As one version of the proverb says, "Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back." Seeking out answers and explanations is human nature. And now, being curious is easier than ever, thanks to the Internet. Whether by chance or intentionally (there are about 99,000 Google searches every second), we run into new information every day. But not all of it is exciting or worth sharing.
If you're on the lookout for already filtered interesting facts, the "Today I Learned" (TIL) subreddit is here for you. For years, this has been one of the biggest subreddits, and over 26.5M curious people have joined the community by now. The members of this group are doing us a community service by sharing the coolest tidbits of information that they run into. Ancient history, immortal animals, or current affairs that are flying under the radar, this group is as surprising as it is educational, and we love it.
Our curious pandas gathered another list of fascinating facts that I'm sure will broaden your horizons. And if you have anything that you think more people should learn about, please don't hesitate to share it in the comments. Be sure to upvote your favorite facts, and if after reading this you're eager for even more, you can find our previous articles here, here, and here!
#21
TIL the average gas pump handle is almost 12,000 times dirtier than the average public toilet seat.
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229points
#22
TIL: Traditionally Japanese do not eat salmon sushi and it was invented in the 80's by the Norwegians to to try to sell more of their over abundance of Salmon.
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226points
#23
TIL Hong Kong digs up the dead after 6 years for cremation due to lack of space.
223points
#24
TIL like "R.I.P." many ancient Romans had "NFFNSNC", non fui, fui, non sum, non curo, inscribed on their graves meaning “I was not; I was; I am not; I do not care”. A epicurist philosophy.
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210points
#25
TIL The inventor of the television was a 15 year old farm boy who got the idea for scanning an image in rows from the back and forth motion of plowing a field.
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203points
#26
TIL that Over 50 percent of the world's population relies on rice for 80 percent of it's food requirements.
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200points
#27
TIL In the UK, the distinction between an actor and an extra is defined by agreements between the actors trade unions and the various commercial production bodies. These state that once a performer says 13 or more words in any scene, they must become a contracted actor in that production.
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199points
#28
TIL of Viktor Belenko, the Soviet pilot who defected with the MiG-25 (most advanced Soviet interceptor of its time), who initially assumed that his CIA handlers were keeping him in an elaborate tourist trap made to impress foreigners because he couldn't comprehend the sheer abundance he was seeing.
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199points
#29
TIL Velcro is actually a brand name, and they launched campaigns to get people to stop saying "Velcro". The correct term is actually "hook and loop".
188points
#30
TIL that the common LED light was awarded a Nobel Prize. The 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources
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188points
#31
TIL that alcohol consumption in the U.S. was almost 300% higher in the 1800s, and that whiskey at the time was cheaper than beer, coffee or milk.
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169points
#32
TIL Very little of Franz Kafka's works were published during his lifetime and he burned 90% of his work. Works like The Trial and The Castle were saved when the executor of Kafka's will ignored Kafka's request to have his remaining works destroyed.
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165points
#33
TIL A $250,000 diamond placed on the nose of an F1 car was lost in a crash in the 2004 Monaco GP. It's still missing today.
158points
#34
TIL the Wright Brothers were perpetual bachelors, and that Orville Wright disowned their sister Katherine after she married and had a family of her own, feeling he had been "betrayed".
158points
#35
TIL that turkeys can sometimes reproduce asexually, forming near-clones of themselves.
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150points
