27 Scientific Facts That May Make You See The World In An Entirely Different Light

Many of the facts you will see posted on this list may fall under the “Oddly Satisfying” category. They’re pieces of information that provide no added value to your life, yet you feel a sense of satisfaction after ingesting them. 

Experts have explored this phenomenon (if you could call it that) and found that this type of content can be meditative, for one.  

Social scientist and Pennsylvania State University media studies professor Dr. Jessica Myrick confirmed in an interview with Live Science that “oddly satisfying” content can be a calming, interesting, and aesthetically pleasing experience. 

"Even if you don't consciously realize you're stressed, your body is aware that you're stressed or physiologically aroused," she said. "That could drive you toward this type of soothing, interesting content."

So, why are we drawn to “oddly satisfying” things we see online? According to RMIT University Media and Cinema professor Dr. Jessica Balanzategui, part of the reason lies in nostalgic feelings of comfort from childhood. 

"We found that the genre's popularity with young people is linked to the way it simulates children's play with things like kinetic sand, slime and other materials you'd remember from playgroup or preschool,” she told ABC Australia. 

Dr. Balanzategui further noted that watching oddly satisfying videos, for example, provides “some kind of primal pleasure” because it parallels the physical act of tactile play, or playing with materials, "with an interesting or unusual feel driven by sensory experience." 

“This genre is fascinating because it helps us understand how genres form in unique ways in 'participatory' online spaces,” she explained.

Because there is an element of play, Dr. Balanzategui stated that oddly satisfying content also provides anxiety relief, especially since it stimulates a sensory response that many gravitate towards. 

A good example of this is the fascination with ASMR content, which has been linked to reduced stress, lowered heart rate, and decreased symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia.