Though it’s literally impossible to know everything there is to know in the universe, there are some fundamental things about being a human being in the modern world that everyone should strive to know. Core skills like cooking and cleaning allow you to be self-sufficient. Meanwhile, knowing how antibiotics work, why cat bites can be dangerous, and what chemicals to never ever mix together can actually end up saving your life.
Reddit users had a very informative discussion on r/NoStupidQuestions in a thread that went viral. They shared the pieces of ‘basic’ knowledge that everyone should know, but that a scary number of people may be oblivious about. Check out what they feel is vital to know in the 21st century as you keep scrolling.
Bored Panda got in touch with Glenn Geher, Ph.D., who was kind enough to shed some light on the evolutionary reasons why people might get embarrassed about not knowing something that others do. He also shared his thoughts on how to fill those knowledge gaps and whether it's easier to survive in the modern world than in the far past. Geher is a professor of psychology at the State University of New York at New Paltz and a published author, and you'll find our full interview with him as you read on.
#41
Hear me out on this one.... Childbirth is extremely dangerous!!!! My wife gave birth about two months ago to her first my third.... The amount of people we have met that had babies and didn't know s**t about it other than how to conceive. I have heard so much about informed consent and so on..... It is not hard for people to read a little bit before they go into labor and have complications. It is f*****g stupid how many people do not know a damn thing about child birth.
We reproduce! This is basic f*****g knowledge people!
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74points
#43
A cat bite that pierces the skin is a serious event (because of the type of bacteria present) and needs prompt medical attention.
If you get water in your lungs for whatever reason, seek medical advice as it can dissolve the surfactant on your alveoli and cause what's known as "second drowning" up to a day or so later.
Don't hyperventilate before diving underwater (to increase your time underwater) because it can cause "shallow water blackout" when the partial pressure of oxygen drops below the threshold for consciousness before the CO2 concentration gets above the threshold that makes you feel the need to breathe.
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73points
#44
The single beep coming from your smoke/CO detector doesn’t mean you’re about to die. It means the detector is about to die.
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73points
#45
That people are different and what is obvious to one might not be obvious to another.
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71points
#47
Tax brackets
"If I get a raise I will earn less net because I will be in a higher tax bracket"
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68points
#48
Getting periodontitis (gum disease) can be a precursor to getting heart disease (I think still the biggest killer in the US)
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68points
#49
In the United States, going into a higher tax bracket never leaves you with less money (absent weird edge cases of being eligible for some deductions and then not or s**t like that. But not the tax brackets themselves). The first chunk of money you make is taxed at one tax bracket. The next chunk of money is taxed at the next. But it doesn't make the first chunk of money be taxed higher.
So, if you make $182,100, you are in the 24% tax bracket. And if you make $182,101, you are in the 32% tax bracket.
But only one dollar of your money is in the 32% tax bracket
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68points
