People Share Scientific Facts That Really Creep Them Out

There is no shortage of scientific facts that creep me the heck out – the natural world is full of endless weirdness that can really unsettle a person when you stop and think about it for too long.

If that seems like something you’d be into today, have we got a list for you – these 15 people are sharing the creepiest science facts they know, and they really are some doozies!

15. These scare the crap out of me.

The existence of prions.

The prion mode of action is very different to bacteria and viruses as they are simply proteins, devoid of any genetic material.

Once a misfolded prion enters a healthy person – potentially by eating infected food – it converts correctly-folded proteins into the disease-associated form.

To date, nobody knows quite how this happens

14. Excuse me, what?

There is something called “the squeeze,” where when people had old scuba suits with tubes, you could actually get sucked into that tube if the pressure was off.

You are literally shredded through your own breathing tube.

13. There are always more questions.

Humans are bioluminescent (nothing to do with body temperature).

We emit visible light that can be photographed in specific conditions.

But, this light isn’t visible to us. Which makes it a strange thing to have evolved, and begs the question

“what organisms is this light visible to, and why?”

12. Beware the bugs.

Doctors/ scientists are BARELY keeping up with the influenza virus. It keeps on mutating rapidly. It really wants to get inside you.

11. I hope to never encounter one.

Rogue black holes. There are black holes that just are floating around in space and potentially f*cking up solar system just by passing through it.

10. We could do it if we tried I bet.

That so many vegetables came from the same plant. Broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, etc.

They are, botanically speaking, the same species. Humans have just bred them to emphasize different traits (buds, leaves, tubers…)

Imagine if humans were as genetically flexible.

Imagine a person walking around with GIANT toes, but otherwise normal.

Actually, plant genetics in general is a weird, weird world.

9. No thank you.

Not exactly scientific or creepy but, it’s close enough and I want to contribute.

Mouth pipetting was a thing in labs in the 1980s. A pipette is, for simplicity sake, a glass straw that lab staff would use to transfer liquids. Now a days we use special bulbs, that when squeezed, would suck up the liquid for us. Kinda like a turkey baster or eye dropper.

Before we had these bulbs lab workers had to use their mouths to suck up the liquid. Which meant if they weren’t careful they’d get whatever they were sucking up in their mouth. I’m currently training to be MLAT and those fluids would usually be urine, liquid stool, sputum and so on.

8. It’s your brains world.

Your brain literally creates your own reality and your senses and body just go along with it.

7. You are a whole universe.

There is more micro organisms on your body than people in earth.

6. How is this a thing?

Also a lot of schizophrenics are pretty normal well adjusted people aside the schizophrenia, so like if you were sitting in your room and a dog floated in attached to a balloon or the number 7 started telling you you’re worthless at first you’re gonna get freaked out by it but once you confirm that it’s not there you’re going to realize “okay this is me”, it helps that a lot of hallucinations are recurring as well, so if you know they happen you can just tell yourself they’re not, even though everything in you is saying that’s not the case

It’s really weird but it’s fascinating

The really hard stuff is like extreme paranoia, I worked with a woman whose whole family basically was schizophrenic, her included, and there were a few times she’d say things like “you’re not hacking my phone right?” Or “the mayor is stalking me”, that kind of thing and for someone who has experienced similar paranoias (to a considerably lesser degree) I can understand that those aren’t really that easy to shake

5. This makes a lot of (creepy) sense.

Spider webs were used as bandages in ancient times.

My grandpa was from rural Eastern Europe and he told me about his grandma and mom using spider webs on wounds. It’s not even that ancient of a thing

4. It’s hard to wrap your mind around.

The way quantum mechanics works is pretty creepy to me for reasons I can’t exactly pin down.

Particles aren’t points, at least not that we can possibly ever observe. The best physical description of a particle’s position is a wave over at least a four-dimensional volume showing where it probably is. I say four-dimensional because there’s a non-zero time uncertainty as well. This isn’t a limitation on what we can observe, it’s an actual testable property of particles, that they don’t have exact positions, velocities, energies, times. When they’re “observed” by interaction, the wave collapses, which still doesn’t make it exact, just more likely to exist in a smaller space. The argument that there really is an exact point in there somewhere and it’s just always hidden from observation isn’t true; the Bell inequality proved that. For example, because of this uncertainty, it’s physically impossible to cool helium enough to freeze it at atmospheric pressure.

This uncertainty even applies to the vacuum. It can’t be at zero energy, because that would violate the uncertainty principle. So sets of virtual particles pop into existence in the vacuum and stick around for an incredibly short amount of time, given by the time uncertainty, before annihilating each other in a zero net energy process. This is, very simply put, how black holes hypothetically lose mass; pairs of virtual particles are spontaneously created near the event horizon, one enters, one escapes. The one inside annihilates a particle within, the one that leaves becomes real. Information is transported outside the event horizon in an incredibly obfuscated, but still existent, form, meaning information isn’t destroyed by black holes.

Then you get into the weird math. It starts raising questions about what “real” is. Can we say something’s real if it’s not testable, or is the math describing the situation the closest to “real” that we can get? For example, you could look at the predicted path for a particle. There’s a non-zero chance for it to take any path between two points. So you basically take all the possible paths, account for the probability that it takes that path, add ’em all up, and you can recover Newtonian mechanics from it in the classical limit. Is this actually what’s happening? It isn’t really testable.

Even the Bell inequality that I mentioned earlier has some crazy philosophical implications. It basically says one of three things are true: information travels faster than light (which we have never seen), cause doesn’t always come before effect (wtf), or the universe is superdeterministic (which would disprove free will). We don’t know which.

People make a lotta crazy claims based on quantum mechanics, and I think a lot of it has to do with how uncomfortable the idea of living in a universe that seems to be inherently uncertain is.

3. You can be convinced of anything.

You can be convinced you committed a crime. You can also give false confessions.

2. If only we could replicate that.

You get and cure cancer in your own body thousands of times a day…..

Your body produces thousands and thousands of cells with damaged dna.

It’s a bit of exaggeration to call them cancer but if any of these cells were to survive they could become cancerous. Your immune system destroys them before they get to that point.

This is also why if you were to live forever you would eventually get cancer because the chances of your body missing them statistically increases. This occurs thousands upon thousands upon thousands of times a day

1. What are yours?

A doctor once told me, on average every human has three anomalies. Not all are visible.

I can never un-read some of these, that’s for sure.

Share the creepiest fact in your arsenal with us down in the comments!

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Did You Know There’s a Test to Find Out if You Might Be a “Super Recognizer” Of Faces?

Since people’s names and faces seem to flow right in one side of my brain and out the other, I don’t think I’m a “super-recognizer” of faces (or anything else), but according to scientists who study this phenomenon, around 1% of the population can honestly say that they never forget a face.

In 2009, a team of neuroscientists at Harvard did a study on super-recognizers, testing just four people who claimed they could always remember faces of the people they met – and even those of strangers on the street.

Image Credit: Pexels

The four people felt like their abilities were “creepy, and even that there was something wrong with them. One subject confessed that she hid her ability to “pretend that I don’t remember people, because it seems like I stalk them, or that they mean more to me than they do.”

All of the subsequent studies on the topic have included only small numbers of people – everyone they can find who might have this uncanny ability – and though researchers have found a few more, it seems to be extremely rare.

Image Credit: Pexels

This recent study that was published in PLOS ONE that looked at people with excellent memories in general showed that the two are not necessarily related. You don’t have to have a good memory to have faces burn into your brain, and vice versa.

“These findings lend support to the idea that face processing abilities are at least to a certain extent hard-wired.”

Since the 1990s, researchers have assigned the ability to identify a face to a region of the brain known as the fusiform face area (FFA).

Image Credit: PLOS ONE

This is because people who have damage to this area of their brain experience the opposite of what we’re talking about here – they have what’s known as “face blindness,” and can’t retain faces at all.

Image Credit: PLOS ONE

One of the scientists most interested in learning more about this phenomenon now, psychology professor Josh P. Davis out of the University of Greenwich, is hoping to find more people who think they have this ability so that he can study it further.

Image Credit: Greenwich University

If you do very well on this test he developed, he would like to hear from you.

Police in the UK are already thinking that people involved in these studies might be great for identifying murder suspects and the like.

If anything bad ever happens to me, I hope one of them just happens to be around.

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Take a Look at These Scientific Benefits to Smiling

If you’re a woman reading this headline, I bet you automatically went on the defensive. I know this because I am a woman, and I do not and will not smile unless I feel like it, and even science had better not try to tell me otherwise.

That said, we could all use a psychological boost sometimes – now more than ever – so if there’s something in smiling for me, well…maybe I want to know what it is.

So, here are 5 reasons smiling more can do something for you (not for anyone else).

5. They make other people trust you.

Image Credit: Pexels

Salesmen, politicians, the waitstaff…they’re always smiling, right? There’s a reason for that, and it’s that people who smile a lot are more likely to gain our trust (and get what they want from us) than someone with a sour expression.

A smile projects confidence, and people generally respond positively to that, as well – brain scans show we view smiles as little gifts, and if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that you can always leverage a present.

4. They’re good for your relationships.

Image Credit: Pexels

People who smile often are considered likable and approachable.

According to a 30-year study out of Berkeley, people who smiled with genuinely positive emotion in their senior yearbook photos were more likely to be in healthy marriages at the age of 52.

Why 52? Who knows. But it sounds like a nice way to live your life.

3. They make you happier.

Image Credit: Pexels

Smiling – even if it’s forced – releases endorphins, the same feel-good chemicals associated with exercise.

The chemical release helps relieve stress and reduce the perception of pain, too.

2. You could live longer.

Image Credit: Pexels

Research from Wayne State University shows that baseball players who genuinely grinned on their baseball cards in 1952 were likely to live longer than average – 5-to-7 years longer than their non-smiling counterparts.

We also look younger when we smile, wrinkles and all.

1. It reduces anxiety.

Image Credit: Pexels

The act of smiling actually relaxes us – it tells our brains that there’s no threat around, which slows down our heart rate, stops the production of stress hormones like cortisol, and may even temporarily reduce blood pressure.

One study from the University of Kansas even suggests smiling can reduce stress and slow your heart rate, too.

See, now I’m considering it! Science is just so s^xy!

Ladies, what’s your go-to response when a dude tells you to smile? I need more comebacks in my arsenal!

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People Share Life Hacks for Our Bodies

You should ALWAYS, ALWAYS listen to your friends, family members, and even complete strangers if they offer you advice about your wellness and overall health.

Because we’re all works in progress and there’s nothing wrong with learning some new tricks to help ourselves out.

So, what are some good life hacks for our bodies?

Let’s see how folks on AskReddit answered that question.

1. Give it a shot.

“I put lavender oil in my diffuser and turn it on about 30 min before I got to bed.

Fills my room so that I can fall asleep faster than my 1-2 hour normal. I call it my knockout gas.”

2. Foot massage.

“If you use a standing desk at home, buy a lacrosse/cricket/baseball and roll your feet around on it while you stand.

It’s like a high pressure foot massage”

3. Listen to your body.

“Lots of water and lots of sleep can cure SO many things.

Hydrate and rest.

Second favorite life hack is, when my body says “no,” I listen. I don’t mean a whiny no, like a little kid who just doesn’t feel like it, but an actual full stop Do Not Want.

I don’t argue with that.”

4. Pro tip.

“Take a shot of baking soda in water to immediately stop heartburn.”

5. Cut down on the meat.

“My digestive system operates most efficiently if I cut my meat consumption in half.”

6. Wow.

“Stop eating processed sugar…

Life long meds for anxiety gone within 5-ish days.

My thinking is more crisp.

My ADHD is slightly more manageable now…”

7. Good for you.

“Cold showers.

My ability to handle the cold has greatly improved, can happily walk around outside in shorts and t-shirt while everyone else is in big coats, hats and gloves.

Really good for your mental and physical health too.”

8. Get that outta there.

“If you have something in your eye and can’t get it out, pinch your top eyelid gently and then just pull it down over your eye and it will take care of the issue.”

9. Beat the fatigue.

“Whenever I’m extremely tired, to the point where my eyes are slowly shutting, make yourself strong coffee (or energy drink for those non-coffee drinkers) and take a 15-30 min nap right after.

Helped me pull off some papers due the next day for a class in high school and university.”

10. Do it at night.

“Showering before going to bed is like telling my body “Don’t wake up until you’re fully rested, no matter what”.”

11. I like this!

“Want to get some “automatic exercise?”

Put on a 20lb or heavier weight vest and wear it as you do chores around your home, take a walk outside, etc.

After months of slacking off on exercising, I found that wearing it for a couple of hours a day resulted in toning and loss of a bit of waistline.”

12. Stretch it out!

“Stretching.

That’s all. Do it in the morning.

Doesn’t matter if you do a full on session or just a 1min “all the major areas” type thing (neck, back, legs).

Blood flows better and you feel looser in your skin.”

13. As simple as that.

“Eating well, sleeping enough, and regular exercise make you healthy and strong.

It’s insane how many people just let their health go to complete sh*t and then die years early for no reason.”

Now we want to hear from you.

In the comments, tell us about the hacks you use for your body.

We can’t wait to hear them! Thanks!

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People Share the Hilariously Obvious Conclusions of Scientific Studies

Have you ever seen a headline about a scientific study and thought “well, what did they expect?!?!”

I know sometimes the outcomes can seem obvious, but we can’t call them scientifically accurate unless we do the actual research, you know?

Still, if you’re looking for a laugh, these “well, duh!” research studies should definitely do the trick.

16. And yet, no one cares.

There are thousands and thousands of studies that conclude “too much sugar is bad for you.”

I get at least one new one every week on my google news feed.

Yes. That is true.

15. Yes I can see how that might happen.

People get more confused if you use longer words when you don’t need to.

14. Also of all humans. Don’t lie.

Picking one’s nose is a common trait of adolescent humans.

The study calls it Rhinotillexomania to make it look like they weren’t just asking if kids were picking their noses.

13. Walking with it at all, I would also guess.

Study shows walking backwards with a cup of coffee makes you more likely to spill it.

Of course, walking backwards may be less of a practical method to prevent coffee spilling than a mere physical speculation. A few trials will soon reveal that walking backwards, much more than suppressing resonance, drastically increases the chances of tripping on a stone or crashing into a passing by colleague who may also be walking backwards (this would most definitely lead to spillage).

I just can’t stop laughing at the idea of two people walking backwards to try to not spill coffee walking into each other, it’s like a Monty Python sketch. And now its John Cleese and Terry Gilliam in my head both over apologising to each other. Oh! even better, they can be snooty waiters carrying coffees in a restaurant!

12. Why might that be?

In the US, the majority injuries due to fireworks happen in July.

11. Huh. You don’t say.

A study of high school students found that those who had s^x were more likely to get pregnant.

Kind of like the fact that teen pregnancies drop sharply from age 20 onwards…

10. Faster isn’t always better.

My roommate and i took completely different paths to the same college every morning and evening. He would always tell me his way was faster. He walked 10 mins to the underground, switched twice, then took a bus to the campus. While I took a bus that left from a minute in front of our house and dropped off down the street from campus

He was adamant that his way was way faster. Finally one day we decided to test it, and left at the exact same time. He got to campus an entire minute ahead of me.

It was a “well sh%t” moment for him because for 5 months he had been putting in all the effort to save a minute of his day while I sat on the bus and read and study the entire way most days and didn’t move. He started taking my way after that.

9. Definitely try that.

In high school we each had to write and present a research paper on a unique topic, and my friend wrote about sleep deprivation

It was a very well crafted paper with credible sources, but he got some light ridicule for his conclusion: “Sleep is the best cure for sleep deprivation”

I get where he’s coming from though. Currently, there is no real substitute for a good night’s sleep. If you need 8 hours of sleep, you can’t regularly get only 5 hours and power through the day with caffeine. It’s not sustainable and you’ll feel the detrimental effects soon enough

8. Or for anything, I wouldn’t think.

Electric shock therapy administered to the face is not an effective form of treatment for rattlesnake bites.

A guy I know witnessed a bar bet where a couple of guys were daring each other to kiss a rattlesnake that they found outside. Of course, one of the drunk idiots got bit right on the upper lip. And the rest of the guys at the bar have heard that electric shock can neutralize the venom, so here is what they do. I have no explanation for how the hell they thought this was a good idea, other than that a lot of alcohol was involved.

They drag the guy to someone’s truck and hook jumper cables up to his face.

He was admitted to the hospital with third-degree burns, but he lived to tell the tale.

7. You’ve solved it!

I’m not sure if it was a ‘legit’ study, partially because I can’t find it anymore. But I remember a study that showed that married couples divorce more often!

My teacher presented it like it was the breakthrough of the century…

6. We are aware.

The recent cannabis causes an uptick in eating junk food study.

“You think marijuana does no harm — that’s pretty much the consensus today,” said Georgia State University economist Alberto Chong in an interview with The Academic Times. “But there are unintended consequences, and one of them is the fact that you really get very hungry and you start eating crap.”

5. That seems obvious.

Most car accidents are cause by the vehicle not being able to stop in time.

In a similar vein, “most car accidents happen within 5 miles of the home”.

Like no shit, that’s the only place I’m guaranteed to go through every time I go somewhere and when I go back.

And while we’re at it.

“Most accidents happen in the home”

Yes the place I spend most of my time is probably where I’m most likely to have an accident, that makes sense.

4. Funded by kids and toy companies everywhere.

Study Finds Buying Kids Toys Makes Them Happy.

3. Could someone inform my husband.

Scientists discover reason for noisy candy wrappers

Conclusion: “The unwrapping sound could be decreased with different wrapping materials that hold their form better or don’t produce so much sound when unraveled.”

2. Simple physics, I believe.

Science builds on other science. A breakthrough paper needs to reference other papers to make a foundation for its own findings. Often as a single, nearly throw-away sentence with a footnote to that study.

Therefore, there is a ton of ‘water is wet’ science out there. To that end, in my field (dentistry), the most obvious result study showed that the harder you pushed a cutting bur through a material, the more it cut.

1. They’re attracted to movement, so.

Most sharks attacks happen in shallow water close to a beach.

Makes sense as that’s where all the people are.

Some things really are just common sense, right?

I love it – share more like these in the comments if you’ve got ’em!

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Scientific Studies With Glaringly Obvious Conclusions

Water is wet!

People like to say that when someone says something completely obvious and the result of common sense, but when it comes to scientific studies, I think most of us expect the material to be a bit more convoluted to start.

Otherwise, what is there to really figure out?

These 13 studies, though, had to be full of researchers who knew exactly what they were going to find when they went in, but at least they’re here to delight us all with their completely expected results.

13. Was that some kind of test?

I once did a physics class-lab in high school. They had us measure the temperature of hot water in a jar across time.

Surprise surprise, the conclusion is that hot water cools down if you leave it out.

I had to get up at 5am for that class.

12. There must be a reason.

I’m a psychology student and many if the studies I read about have that quality.

“People are attracted to attractive people”,

“Too much emphasis on statistical significance testing”,

“Water is wet”!

11. I mean I’d be up for that.

A team of French researchers did a study to see if dogs felt the emotion Love.

All they are is fuzzy balls of love.

I think it was just a scam so they could get paid to play with dogs for a few months.

10. I guess it pays the bills.

Not psychology, but I’ve published a “duh” paper. But it was conventional wisdom that previously had not been documented or even discussed in the literature. So I conducted the research and published.

Many people in their twenties consider the geographic locations of their partners and families of origin when making career decisions. Previous literature focused solely on job tasks, work environments, and pay. Literature on families impacting career choices focused on participants in their 30s and 40s, and primarily on the impacts of participants’ children.

It turns out siblings and grandparents matter to many people in their 20s.

9. You don’t say.

The studies they do on universal basic income where they take like, 100 low-income people, give them a free chunk of cash every month for like, 6 months, and then declare the amazing conclusion that those people were happier, and none quit their jobs or stopped working.

8. For about a hundred reasons.

Rich people live longer than poor people.

A gigantic progress in medicine appeared when a doctor found strange that richer urban women would die more often during childbirth than poorer rural women. It lead to the discovery of the concept of hygiene.

Edit: In that case, he correctly deduced that the doctors were bringing something bad to the young mothers and made them clean themselves. I should have added that.

The considerations on water quality and sewage are also correct. Urban health really improved once chlorine was added in distribution water, sewage systems were created and garbage was collected.

7. The word is right there!

I wish I still had a link… It turns out that the most effective solution to the cycle of disinvestment in urban neighborhoods is- wait for it- investment.

6. Anyone who has had a cat knows that.

That cats do understand us to a point, they just don’t bother reacting. I could’ve told you that for free.

My favourite is that cats know their names but that they just don’t care! I have one that comes when called and does several “tricks”, the others are just apathetic to anything that we do.

5. There’s an evolutionary reason for that I think.

Study shows that humans are more empathetic towards puppies and babies than full size dogs and 30 year old men.

4. Where’s the study on that?

I think a lot of it is people raise dogs and cats differently. I know so many people that treat their cats as just a fluffy thing to pet and feed. Their dog however, they take on walks, play fetch with it, talk to it, call it by name since the day they got it, etc. It doesn’t surprise me when they say their cat does nothing when they call them.

I grew up with both cats and dogs, so when my wife and I got our cats we raised them like you would a dog. We spent time with them, played with them for hours, called them by their names, practiced their names. Practiced simple commands with treats. People are shocked when they come over that our cats are so sociable. Like yeah dude, cause I do stuff with them.

3. If only it were that easy.

Microsoft in Japan tested a 4-day work week for 5 weeks.

Productivity jumped 40%. They subsidized up to $920 for family vacations. Employees took 25% less time off even though work days had only reduced 20%. Electricity consumption went down 23% at the office. 59% less paper was used.

And wait wait, get this guys, you’ll never believe it:

92% said they liked the shorter week.

So productivity increased, consumptions decreased, the work got done, your staff are happier and take less time off, your profits in theory increased as your bills decreased…

Hmmm, wonder if it’ll catch on…

2. Is this…news?

That bisexual men exist. I, as a bisexual man, was shocked to say the least.

A lot of those studies have conclusions like, “Turns out, we are all attracted to the same sex to a certain degree!”

I suppose, but you would have to get straight men to admit that they know when other men are attractive first.

1. What if you like to drink both?

Harvard did a study that said beer drinkers are more likely to go to sporting events and wine drinkers are more likely to go to the theater.

Talk about no s**t.

My favorite part is how they still report the conclusion as if it’s supposed to be very exciting.

What’s your favorite example of a “water is wet” study? We want to hear about it in the comments!

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Learn About the Difference Between Ethyl and Isopropyl Alcohol

Chances are pretty good that you haven’t spent too much time in your life thinking about different kinds of alcohols and what they’re good for – at least, you weren’t until a pandemic broke out and suddenly hand sanitizer was the hottest thing going.

If you’re wondering which kind is best for killing germs, and what you need the other stuff for, read on!

Image Credit: iStock

Isopropyl alcohol is the most common ingredient in hand sanitizers. It’s also known as rubbing alcohol, a term coined in the 1920s both because it was “rubbed” into the skin for health and healing and, because of prohibition, the “good” alcohol needed to be distinguished from the “bad” ethanol that was banned at the time.

Ethanol being the one you drink, of course, and any alcohol distilled from grains.

Image Credit: iStock

The two alcohols have similar structures, but their chemicals vary enough to make one drinkable and one dangerous to ingest. In hand sanitizers, they disrupt the proteins and lipids in viruses and bacterias, killing the germs – the CDC recommends a solution of 65%-95% alcohol to get the job done.

We add water to hand sanitizers (and smell-good stuff) because it makes the solution evaporate more slowly, letting it linger longer on the germs on on your hands.

Ethanol is also more dehydrating, too, and while isopropyl alcohol evaporates more quickly, it doesn’t dry out our skin quite so much.

Image Credit: Pexels

Which is all to say, listen – there is room for all kinds of alcohols in our lives.

These last ten months, I think we can all agree that we’ve needed more than normal.

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Fun Facts People Just Learned About Nature

Nature sure is amazing.

It’s amazing that I don’t even believe it half the time. I mean, have you SEEN pictures of those deep sea fish? Or the fossilized imprints of dragonflies with six foot wingspans?

Those things EXIST (or existed) in the real world, and here we are just going about our day pretending it’s fine.

It’s not fine. It’s ridiculous. And somebody oughta do something about it, like, say, take to Twitter and share random facts.

Enjoy these ridiculous nature realizations.

10. Beavers

Don’t let them fool you, it’s all because of their strict Cheeto diet.

9. Cats

This might be why my cat is physically incapable of being sweet.

8. Harvest mice

This phenomenon is what top scientists refer to as “the cutest thing in the entire whole wide world.”

7. Supervolcanoes

The Earth is angry and waiting to strike.

6. Turtles

This almost seems like an inefficient use of space.

5. Owls

The more I learn about these creeps, the less I trust them.

4. Donkeys and lambs

“Lol what?” – lambs, probably

3. Hammerhead Bats

This is the villain in a 90’s kid’s cartoon.

2. Yellow watermelon

Why do I feel like I’m gonna get superpowers if I eat one of these?

1. Eggplants

Letting anything in nature be simple would just be overeasy.

The words have been said before but they’ve never rang more true: crazy how nature do dat.

What’s your fun nature fact? Teach us something fun about the world around us! Please!

If you can, share it with us in the comments. We love learning stuff like that.

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Which Parts of Science Can We Lick? Let Us Explain…

More people out there are being encouraged these days to get an education/job in what’s called a STEM field (“Stem” here stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.)

STEM is basically the stuff that helps us know more things about the universe, and build stuff. It’s fascinating, and it’s hard work, but it can be very rewarding.

But before diving into one of these areas, people understandable have questions.

Questions like, “What are my job prospects in this field? What do they pay? What’s the day-to-day really entail? And most importantly, can I lick it?”

The last question is the one that the people of Tumblr decided to rally together and answer. Here’s what your future of licking things might look like if you choose to study the following topics:

1. The genome

2. Chemicals

3. Human history

4. Rocks

5. The mind

6. Movement

7. Animals

8. People

9. Reptiles

10. Society

11. Plants

12. Computers

13. Disease

14. Language

15. Design

16. Code

17. The brain

18. Water animals

19. Space

Welp, I’m convinced. Sign me up for all of ’em. I’ve got some licking to do.

Is licking allowed in your line of work?

Tell us why or why not in the comments.

The post Which Parts of Science Can We Lick? Let Us Explain… appeared first on UberFacts.

This is How the Butterfly Effect Actually Works

Travis Scott’s song “BUTTERFLY EFFECT” might make for a great title, but it doesn’t offer the best theoretical explanation.

That’s right, the butterfly effect is a real vessel of chaos theory, but it doesn’t entail what you might think.

Image Credit: howstuffworks

The idea suggests that seemingly insignificant events can eventually lead to much more impactful consequences. For example, something as small as a butterfly flapping its wings in Russia might lead to a catastrophic tornado in Kansas – hence the theory’s name.

So, Travis Scott song actually gets the butterfly effect completely wrong. Scott seems to insist “For this life, I cannot change,” but the entire theory is based on constant change.

The theory was actually developed in the 1960s by meteorology professor Edward Lorenz while he was teaching at MIT. Lorenz created a model that showed how two points near each other could end up with vastly different weather conditions within hours.

Previously, meteorologists believed that weather could be predicted by looking at historical records. Lorenz’s discovery proved that it was essentially impossible to predict weather in this way. His model showed that there were too many variables to rely on past data.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Therefore, our common understanding of the butterfly effect is skewed.

Though we might think that the theory means small changes can lead to big results, in actuality, Lorenz’s theory insists that tracking these changes and their effects is impossible. The reach of the butterfly effect spans far beyond weather; it also touches upon when you get your groceries, the people you make small talk with, or even what route you decide to take to work. Every small action we do has the potential to change our lives.

However, we have no way of knowing which choices caused what changes.

We’re basically moving through one giant ripple effect that we can’t even see.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

So, it looks like we have even less control over our lives than we thought! That’s so horrifying that I want to forget that I ever learned it. T

ime to obsessively repress that information while we all get on with the rest of our day! Or maybe we’ll dwell on it and spiral.

What’s your experience with the butterfly effect?

Share with us in the comments!

The post This is How the Butterfly Effect Actually Works appeared first on UberFacts.