20 True Facts That Really Rattled Our Brain Cages
![20 True Facts That Really Rattled Our Brain Cages](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/6/8/851168_320x180.jpg)
The “Riddle of the Sphinx” (1870) was the last major work of French writer and critic Jules Verne, who died in 1905. The book is set in an alternate history, where a fictional civilization, the Kaxares, destroyed itself through industrialization and overpopulation. The rest of the world then fell into a dark age, which lasted for thousands of years. When the Kaxares civilization is rediscovered, an expedition sets out to investigate the fate of the civilization. The expedition finds the Kaxares buried deep beneath the sand, and upon digging further, discover that the Kaxares had survived the cataclysm by living within the earth, in a subterranean city, which they named “Eblis.”
This book is a collection of bizarre, often grotesque, facts, as well as strange historical incidents and tales of scientific achievement. Verne's interest in the subject of science and exploration was obvious throughout his writings, and many of his stories feature protagonists who enjoy this list of odd facts.
We remember our 20’s more than any other time in our lives.
![Our sharpest memories are from early adulthood. As adults reflect on events of their lives, they remember more events from their twenties than from any other time in their lives, called the reminiscence bump. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/8/8/851188.jpg)
‘Bambi’ took inspiration from Chinese landscape paintings.
![The art of'Bambi' was inspired by Chinese landscape paintings. Led by the film's Chi- nese-born lead artist, Tyrus Wong, back- grounds in the film were inspired by land- scape paintings of the Song dynasty. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/8/7/851187.jpg)
Men wore high heels first.
![High heels were originally worn by men. Since they showed that the wearer owned and maintained hors- es, high heels became associated with the upper class. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/9/0/851190.jpg)
DUI offenders in Ohio have to wear a “scarlet letter” on their car.
![Ohio DUI offenders have. to use yellow license plates. Since 1967, Ohio has is- sued special scarlet let- ter plates for repeat DUI offenders, and whenever a driver's blood-alcohol level is twice the legal limit. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/8/9/851189.jpg)
Janis Joplin made sure to throw one last rager after her death.
![Janis Joplin's will set aside $2,500 of her estate for a post-funeral party. Article 11 of her will included the stipulation that the mon- ey goes towards a party at a suitable location as a final gesture of appreciation and farewell. 200 special guests attended the event at the Li- on's Share in San Anselmo, California. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/8/3/851183.jpg)
Icelanders think elves are real, and go to church.
![Iceland had to move a 70 ton rock because protestors claimed it was an elf church. 62% of people in Iceland be- lieve in elves, and the con- struction of a proposed high- way would threaten the sanc- tity of their house of worship. The rock was moved, with the help of a crane, and con- struction resumed. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/8/4/851184.jpg)
The fastest man in the world has scoliosis.
![Usain Bolt has really bad scoliosis. The fastest man in the world said, My spine's really curved bad... But if I keep my core and back strong, the scoliosis doesn't really bother me. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/8/5/851185.jpg)
Paper bags aren’t really better than plastic.
![Plastic bags may be better for the environment than paper ones. Paper bag production emits 70 percent more pollution, uses four times as much energy, and takes more time to break down, when com- pared to plastic bags. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/8/6/851186.jpg)
Route 66 will vibrate your car to the tune of "America the Beautiful."
![Grooves in the road on Route 66 play America the Beautiful. Going 45 mph, the grooves in the road act like rumble strips, vibrating your car to create different pitches. New Mexico's Department of Transportation added the feature in 2014. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/8/2/851182.jpg)
An old calendar led to the Russians being late for the 1908 Olympics.
![The Russians arrived 12 days late to the 1908 Olympics because they were using the wrong calendar. S By 1908, Russia was still using the old Julian calen- dar, proposed by Julius Caesar in 46 ВС, but al- most every other nation was using the Gregorian calendar mandated by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/7/9/851179.jpg)
162,719 pints of Guinness are lost in facial hair every year.
![$536,000 worth of Guinness is wasted in facial hair every year. A Guinness study con- cluded that 0.56 millili- ters of Guinness get trapped in the average beard or mustache with each sip, totalling 162,719 pints a year. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/8/0/851180.jpg)
The tea bag was an accident.
![The tea bag was an accidental invention in 1908. Thomas Sullivan, a New York tea merchant, sent samples of tea leaves to some of his customers in small silk bags. His custom- ers used the bags as you would a metal infuser, and were happy with the result. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/8/1/851181.jpg)
Even the guy who made Comic Sans hates it.
![The inventor of the Comic Sans font only used it to send a disgruntled letter to his internet provider. Comic Sans Aa Bb Cc The font was designed by Vincent Connare in 1995, who has only used it once, to send a letter letting Sky know how disappointed he was that he couldn't change to broadband - getting a £10 refund. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/7/8/851178.jpg)
A good cry will really make you feel better.
![Crying releases chemicals to make you feel better. Crying for long periods of time releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, oth- erwise known as endor- phins. Sobbing even cools the brain as you quickly breathe in cool air, improv- ing your mood. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/7/7/851177.jpg)
A mousetrap from the 1800s in a museum caught a mouse 155 years later.
![A 155-year-old Perpetual Mousetrap caught a mouse in 2016. The mousetrap, unveiled in the mid-1800s, was said to last a lifetime. While being displayed at an English mu- seum, the mousetrap lived up to its name and caught an unlucky rodent attempting to use it to build a nest. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/7/6/851176.jpg)
A tradition in Japan says it’s good luck for a Sumo wrestler to make a baby cry.
![Sumo wrestlers purposefully babies cry. make The 400-year-old Japanese tradition states that if a sumo wrestler can make your baby cry, it means he or she will live a healthy life. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/7/5/851175.jpg)
The sea walnut has a disappearing butt hole.
![The comb jelly has a 'transient anus! The special booty is unique among the ani- mal kingdom - it is not visible under a micro- scope, and completely invisible when the ani- mal is not pooping. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/7/1/851171.jpg)
Cameron sold his “Terminator” script for a dollar.
![James Cameron sold 'The Terminator' rights for $1. When he was still just an unknown filmmaker, Cam- eron handed over the rights to the film for a buck on the terms that he would be allowed to direct the movie - something he regrets today. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/7/3/851173.jpg)
A meteor exploded above Earth and no one noticed.
![Everyone missed a meteor exploding in the atmosphere with ten times the force of an atomic bomb. The explosion on Decem- ber 18, 2018 went unde- tected, even by NASA, be- cause it took place over the Bering Sea close to the path of commercial planes flying between North America and Asia. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/7/4/851174.jpg)
A woman had three children with two uteruses.
![A woman in Bangladesh gave birth to twins, a month after having her previous child. The unusual circum- stance occurred be- cause the woman has two uteruses and both were able to successful- ly carry the three healthy children to term. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/7/2/851172.jpg)