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At one point, you were the youngest person on Earth
The moment you were born, you were the youngest person in the world, however briefly.
Your chances of making it to 116 years old are…very slim
Speaking of age, on the other end of things, only one person in two billion survives to be 116.
Sleeping burns more calories than watching TV
Yes, you burn calories in your sleep—and usually more than you do while watching the tube. The main reason for this is that our sleeping selves take in exactly zero calories, but while we’re watching the tube, we often get tempted to eat. Commercials and product placement don’t help matters.
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Video game soundtracks are the best music to listen to for concentration
Next time you really need to focus on a work project or notes for an upcoming test, try listening to video game music. This is because their purpose is to keep you focused on the task at hand, providing some atmosphere for the game without being overpowering or distracting.
“Forty” is the only number (in English) whose letters are in alphabetical order
Not the most useful, sure, but it’s sure fun to think about! Try it with any other number. Any at all.
“Mouses” is an acceptable plural for a computer mouse…
It’s no secret that English-language plurals can be very perplexing. Why is the plural for “house” “houses,” but the plural of “mouse” is not “mouses”? Well, in the context of a computer mouse, it is! According to Merriam-Webster, “mouses” is an acceptable plural form for the technological use of “mouse.” (Though you can still use “mice,” too.) Whether you think that makes matters easier or even more confusing is up to you.
…and the speed of a computer mouse is measured in “mickeys”
Someone was having a little fun when they came up with this. And we love them for it. Technically, a “mickey” is 1/200th of an inch. The speed can be measured in “pixels per mickey,” referring to how many pixels the cursor on the screen moves when the physical mouse is moved one mickey.
The odds of getting a royal flush in poker are 649,739 to one
When people say a royal flush is lucky, they aren’t kidding! Odds of getting a straight flush are slightly better, at 72,192 to one.
There’s a cat version of a Corgi
Oh yes, cat lovers. This precious ball of fluff is called a “Munchkin cat,” and, like the corgi and the dachshund, its short legs and long body are the results of a genetic mutation. If a cat possesses the autosomal dominant gene, which causes the leg bones to grow shorter, it can pass the trait on to its kittens.
A banana is a berry (and a strawberry isn’t)
Talk about berry confusing! This is because a “berry” is technically a fruit with three distinct layers—a thick outer one; a middle one containing most of the edible fruit; and an inner one that contains the seeds. The fruit also must come from a flower with only one ovary. By this classification, grapes are berries as well, but strawberries aren’t. Botanists don’t seem to be particularly beholden to this naming system.
Central Park’s lampposts have numbers on them specific to their location
Lampposts in Central Park have numbers on them to help you keep track of where you are. If you’re lost in the massive park, take a look at the nearest lamppost. There will be four numbers on it. The first two are the digits of the nearest numbered street, and the second two reveal whether you’re on the east or west side of the park. Odd numbers reveal that you’re on the west side of the park; even numbers signify east. The numbers have been there as long as the lampposts themselves—since the 19th century.
People with blue eyes have a higher alcohol tolerance
People with blue eyes tend to have a higher tolerance for alcohol and can drink more before they begin to feel the effects, according to a Georgia State University study. The flip side of this bit of random trivia? It also means that blue-eyed people are more likely to become dependent on alcohol. Researchers discovered a significant link between the genes that determine eye color and the genes that impact addictive habits. (Although, of course, you should drink responsibly no matter what color your eyes are.)
You can start a fire with Doritos
Doritos chips are flammable and can start a fire if you’re in need of kindling. The oil and seasoning on the chips, especially the spicy varieties, can actually produce a reasonably long-lasting fire, according to Lifehacker.
You can break an apple in half with your bare hands
Paul Rudd blew people’s minds in 2019 when he split an apple in half in a Netflix video. But others were quick to point out that this was not a show of superhuman strength; it’s actually very possible with a little bit of practice. Lifehacker recommends pressing the muscular base of both thumbs into the divot at the top of the apple (you can cut off the stem to make that easier; it’s totally not cheating). Then squeeze the apple top to bottom and pull your hands apart, almost like you’re opening a book. Smaller, crunchier apples work best.
Only two body parts never stop growing
Well, three, technically: your nose and your ears. Once you’re “done growing” as an adolescent, the number of cells in most parts of your body remains fixed, meaning you don’t grow anymore. The cells themselves can still increase and decrease in size, meaning your overall body size can increase or decrease, but only cells in your nose and ears continue to duplicate.
There are glow-in-the-dark Life Savers
Move over, Pop Rocks! There’s a type of Life Saver that will emit light-up “sparks” as you eat them. (It’s those white ones you’ve probably seen in a public-place candy basket.) There’s some perplexing, complicated science involved, but thanks to the electron-expelling nature of the crystalline sugars in Wint-O-Green Life Savers, they’ll glow in the dark. When the electrons meet nitrogen in the air, the nitrogen molecules light up. (Technically, all hard candies made with crystalline sugars emit a slight visible light when they crack.) But since Wint-O-Green Life Savers contain oil of wintergreen, which has fluorescent properties, that visible light is much more, well, visible.
Nearly six times as many people speak English as a second language than as a first language
Have you ever traveled internationally and noticed that signs still have English instructions on them, and many people seem to know some basic English? That’s because a full two billion people around the world speak English as a second language, according to the New Yorker. That’s approximately six (slightly more than 5.7) times the number of native speakers (which is around 350 million people). Which seems pretty impressive, especially considering how English is so confusing.
You’re more likely to die on your birthday than any other day
You have a greater chance of dying on your birthday than you do on any other day. The size of that chance varies depending on age, but it averages out to about 13 percent. Several famous people passed away on their own birthdays, including William Shakespeare, actress Ingrid Bergman, and The Feminine Mystique author Betty Friedan. Studies have revealed that your risk of heart attack and stroke increases on the day you were born by about 22 and 19 percent, respectively.
The “stomach-gurgle” has a scientific name
The technical name for the noise your stomach makes when it growls is a “borborygmus.” It occurs when gas moves around in your intestines, so saying that your stomach is rumbling is a bit of a misnomer.
Dogs can sense human emotions
Studies have revealed that dogs’ brains have voice-sensitive areas very similar to those of humans, in terms of both location and activity. In a University of Lincoln study, researchers found that dogs were able to correctly pair a sound conveying a certain emotion with a photo of a human depicting that emotion. The dogs had not seen or heard the humans in the photos before the experiment, suggesting that canines have an instinctive ability to differentiate between complex emotions. This is most likely because humans have been domesticating dogs and their ancestors for thousands of years, forging a relationship that’s unique among the animal kingdom.
If you store sour cream or cottage cheese upside down, it’ll last longer
Storing sour cream or cottage cheese upside down can help them last longer. This is because keeping them upside down creates a vacuum in the container, slowing the growth of the bacteria that causes them to spoil.
Cuddling can speed up the healing
Cuddling can help heal wounds faster. Cuddling, hugging, and other positive forms of contact with a loved one release the hormone oxytocin. Oxytocin can help relieve pain and even accelerate healing by boosting the action of the immune system. Of course, this doesn’t mean we recommend replacing first aid with cuddling, but it means that cuddling is even better for you than you thought.
You get a lot of heartbeats
The average human gets around three billion heartbeats in their lifetime, according to a review in Ageing Research Reviews. That’s all the more reason to care for your ticker. Plant-based diets filled with veggies, sipping tea, and practicing yoga are among some of the 15 smart ways to prevent heart disease.
Your skeleton is all wet
You probably already heard that the human body is made up of mostly water (55 to 60 percent for adult women and men, respectively). What you might be surprised to find out is that fluid isn’t just in your skin, muscles, and organs, but your skeleton, too. In fact, water makes up nearly one-third of your bone mass, according to the United States Geological Survey.
You’re part bacteria
If you claim to be afraid of bacteria, better think again. A 2016 study found that a 154-pound man has about 38 trillion bacteria, which is roughly the same amount of human cells, the researchers say. What’s more, the bacteria weigh nearly a half-pound in total.
Your sneeze is powerful
There was a long-standing stat that a sneeze travels 100 mph, but newer research found it’s not even close. Still, that achoo is rather impressive. A 2013 study in PLOS One found that a sneeze moves at a rate of about 10 mph.
So this is why you sweat a lot
Pass the deodorant please: You have two to four million sweat glands all over your body, points out the International Hyperhidrosis Society. Most of these are the non-stinky kind located on the soles of your feet, your palms, and your forehead and cheeks
Our bodies are quite similar
The human body is mostly made up of four elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen, accounting for 96.2 percent of you. (Calcium and phosphorus are the other big players.) It’s amazing how those elements come together to help create a body that does truly impressive things each day, from fighting cancer to forming 20,000 thoughts.
Every breath counts
You inhale and exhale without even thinking about it—to the tune of 17,280 to 23,040 breaths per day. And while it’s an automatic habit, it can bring big benefits.