Flight Attendant’s Video Highlights All of the (Many) Things You Should Never Touch on an Airplane

We’re all thinking more about germs and what we touch when we’re in public these days, and that goes double for indoor, confined spaces like airplanes. And while you’re probably not under any kind of illusion that commercial aircraft are super duper clean places, this flight attendant’s TikTok should probably still come with some kind of trigger warning.

Seriously, if you were a germaphobe before the whole pandemic situation, you might not want to subscribe to Kat Kamalani’s TikTok.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kat Kamalani (@katkamalani)

Kat has gone viral will all kinds of insider videos, in which she shares tips, tricks, and behind-the-scene knowledge from the airline industry.

Image Credit: TikTok

This video, though, shows all of the places on airplanes that people touch and touch and touch – and that only get cleaned at the end of the day.

As someone with a fairly severe peanut allergy, I’ve known for years that planes don’t really get cleaned between flights – which shouldn’t come as a surprise to you, either, given how quick the turnaround is between deplaning and boarding the next set of passengers, right?

Image Credit: TikTok

If I don’t wipe down everything in my tiny sphere, I will end up with puffy eyes and more sneezes than I can clean up with a travel pack of Kleenex.

Which means someone (or many someone’s) have been there before me, touching everything in sight with peanut oil on their fingers.

@katkamalani

Flight attendant hack. GROSS things on airplane. #flightattendants #fyp #flightattendantlife #lifehack #travelhacks

♬ original sound – Kat Kamalani

So, Kat’s video is just confirming all of that for me – and now you, too.

Her video has been viewed over 1.2 million times.

The next time I travel, I’m going to bring plenty of Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer along for the ride…providing I can find them on the shelves.

The post Flight Attendant’s Video Highlights All of the (Many) Things You Should Never Touch on an Airplane appeared first on UberFacts.

November 17, 2020

A Guy’s Bike Ride From Poo Point (Washington) to Pee Pee Creek (Ohio) Was All for Charity

Most of us want to find ways that we can do good, can give back to the world around us and those less fortunate.

We have to find our thing, the outlet that gets us the most attention and the most support – and therefore, earns support and attention for our passionate causes.

And judge this guy all you want, but if there’s one thing that’s universally true in this world, talking about one’s bodily functions as a joke is always popular.

Ruben Lopez (@rubydrummr on Twitter) is a Chicago-based musician and cyclist who promised to bike from Poo Poo Point in Washington to Pee Pee Creek in Ohio in exchange for charity support. In order to make it, he would have to traverse over 2500 miles and spend 36 days camping out under the stars.

I can’t believe I did it. Over 2500 miles on a bicycle, 36 days ? LMFAO pic.twitter.com/gDGmiDUUTi

— #YemenCantWait (@rubydrummr) September 27, 2020

To raise the hilarity stakes even further, Lopez promised to go 69 miles every day and take pictures of all the irreverent signs along the way.

He delivered, too, riding just the 69 miles – “not a mile more, not a mile less” – every day, and posting pictures of his, ahem, memorable sights along the way.

I have reached the holy land pic.twitter.com/Bf7pHWPEAF

— #YemenCantWait (@rubydrummr) August 19, 2020

While the humor factor in this story is high, what’s important is that Lopez was making the trip to raise both money and awareness for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. He’s raised more than $7,000 to donate for the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation, which “provides help and support to the neediest families in Yemen who have suffered from a devastating war since 2015.”

I almost forgot I passed Sharts Road on the way to pee pee creek. Can’t make this up pic.twitter.com/Xcok5vztrg

— #YemenCantWait (@rubydrummr) September 28, 2020

And he’s not done yet.

Since we’ve set a goal matching a dollar to every mile I ride, I’ve decided to choose the longest, most legendary route possible(5000 miles). Starting at Poo Poo Point, if this gets 75,000 retweets I will bike to Pee Pee Creek. 150,000 and I will bike to Pee Pee Island?(read⤵️) https://t.co/ncRbr7Pvq1 pic.twitter.com/JhdvVFlkei

— #YemenCantWait (@rubydrummr) August 12, 2020

Next up, the trek from Pee Pee Creek, Ohio, to Pee Pee Island, Newfoundland.

He’s the hero we all need, clearly, but none so much as the people suffering in Yemen.

Donate if you can!

The post A Guy’s Bike Ride From Poo Point (Washington) to Pee Pee Creek (Ohio) Was All for Charity appeared first on UberFacts.

November 17, 2020

Researchers Believe Crows Have at Least as Much Self-Awareness as Humans

If you’ve read about crows or other members of the corvid family, there can be no doubt in your mind these birds are smart.

Super smart. Scary smart.

Until now, though, scientists have assumed there still remained a gap between primates and every other sort of living being, and that had to do with the way our consciousness works.

Image Credit: Pexels

Researchers, though, are becoming increasingly convinced that the minds of crows work more like our own than we probably want to believe.

A new study has shown that crows possess some degree of subjective experience and sensory consciousness – and not only that, they’re able to display consciousness despite not having a cerebral cortex. That’s the part of the primate brain scientists have long considered necessary for achieving this sort of higher intelligence.

Sensory consciousness involves being able to have a subjective experience, access it, and respond to it – which is exactly what researchers at the University of Tubingen claim to have proven.

For their study, researchers trained two carrion crows to move their heads in response to seeing different colored marks on a screen. Using implanted electrodes, they were able to record the activity of individual neurons, and were able to show that the nerve cells in the bird’s brains were influenced by their subjective experience and the way they reported their answers.

Image Credit: Pexels

They weren’t, in layman’s terms, responding instinctively to the brightness of the colors, but were responding to their own internal assessment of those colors.

Andreas Nieder, one of the study’s authors, expounded in a statement.

“Nerve cells that represent visual input without subjective components are expected to respond in the same way to a visual stimulus of constant intensity.

Our results however conclusively show that nerve cells at higher processing levels of the crow’s brain are influenced by subjective experience, or more precisely produce subjective experiences.”

Their results are challenging many long-held beliefs about the nature of consciousness, Professor Nieder told IFLScience.

“I think the results of our study open up a new way of looking at the evolution of awareness and its neurobiological constraints.

It becomes more likely that also other animals on different branches of the tree of life, and with brains that strikingly differ from ours, also have sensory consciousness.”

Another recently published study supports this, finding similar sensory connections being made in the brains of owls and pigeons.

Image Credit: Pexels

Which is all to say, not only are birds probably smarter than we’ve ever thought, they’re actually more intelligent, as well.

No matter how small their brains are, they’re definitely making the most of the headspace.

What do you think about this news? Have you always suspected that our fine, feathered friends have more going on upstairs than we previously thought?

Let us know your POV in the comments!

The post Researchers Believe Crows Have at Least as Much Self-Awareness as Humans appeared first on UberFacts.

November 17, 2020

Coffee Can Help Cats Live Longer, and 5 More Stimulating Facts About the Caffeinated Beverage

Coffee makes the world go ’round.

At least, it’s what makes my world go ’round, and I’ll be honest – I don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about how it gets to my house and into my cup every day.

These facts make me reconsider those lovely little beans and what they do for my life, though, and perhaps they’ll do the same for you!

6. A coffeepot was the star of the world’s first webcam.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Researchers at Cambridge could monitor the coffee situation without leaving their desks, and when they abandoned the webcam, that non-working Krups ProAroma – which would sell for around $50 – sold on eBay for almost $5k.

5. Coffee could make your cat live longer.

Image Credit: Pixabay

The “Oldest Cat Ever” – a cat named Creme Puff who lived to the ripe old age of 28. – drank coffee every morning with her bacon, eggs, and broccoli.

It’s not a fluke, either – the previous record holder (aged 34 years) was fed the same diet by the same owner.

4. You would have to try really hard to kill yourself with coffee.

Image Credit: Pixabay

It would take around 70 cups of coffee to kill a 150-pound person.

3. Women in the 17th century were not fans.

Image Credit: Pixabay

The 1674 Women’s Petition Against Coffee claimed the drink was turning British men into “useless corpses,” and proposed banning it for anyone under the age of 60.

2. There’s a Starbucks at the CIA headquarters.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Employees must undergo extensive background checks and can’t use the facilities without a government escort. They also don’t put customers names on the cups.

1. The world’s most expensive coffee comes from poop.

Image Credit: Pixabay

It’s called Kopi Luwak, and the beans have been digested by an Indonesian animal called the Asian palm civet.

They eat the bright red coffee cherries but, unable to digest the beans, pass them through their system.

It’s some poor sap’s job to collect the beans from the droppings, wash them, and sells them – for $600 per pound.

It’s nice to know a little more about something that keeps you afloat, don’t you think?

Tell us your favorite way to have coffee in the comments – share the love!

The post Coffee Can Help Cats Live Longer, and 5 More Stimulating Facts About the Caffeinated Beverage appeared first on UberFacts.

November 17, 2020

People Used to Chew Coffee, and 6 More Interesting Facts About the Caffeinated Brew

If you’re a person over a certain age, chances are coffee (or some kind of stimulant) is part of your day. We’re all hustling harder, being more involved parents, busy trying to have it all – and honestly, there aren’t enough hours in the day to spend 8 or more of them sleeping.

So, we drink coffee.

But, maybe you haven’t spent much time considering the beverage that gets you through your days!

If not, here are 7 facts that might keep you up a little longer.

7. Finland is the world’s coffee capital.

Image Credit: Pexels

Finland does not produce its own beans, but the country’s citizens consume more coffee per capita than any other country in the world.

6. You originally had to chew it.

Image Credit: Pexels

The first African tribes to consume coffee ground the berries, added in some animal fat, and rolled them into what amounted to energy balls.

Yum?

5. Beethoven was the Karen of his day.

Image Credit: Pexels

He loved his coffee just so, and insisted every cup contain exactly 60 beans.

I wonder how he could tell (and who was brave enough to test him)?

4. Instant coffee has been around for 250 years.

Image Credit: Pexels

We see its first appearance in 1771 England, but it wasn’t mass produced until 139 years later, in 1910 (and in the States).

3. It has fueled Olympic dreams – literally.

Image Credit: Pixabay

The Brazilian Olympic team had no money to get to Los Angeles in 1932, so they sold coffee along the way to fund the trip.

2. The average American spends over $1,100 a year on coffee.

Image Credit: Pixabay

That’s a lot of green – I have to admit I do my part, though.

1. Some people would like to ban it.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Governments were trying to ban coffee as recently as the 18th century, with reasons like its tendency to stimulate “radical thinking.” In 1746, Sweden banned coffee and cups and saucers.

How did people drink their tea??

Interesting, right?

What’s your favorite fact about coffee? Tell us in the comments!

The post People Used to Chew Coffee, and 6 More Interesting Facts About the Caffeinated Brew appeared first on UberFacts.

November 17, 2020

An Irish Court Ruled That Subway Doesn’t Serve Actual Bread

There can be no doubt that Americans eat a lot of things – and on a regular basis – that are essentially banned in other countries. Chains like McDonalds even have to adhere to higher food standards abroad.

Well… the time has come for Subway too. They’re going to have to shape up their bread or start calling it something else in Ireland, because the courts there have ruled that whatever is on the outside of their meats and cheeses, it’s not bread.

Technically.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Here’s why…

For purposes of tax laws in Ireland, Subway cannot classify their bread as such because of its high sugar content. Instead, it gets a label of “confectionary or fancy baked good.”

The case that led up to the ruling centered around whether or not Subway’s bread counts as a “staple food,” which would exempt it from the Value Added Tax and save Subway billions of dollars.

Sadly (for them, not Ireland), the amount of sugar in the bread – around a shocking 10% of the weight of the flour – far exceed the standard of 2% stated in the law.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

If you, like me, don’t understand numbers, that means that Subway’s bread contains around 5x more sugar than Ireland allows for something to be considered bread and not cake.

The court ruled that “the argument depends on the acceptance of the prior contention that the Subway heated sandwich contains ‘bread’ as defined, and therefore can be said to be food for the purposes of the Second Schedule rather than confectionary. Since that argument has been rejected, this subsidiary argument must fail.”

Yikes!

Image Credit: Ian Poelett

Well, there you have it. The next time you grab a Subway, just know you’re basically eating a cake sandwich.

Which is perfect if you enjoy a little salty with your sweet!

What do you think? Was this court a bit too salty itself?

Let us know in the comments!

The post An Irish Court Ruled That Subway Doesn’t Serve Actual Bread appeared first on UberFacts.

November 17, 2020

A Lucky Duck Will Earn $50K a Year Exploring National Parks

If you’re a certain type of person, wandering the nation’s national parks – even if you’re getting paid – does not sound like your idea of a dream job.

For someone who lives for exploring, for hiking, for communing with nature and spending your days outdoors instead of in an office would seem like what they’d been dreaming of for a lifetime.

If you’re the latter type of human being, good news – you can earn $50K a year roaming America’s national parks.

Image Credit: Pexels

The position is for CEO – Chief Exploration Officer – with Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold. And no, you can’t apply because they got so overwhelmed with applications, that the process is now closed. Sorry.

The person who gets this job will be provided one camper van (with a complete bathroom), and 6 months to visit, hike, and photograph a list of national parks that includes Yosemite, Sequoia, Joshua Tree, Saguaro, and Big Bend.

Your $50,000 salary doesn’t include money for necessary expenses like gas or the van, and you’re welcome to take a friend along for the ride.

Image Credit: Pexels

The website lists the following qualifications:

An affinity for outdoor/nature photography and/or videography
A deep appreciate for the joy that connecting with nature brings
A willingness and an ability to hike through national parks and other outdoor areas
A valid U.S. driver’s license
Being at least 21 years old

They would also prefer the candidate enjoy and respect the great outdoors, have a knack for seeing the big picture, and be willing to follow all CDC guidelines on traveling responsibly.

Being a natural strong leader with a clear sense of direction is also a plus, as is – of course – a love of beer.

Image Credit: Pexels

The deadline might be passed, but you can root on the person who gets the job this year, and remind yourself to apply next year for your own adventure.

Better yet, maybe this will catch on, and all of the beer companies will hire their own CEO for summer 2021.

Cheers!

The post A Lucky Duck Will Earn $50K a Year Exploring National Parks appeared first on UberFacts.

November 17, 2020

Elephants Are Firefighters and Other Memorable Facts About these Great Animals

Elephants are amazing – they share strong family bonds, they’re crazy smart, and they’re way nicer to humans than we deserve (as is true of most animals) – and after reading these 9 facts, you’re going to adore them even more.

These gentle giants are around 10 feet tall and weigh over 6.5 tons. Sadly, they’re also being wiped out by poachers – around 100 African elephants die at their hands every day – which means it’s past time for us to stand up for them.

9. Elephants grieve the deaths of their own.

Image Credit: iStock

When a member of their family or grouping dies, elephants get vocal, use their trunks to “hug” their dead, and often have to be physically pulled away from the carcass after hours at its side. They have also been seen trying to “bury” the body with leaves and soil.

We can’t know what they’re feeling or thinking, but most experts agree these behaviors have all the hallmarks of grief.

8. Elephants aren’t actually afraid of mice.

Image Credit: Pexels

Zoologists have conducted plenty of experiments, and elephants aren’t really afraid of mice.

Elephants do have poor vision, so they tend to get startled easily by things too small to see clearly – the myth probably came from an elephant being surprised by the sudden movement of a nearby mouse.

7. They visit hotels in Zambia.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Voyagers Zambia (@voyagerszambia)

Guests at the Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia might see families of elephants walking through the reception area between October and December.

In fact, when the mangos are ripe of the trees, you can’t keep them away.

6. Baby elephants suck their trunks.

Image Credit: iStock

They comfort themselves the same way human children do when they suck their thumbs – though baby elephants can also use the exercise to learn how to better use their trunks.

Most elephants outgrow the behavior, though you’ll catch the occasional adult doing it if they feel anxious.

5. In 2015, we learned that they yawn.

Scientists from the University of California captured the first video of an elephant yawning, confirming long-held theories that they probably did just that.

4. They’ve been the Republican party’s symbol since 1874.

Image Credit: iStock

The elephant was occasionally sued as a symbol for Republicans before the Civil War.

It wasn’t until cartoonist Thomas Nast drew one in an 1874 issue of Harper’s Weekly that they became permanently linked with the party.

3. Elephants are the OG YouTube stars.

The first video ever posted to YouTube, on April 23rd, 2005, was an 18-second scene of Jawed Karim standing in front of zoo elephants.

He speaks briefly about their trunks, and has amassed 74 million views.

2. They’ll snack on your old Christmas tree.

Image Credit: iStock

Zookeepers at Tierpark Berlin in Germany feed unsold Christmas trees to their elephants every January.

The trees are pesticide-free, and the elephants seem to look forward to it.

Prague zoos also treat their pachyderms to the seasonal nosh.

1. Trained elephants in Indonesia fight fires.

Image Credit: iStock

In 2015, 23 trained elephants from a conservation center were sent to help fight fires in East Sumatra. They carried water pumps and hoses, and helped patrol the land to make sure new fires weren’t ignited.

See? I told you that you would love them even more now!

If you’re feeling inspired to help, please visit the World Wildlife Fund’s website – or a charity website of your choosing – to find out how you can help save elephant lives.

The post Elephants Are Firefighters and Other Memorable Facts About these Great Animals appeared first on UberFacts.

November 17, 2020

10 Weird Trends That Went Viral This Year

This year is almost over, and TikTok lives to see another year. Gen Z’s favorite social media platform is still influencing every corner of the entire internet.

Here are the top 10 weirdest TikTok trends that managed to define 2020.

1. This unsavory tasting challenge

Sorry for reminding you that guys dipped their b*lls in soy sauce to see if they could taste it. I, too, wish this was something we could all just forget about.

@alxjames

oh.. my god….. ??

♬ original sound – Alx James

2. And its fitting counterpart

Ladies, we aren’t off the hook either. Some girls got so bored during quarantine that they stuck ice cubes up you-know-where.

@girl.with.eyebags

It was cool ❄️#fyp #foryou #keepingbusy #icecube #trend #trending #viral #quarantine #funny #staysafe #stayathome #health #covid19 #petlover #funny

♬ Pew Pew Pew – Auntie Hammy

3. Putting babies in the splash zone

So, this one was kind of hit or miss.

@tia.dunham

????? no babies were harmed in this video #fyp #momsoftiktok

♬ Ah Eh – ??

4. When people started shaving down their teeth

With nail boards. I’m not a dentist, but this cannot possibly be good for you. Luckily, the doctors of TikTok stepped in to really lay down the law.

@thebentist

@cheneltiara why you do dis to me! ?? PSA: I don’t recommend doing this ✌? have your dentist check to make sure it’s safe first! #teeth #braces

♬ original sound – The Bentist

5. At-home mole removal

It looks as painful as it sounds. TikTok doctors clapped back with the truth here, yet again.

@dermdoctorbritt

#moleremoval is one trend NOT to jump on unless you want a #scar for your #promlook – Or even worse! #baddecisions #dermatologist #moreyouknow #fyp

♬ Bad Decisions – The Strokes

6. Another baby challenge

Some moms went out on a limb here and decided to flash their nursing babies. The reactions they managed to capture are absolutely priceless.

@thenataliecollins

She licked her lips ???#dropemoutchallenge #baby #breastfed #foryou #fyp #foryoupage #thatredheadbaby #cute #cutebaby

♬ Drop ‘Em Out – Wheeler Walker Jr.

7. The strawberry salt soak

Apparently, our grocery-bought strawberries have little worms crawling in them. This is a trend that’s great for my physical health, I guess. My mental health is a different story.

@callmekristatorres

WAIT FOR IT… Still trying to think happy thoughts today. #fyp #foryou #strawberrieswithbugs #bugsinstrawberries #rednoseday #got2bhome

♬ original sound – Krista Torres

8. The childhood baby blanket reveal

We all had a baby blanket at some point, but these TikTokers kept theirs well into adulthood. The results are absolutely shocking. This one seriously just looks like a giant ball of yarn.

@gabbinaturman

i think i win the baby blanket challenge, wbu??? #fyp #babyblankets #blanketchallenge This took 21 years of devotion, taking my blanket everywhere

♬ original sound – corn dog

9. Biting Martinelli’s juice containers

Yes, people actually started biting into those little Martinelli’s juice cartons because it apparently sounded like they were biting into an actual apple. There are some things on the internet that you just cannot make up.

@kylehiggns

I got the tiktok apple juice that sounds like an apple #foryou #relatable #applejuice

♬ Eine kleine Nachtmusik – Mozart

10. And then there’s this

So, people started rubbing rings on their foreheads to see it left a black line, which they apparently thought was a sign of iron deficiency. That turned out to be completely inaccurate, but what else do we expect? Welcome to the internet!

@petroutv

Wtf @dixiedamelio

♬ original sound – Thomas Petrou

Well, those were somewhat entertaining! At least people finally stopped doing the Tide pod challenge. That was seriously a dark time.

What are the craziest TikTok trends you’ve seen this year? Share them with us in the comments below!

The post 10 Weird Trends That Went Viral This Year appeared first on UberFacts.