Facts make the world go round. They keep us engaged, informed, entertained and can even help us feel a little more interesting or smarter when we're forced to make small talk with strangers.
While some facts quench our thirst for knowledge like a glass of ice water on a hot day, others are like accidentally stepping on a piece of Lego and wishing we’d had the foresight to go the other way. They’re the ones you randomly come across by chance and immediately want to unlearn.
Someone recently asked, “Tell me the scariest fact you wish you didn’t know,” and people didn’t hold back. From realizations like the brain named itself and is studying itself, to the freaky thought that one day (if we haven’t already), we will unknowingly pose for the photograph that will be used at our funeral… These are just a few of the unsolicited facts people would rather not think about.
Bored Panda has put together a list of the best answers for anyone brave enough to explore the cold, hard facts of life that make some others want to run and hide. We've also included some info on how your brain filters out unwanted information. You’ll find that between the images.
#21
We can psychologically condition people to be scared of something or love something.
16points
#22
It takes light to travel from the sun to the earth in 8 minutes. That means if the sun exploded we wouldn't know until 8 minutes later.
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15points
#23
Prion diseases, like mad cow/rabies/brucellosis/chronic wasting disease, etc, can live dormant in your body for over 10 years depending on the disease. So you could be currently infected and you wouldn't even know it. Not until you start showing symptoms... and there is no cure for any of them. It's crazy cause we don't have "absolutes" in medicine, but one of the only exceptions is that Prion diseases are 100% fatal..
15points
#25
Ovarian cysts can grow hair and teeth, saw images on Google and I'm forever traumatized.
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13points
#27
Human perception. Everyone perceives things differently, interprets it differently, even what you think you see/perceive may not be real, it's always distorted.
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12points
#28
A cockroach can live without its head for weeks.
12points
#29
I once got CPR while fully conscious. I can't even describe it. Did you ever hit that funny nerve in your elbow? Imagine that in your whole body and head+the pain and you feel like your neck is gonna burst open.
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11points
#30
An item or feeling can be the peak of happiness one moment and absolutely nothing in an hour.
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11points
#33
The fact we know more about our Galaxy above us than about our Oceans.
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11points
#34
The fact that when we're looking at the stars, we are most likely looking at their past when in reality, theyre probably not there anymore because their light takes so long to reach us. This is kinda scary to think of.
10points
#35
The fact that if we try and put the whole story of the planet earth in one book, us humans would only appear at the very last page, and just a tiny little piece of bottom right corner.
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10points
#36
Trillions of neutrinos are passing through our body every second right now from the Sun, distant supernovae, cosmic rays, and we can’t feel them, stop them or detect them in any way.
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10points
#37
Humans can see light from ~380nm to 700nm. This is less than 1% of the existing light spectrum. We’re basically blind.
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9points
#38
Early onset schizophrenia is a thing and can begin in childhood. It's characterised by fatigue, forgetfulness and lack of motivation, so is often diagnosed as depression.
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9points
#39
History is nothing but someone's pov we are manipulated into believing.
8points
#40
Your skin is constantly shedding cells, turning pieces of you into dust without you ever noticing. It’s a slow, invisible process almost like Sandman dissolving into grains.
Every day, parts of you disappear… and are quietly replaced
Every day, parts of you disappear… and are quietly replaced
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8points