that would never have survived past birth in any other species, or even 500 years ago, to not only survive but to grow up and procreate, we are evolving to become weaker and stupider.
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Scott Allen Rauch 2 years ago
Years ago I heard a story on NPR by this guy who could run for hours, and so tested the "humans can run down deer" theory. Whenever he got close to the deer, they would bound away, and calmly recommence grazing. After several hours, and many repetitions of the same "dance", he realized the deer were not getting tired, and concluded the theory held no water.
Trophy Husband 2 years ago
I can run for like 2 minutes and then I collapse in a heap. My wife runs an hour every day. I'm too busy to stay in shape like I did before kids. I hope when they grow up I'll be able to get back in shape!
The Original Bruno 2 years ago
Writer's note is downright wrong: there is no gene that is responsible for humans being able to run great distances. It comes from bipedalism. Of course, birds are bipedal, but they mostly carry all sorts of extra equipment for flight. A few birds, without such extra equipment, can outrun humans. Like ostriches. Bipedal organisms don't need to limit the expansion of their chest, allowing them fantastic windedness. This is why bipedal dinosaurs were the dominant hunters on Earth for 200 million years, until the asteroid 65 million years ago. In fact, for much of the "Age of Mammals," birds were STILL the dominant hunters, until members of the carnivore family developed the long, slinky, spring-like torsos of cats, weasels, etc. (Dogs use social cooperation to make up for a shorter torso.)
TMoxraaar 2 years ago
Yeah and it's fricking KILLING US. Our bodies are so STUPID!!!!!! We like food that's bad for us, good food tastes nasty (yes it does - people who claim vegetables are yummy are just tapping into their internal smug). Then we save fat for energy, yet when we start of starve we start burning lean muscle mass. Yeah, let me save up a million dollars, but then when I need money I'll start selling my furniture and parts of my house. Bill Hicks was right - we are a virus with shoes.
Paul Gerrard 2 years ago
BS. The wildebeast runs great distances for a long time at a fast speed. Humans think a marathon is amazing
Markus Holstein 2 years ago
We are also the best at throwing stuff. While several other species have been observed to occasionally hurl projectiles at attackers, we are the only ones able to pick a random object and hit a target with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Therefore we are the only species that will ever be able to play basketball
#25
tehmlem said:
Your body contains more non-human cells than human cells. You're a neurotic, gassy generation ship for trillions of microbes.
No_Step_4431 replied:
Definite emphasis on gassy for me. The contents of my bowels are known to violate international human rights laws...
KnockMeYourLobes replied:
Lactose intolerance?
No_Step_4431 replied:
Unknown... damn... thats actually a good question...
KnockMeYourLobes replied:
I have been lactose intolerant since about the age of 18 and I can have a LITTLE cheese, milk, what have you and be more or less OK. More than a little bit (say a cup of milk) and I have enough gas to send a rocket to the moon. D:
Two_rolling_black_eyes 2 years ago
This is an internet myth. Nature, the most prestigious science journal in the world, actually ran a study in 2016 to disprove it and try to put the myth to rest. Every couple months a pseudoscientist (like a creationist) puts out a study and gets someone to report their bad findings.
Chris M 2 years ago (edited)
The myth stated in "Nature" is that non human cells outnumber human cells 10:1 which is not what this post says. The article says that the ratio is closer to 1:1 but also admits that it is in constant fluctuation and at times the number of non human cells does outnumber human cells. It is not a myth and this post is accurate. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2016.19136
Load More Replies... Nikki Sevven 2 years ago
Hello, fellow neurotic, gassy generation ships carrying trillions of microbes.
Trophy Husband 2 years ago
If I found out I were lactose intolerant, I think I would still eat cheese and just take the consequences!
Ray McArdle 2 years ago
I went to the Natural History Museum in Washington DC two weeks ago with my son. I was pleasantly surprised to see the evolution section packed with curious people. Finally, we're getting it!
SarahBee 2 years ago
For what it's worth - I always had a problem with gassiness. When I had to stop eating gluten (celiac), almost all of it went away.
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
I wish that was the case for me. I also cut out lactose and went low fodmap because of IBS and still get fairly gassy. Makes me wonder though, why the people who know that beans make them gassy (as is the stereotypical joke) don't cut beans out of their diet, since not everyone reacts that way to beans so their body is telling them it doesn't like them. (Mainly occurred to me because beans are generally high fodmap so a big thing to cut out when you have IBS)
Load More Replies... Demosthenes 2 years ago
No doubt about it this life is the microbe game. “You” are an inelegant AI that steers the ship towards food and opportunities to make new ships. If there is a god you probably need a microscope to see it.
#26
Bran_Solo said:
Joe Biden was born closer to Lincoln’s presidency than he was to his own.
AmVpooperNow replied:
Biden was older at his inauguration than the next oldest president (RR) was when he left office.
dub-fresh replied:
I was just thinking today that Biden is old as [heck].
Blahaj-Bug replied:
3 years older than Trump, who is 3rd oldest person at the time they held the office. Reagan is between them as 2nd.
Malfar 2 years ago
Because it is proven that old geezers know what's best for the growing generations /s
Michael Largey 2 years ago
If I need an operation, I don't look for a surgeon fresh out of medical school.
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M 2 years ago
Yes, they're called PRIMARIES. Until we change our electoral system to ranked-choice or runoff-voting, or reorganize the entire system, no third party candidate has a chance other than as a protest vote that helps the candidate most unlike them.
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Huddo's sister 2 years ago
I've gotten to thinking often recently why there is no upper age limit on presidents when there is a lower one. Also why there is a lower one at all. Then again, coming from a country with a prime minister, there is much about American presidential requirements and even the voting system I don't understand.
Paul Gerrard 2 years ago
Trump will always be dumber. Than anyone except the people who coted for him who think he can make ...whatever is on his hat this time
Saint Tim the Godless 2 years ago
Hard to blame millenials for everything when we aren't even filling most of the seats in the legislature.
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Niall Mac Iomera 2 years ago
They wouldn't trust someone that age to work the fryer at McDonald's.
#27
mekonsrevenge said:
Every MLB player ever would only half fill most baseball stadiums.
SayNoToHypocrisy replied:
Well done. Initially called BS on this and had to look it up. I knew Baseball Almanac definitely had the answer. It's a little less than half of Wrigley Field's seating capacity.
mekonsrevenge replied:
I'll be occupying some of those seats when the Braves come to town next month. I've been a fan for over 60 years and that fact truly blew my mind.
and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 2 years ago (edited)
Omg that movie was so good, I lived in that area for a while
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Cara G 2 years ago
Baseball games are so much fun to watch in person. On TV, meh.
Load More Replies... #28
amrodd said:
Viagra, when mixed in water, can make flowers stand upright for several days.
Strengths is the longest word in English with only one vowel.
You can't tickle yourself or lick your elbow.
Chalk is edible.
sweetkatiecakes replied:
You can tickle yourself on the roof of your mouth.
davesoverhere replied:
And the bottom of your foot.
ITookTrinkets replied:
Oh yeah I super can
NjhhjN replied:
depends on the person, i cant
Masseyrati80 replied:
Yeah, I'd have to sacrifice a knee for that.
Robin DJW 2 years ago
Yeah - didn't we just read about some guy who ate an airplane?
Load More Replies... Andy Frobig 2 years ago
If your flower remains erect for more than a week, consult your botanist
Donkey boi 2 years ago
I actually CAN lick my elbow. And no, I do not have a particularly long tongue! Just a very mobile shoulder.
Spittnimage 2 years ago
I can't touch the bottom of my feet with my fingers because it tickles.
GlitterPanda 2 years ago
Can't tickle myself? HA! I cannot touch the bottom of my own foot without it tickling.
#29
Whaddaulookinat said:
France borders Brazil.
ST616 replied:
France doesn't border the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Europe, but it does in the Caribean.
Passing4human replied:
Canada is closer to France than Britain is.
Elkins45 replied:
I would appreciate an explanation of this one.
miraflox replied:
Saint-Pierre et Miquelon.
Elkins45 replied:
Thank you.
Your Local Forza Enthusiast 2 years ago
Just to clear things up, because the article was somewhat vague: This is because France still owns French Guiana, which borders Brazil. France borders the Netherlands because of the border of Saint Martin and Sint Maarten, on the same island in the Carribean. As for the France and Canada, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is an archipelago 15 miles off of the coast of Newfoundland, an island in Canada.
SkyBlueandBlack 2 years ago
And the US is just a couple miles from Russia (islands in the Bering Strait).
Roan The Demon Kitty 2 years ago (edited)
But the UK is closer to Northern Africa than France is. :) (cos of Gibraltar)
Robert Trebor 2 years ago
Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, and English are all official languages in South America.
Tata Connasse 2 years ago
That's not true ! We love American people ! Only the media are manipulating us, showing what they want to us, depending on their own political interest. But basically, French people have nothing against American people, on the contrary.
Load More Replies... #30
_Goose_ said:
Shaq only made one three pointer in his whole career.
GreatTragedy replied:
The only BS part of that is I'm surprised he ever made one.
Maj_Histocompatible replied:
Half court launch buzzer, beater. Kinda shocking he had the ball at all.
GreatTragedy replied:
Yeah, that was actually kind of my guess. I'm sure he had several of those kind of shots throughout his long career, so one eventually going down does make sense.
tuzdayschild 2 years ago
He had other strengths (longest one vowel word in the English language)
Michael Largey 2 years ago
It's hard to hit a three pointer when your assigned position is five feet from the basket.
Explore more of these tags
What do you think ?
Tomato Froggo 2 years ago
Sheesh, what’s with all the downvotes? Half the comments didn’t even deserve them
Deborah Rubin 2 years ago
Interesting. Especially seeing which historical figures, so far apart in my mind, were really alive at the same time. Maybe that will be my next study, just finding out things like this.
Tyranamar Seuss 2 years ago
So basically anyone could just write any thought or myth they could think of here and it was published. Great fact checking here.
Tomato Froggo 2 years ago
Sheesh, what’s with all the downvotes? Half the comments didn’t even deserve them
Deborah Rubin 2 years ago
Interesting. Especially seeing which historical figures, so far apart in my mind, were really alive at the same time. Maybe that will be my next study, just finding out things like this.
Tyranamar Seuss 2 years ago
So basically anyone could just write any thought or myth they could think of here and it was published. Great fact checking here.
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