13 True Facts That Don't Seem Real
![13 True Facts That Don't Seem Real](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/7/6/791376_320x180.jpg)
Cracked exists for two purposes: teaching you stuff and making all the writers and artists rich, famous, and sexually irresistible. As the second part of this mission statement has long been declared an utter failure (just ask any of us), we're doubling down on the pedagogical angle. Now, these facts might not help you land a job (except, maybe, writing for some website), but they will definitely give you something to make small talk about, which might be just as challenging (again, just ask any of us).
If you're anything like me, then you love learning random facts. They're just so darn fascinating! And while there's nothing wrong with reading off of a listicle in your spare time, sometimes it's fun to go deep into a topic. That's why today I'm bringing you some of the coolest and quirkiest random facts about food. Bon appétit!
(And as usual, you can follow the links to learn even more.)
![An average cumulus cloud weighs 1.1 million pounds You don't have to worry about the sky falling as the weight clearly isn't concentrated in one space; it's spread out over a very large area. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/3/7/791337.jpg)
Source: Science Alert
![Water you drink may be older than the Sun According to astrophysicists, half of all water on Earth may be millions of years older than the solar system. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/3/6/791336.jpg)
Source: New York Times
![Ballet dancers have a higher pain tolerance Like sports professionals, professional dancers have higher pain tolerance thresholds. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/3/5/791335.jpg)
Source: NCBI
![Before alarm clocks, people used knock on windows with a big stick In Britain, knocker uppers were hired to wake people up. They would carry long poles to tap on their clients' windows (and not wake up non-paying neighbors) CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/3/4/791334.jpg)
Source: BBC
![Turtles can breathe out of their butts When they hibernate, their main source of oxygen comes from their rear end. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/3/3/791333.jpg)
Source: McGill
![1 million seconds is 11 days, while 1 billion seconds is more than 31.5 years SUB NOTE TENDER PUBLIC AND PRIVATE in Lusbedo Cabal Studer DO 03/24/2009 1 trillion seconds is more than 31,688 years. Consider that next time you defend Jeff Bezos. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/3/2/791332.jpg)
Source: New York Times
![The closest US state to Africa is Maine Quoddy Head, Maine, is 3,154 miles from EI Beddouza, Morocco. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/1/0/791310.jpg)
Source: ScienceAlert
![You have more synapses in your brain than we have stars in our galaxy There are between 100 to 400 billion stars in the Milky Way, but there are more than 125 trillion nerve connections just in the brain's cerebral cortex. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/0/9/791309.jpg)
Source: NASA and ScienceDaily
![Brussels sprouts grow on stalks Brussels sprout plants grow two to three feet tall. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/0/8/791308.jpg)
![Falling coconuts kill more people than sharks Data suggests that people are 15 times more likely to be killed by a falling coconut than a shark attack. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/0/7/791307.jpg)
Source: ABC News
![Wood frogs can hold their pee for up to eight months Wood frogs have microbes in their guts that recycle urea, allowing them to avoid peeing all winter. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/0/6/791306.jpg)
Source: CBC
![Bruce Forsyth was a Neopet TM The bow-tied British game host was one of the original Neopet options. His character eventually evolved into a penguin, still with a bow tie. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/0/4/791304.jpg)
Source: WIred
![If you hide in a lake, a swarm of wasps will wait for you to re-emerge. If you're attacked by wasps, don't try to take shelter in a lake. They also are not fooled by playing dead. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/0/0/791300.jpg)
Source: BBC