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34 Counterintuitive Facts from the World of Science

Time to get your mind blown by science!

34 Counterintuitive Facts from the World of Science

September 24, 2023

Even if you didn’t enjoy science class at school, it’s difficult not to be astonished by scientific facts as an adult. Honestly, take a moment to consider what the natural environment and current technologies are capable of. It’s genuinely remarkable, and chances are, you’re only aware of a small portion of the fascinating and bizarre facts discovered by scientists thus far. Fascinating and bizarre facts like…

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34

EVEN GOATS PREFER HAPPY PEOPLE. One study showed that goats prefer the faces of happy people and were more likely to interact with them than those with angry expressions. CRACKED.COM — Phys.org

33

CRACKED.COM A small Australian mammal dies from terminal horniness. The antechinus breeds only once in its lifetime. For a couple weeks, the male goes into such a schtupping frenzy with every female he finds that it destroys his body, killing him. — National Geographic

32

THE FREQUENCY OF POSITIVE INTERACTIONS IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR YOUR HAPPINESS THAN THE INTENSITY. Winning a Nobel Peace Prize might seem like it will make you happier, but you might be better off with smaller and consistent positive experiences with your friends. CRACKED.COM — Harvard Business Review

31

CRACKED.COM Twins can have different fathers. On rare occasions, two eggs are released during the same ovulation cycle, which can be fertilized by different fathers. This is extremely unusual in humans, but it has been known to happen. — The Guardian

30

MONEY DOES BUY HAPPINESS (TO A POINT). Studies have found emotional well-being can be found at around $70,000 for an individual and life satisfaction at around $95,000. But additional money doesn't really affect anything. CRACKED.COM — CNBC

29

crocodiles are more closely related to birds than to lizards. Crocodiles, alligators, and birds are the last surviving archosaurs (a group that included dinosaurs). Their common ancestor lived 240 million years ago. CRACKED.COM — University of California

28

A disorder called exploding head syndrome makes it hard to fall asleep. After falling asleep, people with EHS sometimes wake up, feeling as if a loud bang went off. Nothing else happens, and the cause is unknown. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — NIH

27

PREVALENCE-INDUCED CONCEPT CHANGE IS WHY YOU DON'T FEEL HAPPIER WHEN THINGS ARE BETTER. The idea is that as things get better, your perception of what is considered bad will adjust. It's difficult for humans to appreciate progress because our perception of what is bad will continue to widen. CRACKED.COM — CBC

26

Hailstones in Jupiter and saturn are diamonds. Thunderstorms turn atmospheric methane into pure carbon soot. As the soot falls and the pressure increases, it gets compressed into diamonds as big as one centimeter across. CRACKED COM — BBC

25

The first woman in space was sent in a ship that wasn't programmed to descend Ground control was able to send and install a new program which allowed her to safely return. They also forgot to give her a toothbrush. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — The Guardian

24

Giraffes in the wild only spend a total of 5-30 minutes per day in deep sleep. One theory says this is because they're so vulnerable to predators - they need all the alertness they can get to protect themselves. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — BBC

23

SCREEN TIME LEADS TO UNHAPPINESS. Multiple studies have shown people are unhappier with more screen time. (But I'm professionally required to beg you to please keep scrolling.) CRACKED.COM — VICE

22

Each arm of an octopus has its own brain. Octopuses have more nerve cells in their arms than in their heads. Each arm can move, touch, and taste by itself, with no input from the central brain. CRACKED.COM — Scientific American

21

We didn't always have the same North Star. Due to a slight wobble of the Earth's axis, the North Star changes. When humans were building the Pyramids, the star Thuban was used for Northern guidance. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Space

20

Sleeping for a long time is x positively associated with testis size. A 2018 study found that, the longer you sleep, the larger the size of your testis, even after age and body mass index were adjusted for. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — NIH

19

WATCHING SAD MOVIES MAKES YOU FEEL HAPPIER. Sad movies normally highlight the importance of relationships, which brings your attention to the positive relationships in your life. CRACKED.COM — EurekAlert!

18

Polar bears are nearly invisible to infrared cameras. The bear's fur is so good at keeping the bear warm, that almost no heat escapes that can be picked up by infrared sensors. Invisibility cloaks are being researched that copy how the bear's hairs work. GRACKED COM — Harvard University

17

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 — BBC

16

Pluto was a planet for less than one of its own years Pluto's orbit takes 248 Earth years. It was only considered a planet for 76 years. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — NASA

15

Having a hard time waking up is linked to having a mood disorder. People with a mood disorder are disproportionately likely to have a hard time waking up (and mood disorder treatments might target that someday). NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — NIH

14

OUR SWEAT CONVEYS OUR EMOTIONS When we experience both negative and positive emotions, the chemicals in our sweat can be read by other people and might influence their emotions. CRACKED.COM — EurekAlert!

13

There are way more trees on Earth than stars in the galaxy. A 2015 survey found that three trillion trees grow on Earth, 7 times the previous estimate. About 15 billion are chopped down every year. CRACKED.COM — Nature

12

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 — CBC

11

A helium balloon on the moon would plunge to the ground Without air to rise above, the helium might as well be lead. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — PopSci

10

You might be suffering. from obstructive sleep apnea without even knowing it. 85% of people with apnea are undiagnosed, and it can have pretty serious consequences including heart disease, hypertension, and depression. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — NIH

9

WHEN YOU BUY THINGS TO IMPRESS OTHER DOUW PEOPLE, IT REMOVES EC ANY HAPPINESS, FROM - GOLD THE PURCHASE. Mandarin WHOLE SEGM LIGHT SYI DATE - meno ---- - - - No der BUTTER PM On CHOICE 11 GRADE ROGG 9 sit sorr 40% - PALT AUTTER SINCE THIS SUDER Arte TOUS محمد - OR . IN 4'5 - SANDIMI 1060 ALEENEX 1805 TURNS 255 saveld CON TOUR ЧОТТ A 1200ml выстект N 10m NHO 923 20% BREACH PLUS NO MAY course or ONE - DALL - OF Joe ANY 100 A YOU NA - Your motivation for purchasing a — EurekAlert!

8

some birds password- protect their children. + * Brown-headed cowbirds have their chicks raised by different species of birds than their own. Adult cowbirds use a special vocalization that unlocks the chicks' ability to learn, so no one but them can teach their offspring to sing. CRACKED.COM — Inside Science

7

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 — ABC News

6

There are 96 bags of human waste on the moon. They were left behind by the six Apollo Missions. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Vox

5

If you don't need much sleep, a single gene might be responsible for that. A 2019 study found that three generations of a family of short sleepers carried a mutant gene (but many genes ultimately control sleep and waking). NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — NIH

4

EMPLOYEES ARE HAPPIEST WHEN TRYING TO REACH DIFFICULT YET ACHIEVABLE GOALS. ERS 17 ANS People aren't content when bored, and they like to be challenged, within reason. CRACKED.COM — Harvard Business Review

3

Lobsters don't age. While not exactly immortal, lobsters don't become weaker or stop breeding with age. They just keep growing bigger and bigger, until they're too big for their own good. CRACKED.COM — Smithsonian

2

Brussels sprouts grow on stalks Brussels sprout plants grow two to three feet tall. CRACKED.COM — 13 True Facts That Don't Seem Real

1

Scientists didn't know the the length of a day on Saturn until 2019 It's 10 hours, 33 minutes and 38 seconds. It was difficult to figure out because the gas planet has no solid surface to follow its rotation and an unusual magnetic field. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — NASA

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