“Today I Learned”: 40 Lesser-Known Facts About The World That Should Be Common Knowledge (New Pics)

For many people, maintaining curiosity and continuously learning new things can be a lifelong journey. By now, it’s probably not a secret to most of you that new experiences, like visiting new places or trying something out for the first time, make it feel like time slows down. Or as one headline of a scientific article brilliantly put it: "It's like you're Doctor Strange, but only in your head."

The feeling of discovering something you didn't know before, in other words, can be deeply rewarding and satisfying. As we noted in one of our previous articles, our brain rewards us for learning or achieving small things with dopamine, which, although addicting, can give enough encouragement for those "Duolingo" streaks.

Another great reason why we can't get enough of communities such as r/todayilearned is the ability to open up new worlds and perspectives. Whether you're exploring a new subject area, reading about a historical event, or delving into a scientific discovery - just take a look at the top facts of today - learning new information can help you to better understand the world around you and the people in it.

Of course, being curious and hungry for knowledge can often challenge our assumptions and beliefs, prompting us to reconsider opinions and expand our understanding of different cultures, experiences, and perspectives. Do you remember what it was like to unlearn that the poor ol' Pluto is not worthy enough to be considered a full-sized planet like its ball-shaped contemporaries?

It's no surprise, then, that curiosity has been described as the driving force behind scientific and technological advancement. The desire to understand the unknown and discover new truths about the world has led to some of the most significant breakthroughs in human history. From the discovery of penicillin to the exploration of space, curiosity has been at the forefront of human progress. What else, do you think, put humans all the way on the Moon?

Then again, curiosity isn't just important for scientific advancement - it's also essential for personal growth and development. The more we learn and explore, the more we understand ourselves and the world around us. It's also been scientifically proven that curiosity can improve our creative problem-solving skills. Not to mention the enhanced empathy and compassion for others.

Our openness to new experiences and information varies according to the personality trait of being curious, it turns out. This trait is linked to the Big Five personality traits: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. As Regan Gurung, an American psychologist and award-winning author of "Study Like a Champ", explained to Bored Panda, there are certain variables, such as the Need for Cognition, which encourage deeper processing rather than surface processing, leading people to want to know more.

"From an external standpoint, it is reinforcing to know facts (silly or random) when people around us give us attention for knowing or value us knowing," Gurung argued. "There is also a satisfaction some derive from knowing the answers to 'Why' questions (not something all share). It gives some [people] meaning."

Gurung also pointed out that the digital age and social media have made obtaining information much easier compared to the time-consuming process of physically visiting a library. "Those of us who are more curious may go down deeper rabbit holes due to social media (calling for higher levels of managing the self)."