‘Today I Learned’: 40 Rarely Heard Facts That May Leave Your Inner Brainiac Entertained (New Facts)

The “Today I Learned” subreddit was created in 2008 and has attracted over 31 million members from around the world over the years.

Did you know that the word “ok” is said to be the most widely spoken word in the world or that China uses cloud seeding as a technique to control the weather? Well, now you do and you can learn even more fascinating facts by scrolling through this list!

To delve deeper into the topic of learning, we reached out to Nate Kornell, Ph.D., a professor of cognitive psychology at Williams College. His research focuses on the study methods that students believe are the most effective, as well as identifying the learning strategies that truly work the best. His main research questions are how learning works, what we can do to make memories stick and how people think they learn best.

Since learning can be a pretty draining process sometimes, we wanted to ask Kornell whether he has discovered any unique or unconventional ways to make learning more enjoyable and engaging. He told us that one of the best ways to make memories stick is to practice recalling them every once in a while. “One effective twist on this is giving yourself little hints. Studies show that hints don't impair learning (as long as the hints don't give the answer away). And they can make learning more fun.”

In our fast-paced world, having a good memory might come in handy. Whether it's remembering important information for school or work, recalling names and faces, or keeping track of daily tasks, a sharp memory can make a big difference in our lives. So, you might be wondering if there are any specific exercises or activities that can help improve memory. Unfortunately, Kornell has some disappointing news. He says there aren't really any exercises that can make your memory better. “Off the record, brain-training apps and stuff like that don't really work the way people hope; they make you better in the game or app, but not in real life.”

In today's world, technological advancements have changed the way we find and remember information. We can instantly connect to vast amounts of knowledge with just a few clicks. But have you ever wondered what this reliance on technology means for our memory and how it affects our ability to remember things? Saskia Giebl, Ph.D(c), Learning Researcher and Collaborator at UCLA Bjork Lab, published a study about memory and search engines. She wanted to find out how the internet and search engines could be used as tools for active learning. In order to do that, Giebl asked people to take a moment before searching for something on Google and try to guess what the search results would be. Interestingly, she discovered that thinking before googling resulted in improved memory. “And doing it was quick, easy, and kind of fun,” Kornell added.

Sometimes, learning can come hand in hand with stress, especially when we find ourselves in a nail-biting situation where we've procrastinated until the last night to cram for that dreaded exam. Let's face it, that doesn't exactly create an ideal environment for memorizing information, does it? According to Kornell, “generalized chronic stress and anxiety tend to reduce our ability to learn and remember.” This happens partly because they make us easily distracted. “On the other hand, if a specific event is highly stressful, people usually remember it well,” he added.

Have you learned something new today? Let us know in the comments! For more interesting facts, check out our previous articles here, here, here and here.