Countless fascinating facts are floating around, just waiting to blow your mind and shift your perspective. From surprising science and history to bizarre cultural practices and astonishing everyday wonders, we’ve curated 10 facts that will make you go ‘aha!’ and leave you wondering how you ever lived without them. So, be ready to increase your knowledge.
1. Dolphins give each other names.
It’s no secret that dolphins are incredibly intelligent animals, but did you know that they are so clever, that they even identify each other by name? Now that doesn’t mean that they go around calling each other real names, but rather have a unique whistle to call to each other.
Dolphins use these signature whistles to identify one another and when scientists played recordings of their own call back to them, they responded.
2. When rabbits get really happy, they start to jump around. This move is called a “binky”.
A rabbit binky is when they jump and twist, sometimes in both directions one after another, before landing. Rabbits binkying looks a little bit like a person gleefully jumped into the air and clicking their heels together. If your pet rabbit does this, there’s no need to worry. It just means that they’re happy and not afraid to show it.
3. Humans are made from stardust.
Whenever you start to feel a bit down, remember that you’re made of actual stardust. “Everything we are and everything in the universe and on Earth originated from stardust, and it continually floats through us even today”, Iris Schrijiver, professor of pathology at Stanford University, told National Geographic. “It directly connects us to the universe, rebuilding our bodies over and again over our lifetimes”.
More Facts to brighten up your day
4. On Mars, sunsets are blue.
Sunsets on Earth are usually mellow yellow or fiery pink. However, on Mars, you would witness blue sunsets. According to NASA, this is because “The colors come from the facts that the very fine dust is the right size so that blue light penetrates the atmosphere slightly more efficiently”.
5. Your dog knows when someone isn’t trustworthy.
It’s a known fact that dogs can sense things that are virtually undetectable by humans. So, when your bestie comes over and your dog starts growling, maybe it’s because they know something that you don’t.
Dogs have innate instincts to protect their humans. In fact, a 2015 study published in the journal Animal Cognition suggests that even puppies can tell if a person is untrustworthy based on their behavior.
6. A reservoir in space holds 140 trillion times the amount of water in Earth’s oceans.
NASA scientists are known to find some pretty incredible things in space and one such discovery includes a floating reservoir of water that holds the equivalent of 140 trillion times all the water that’s in Earth’s oceans.
What’s even more interesting is the fact that the water reservoir surrounds a giant black hole. This amazing discovery, however, is located 12 billion light-years away from Earth.
Facts about Animals and more
7. In Switzerland, it’s against the law to keep just 1 pet guinea pig.
According to the law, you have to give your pet guinea pig the chance to make friends with members of its own species. If you deny them that and decide to just have one, it’s considered cruelty.
Since guinea pigs are very social animals, the Swiss Animal Protection Act and Animal Protection ordinance forbids any guinea pig from being kept on their own. A service even exists that provides a guinea pig companion to keep a lonely guinea pig company.
8. There’s an island off the coast of Australia where a pair of dogs guard a colony of tiny penguins so they won’t be wiped out by foxes.
The ‘little penguin’ colony was nearly wiped out until 2006 when the trained sheep dogs were put on the island to be their protectors. Not a single fox has been able to get close to the penguins since the program began, and the population has increased from fewer than 10 to nearly 200.
9. Cats bring you gifts because they think that you’re bad at being a cat.
Have you ever had a situation where your furry friend brought you a gift from the backyard? Such behavior can leave many cat owners scratching their heads, but in reality, they are just trying to be good cat mothers.
In the wild, cat mothers teach their young how to eat their food by bringing home their hunt. Domestic cats are no different. So, by bringing you a fresh catch, they are passing on their hunting wisdom because you’re part of their family.
Eating Dark Chocolate
10. Eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate is good for the body, both physically and mentally.
Who doesn’t love chocolate? Of course, we don’t need an excuse to enjoy it but in case you did, then you will be thrille to find out that chocolate can be good for your mind and your body. According to a 2019 study, eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate benefits you.
It is considered a ‘superfood’ for both the brain and the body. Studies also show that moderate amounts of dark chocolate every day can help your mind stay sharp and alert, and your mood calm and happy.
