#1 Fun Fact: There's A Service Called "Cleaning For A Reason" In The U.s And Canada That Cleans The Houses Of Women With Cancer For Free So They Can Focus On Their Health
The process by which your brain actually learns these facts is an interesting and not entirely intuitive one. Let’s dig in.
Most people know that our brain consists primarily of neurons. These cells link to one another with synapses, forming a dense network of connections that send signals through the brain and onwards throughout our bodies. At a basic level, these are the cells that embody the information we learn.
#3 Fun Fact : In Switzerland It Is Illegal To Own Just One Guinea Pig . This Is Because Guinea Pigs Are Social Animals, And They Are Considered Victims Of Abuse If They Are Alone
#4 In 1850 Dmitri Mendeleev Walked Almost A Thousand Miles To Moscow So He Could Apply For The University Of Moscow. Although He Was Not Accepted, He Walked To St. Petersburg Where He Was Accepted, And With That Education, He Developed The Periodic Table Of The Elements
When your neuronal connections fire in certain patterns, those connections are strengthened and reinforced, and those reinforced pathways become the basis of all of our knowledge.
This is, of course, a gross oversimplification. Our brains contain lobes and segments that are specialized towards different parts of our thinking processes, but at a basic level, we have neural pathways criss-crossing those regions of the brain that form the basis for what we know.
#5 A Deck Of Poker Cards Has A Metaphysical Meaning: 52 Cards - 52 Weeks A Year, 4 Suits - Seasons, 13 Cards Of The Same Suit - 13 Phases Of The Lunar Cycle. If You Add Up All The Values of The Cards In The Game Deck, You Get 365 Days (Including The Joker). The Second Joker Is A Leap Year
#7 Fun Fact: A Black Robin Named Old Blue Became The Mother Of Her Entire Species When She Was The Last Fertile Female In A Group Of 5 Robins. There Are Now Over 250 Black Robins On The Chatham Islands, And Have Raised Their Status From Critically Endangered To Endangered
Neuroplasticity, then, is our brain’s ability to learn new information and revise things we’ve learned before. The greater your neuroplasticity, presumably, the more likely you will be to remember more of the cool facts on this list!
In reality, that’s not the only thing that determines your capacity to learn. Learning can be reinforced by many other factors, a couple of significant ones being repetition and emotion. This one sounds like common sense when you think about it - you’re more likely to remember the facts that shocked you, made you smile, or interested you the most.
#8 A Picture Of Dr. Religa Monitoring His Patient's Vitals After Completing A 23-Hour-Long Heart Transplant. At The Bottom Is A Picture Of The Same Patient, 30 Years Later. He Managed To Outlive His Doctor
#9 Armadillos Can Hold Their Breath For Up To Six Minutes And Are Known To Walk Underwater To Cross Streams!
#10 The Eggplant Is Called The Eggplant Because When It Is Young It Looks Like An Egg
As we mentioned earlier, learning new facts is one way to maintain your neuroplasticity! In addition to that, this great article on Healthline has a few other fun ways to improve your neuroplasticity (which, you guessed it - tends to degrade as we get older):
- Video games
- Learning a new language
- Creating music
- Traveling
- Exercise
- Creating art
#13 Fun Fact: A Rural Japanese Town Under Siege By Monkeys Is Defended By Three Elderly Women Armed With Airguns Who Call Themselves The “Monkey Busters”
#15 The Meaning Of The Greek Word "Cerberus" Is "Spotted" So Technically Hades' Dog's Name Is "Spot"
#17 Fun Fact: Ethan Zuckerman, The Man Who Invented Pop-Up Ads, Apologized To The World For Unintentionally Creating One Of The Internet’s Most Hated Forms Of Advertising
#18 In 1985, After An 8.0 Magnitude Earthquake Hit Mexico City, Nearly All Newborn Babies Survived A Collapsed Hospital. They Are Known As "Miracle Babies" For Surviving 7 Days Without Nourishment, Water, Warmth Or Human Contact
#20 Fun Fact: Research Shows That Some Fish Eggs Remain Alive Even After Being Swallowed By Mallards, A Breed Of Ducks. These Eggs Then Come Out As The Ducks’ Poop And Hatch When They Find Water Again. This Explains How Some Fishes Emerge In Ponds And Pools Without A Hint
