Possessing an intriguing fact can be a trusty dusty ace in the hole when conversation wavers. A tidbit that manages to surprise while it caters to logical intuition is worth its weight in gold.
Many of them, however, despite being interesting, are complete nonsense and they came from God knows where.
This Reddit thread is stocked with the vigilantes of the fun fact. They've adopted the thankless, but important role of setting the record straight.
The result is a list of deflating revelations. But arguably, these corrections carry as much, if not more interest than the original *incorrect* facts themselves.
Ryrylx asked, "What's a common 'fact' that's actually incorrect?"
Bring a Shield and it's Safe and Sound
"It's not dangerous to wake a sleepwalker. They won't have a heart attack or be put into a coma. They'll just be confused and it won't be pleasant for them, that's it." -- calathea1
"And depending on what kind of dream they're in, they might hit you." -- Fantastic-Mrs-Fox
Gotta Cut Corners Somewhere
"The beverage used by Jim Jones to kill all of those people was not Kool-aid, it was another brand called 'Flavor-aid.' " -- FloralBison
"When you're making enough fruit-flavored beverage to serve a thousand people, the savings from using a generic brand can really add up." -- brberg
Better Odds, but Still Bad
"Gladiator games in ancient Rome were not 'two men go in, one comes out.'"
"The figure I've seen in most studies is a chance of 1:9 for a gladiator to die during a munus that he took part in."
"That's huge, of course... but still means that, in most cases, it wasn't a fight to the death."
-- slacker25
Work Smarter, Not Harder
"You most probably weren't the fastest sperm cell. The egg has an outer protective layer that takes several sperm to wear down before fertilization."
"Honestly, you were probably one of the slowest sperm cells who arrived too late to do any work but still won the race of life."
"Also, the egg actually has a number of chemical barriers that select sperm with certain attractive chemical markers. The egg actually chooses which packet of DNA makes it to fertilization."
-- TinCupTan
Don't Flatter Yourselves
"Humans eat 8 spiders a year in their sleep."
"Spiders generally like cool, dry places. The inside of your mouth is not an appealing place for them."
Brian Power--About Three AA Batteries
"'We only use 10% of our brainpower.'"
"You always use 12 watts. That is the total power of the brain." -- DjDisingenius
"More specifically, you use all of your brain, but use different parts at different times, rather than all at once."
"This is why you never hear doctors saying, 'Thank god, he got shot in the 90% of the brain that doesn't do anything.'" -- Kakyoins_Egg
WHAT.
"'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day...'"
"Kelloggs payed researchers to create studies confirming that statement and started using it as a slogan to sell more cereal."
-- ValentinerX
Standard Measurement Strikes Again
"Napoleon wasn't short, he was actually 5'7" which was considered average-to-tall height for the time."
"Apparently the only way we can surmise that the urban legend started that he was short was because of the difference between English and French Imperial units, which led to his height seeming small by British figures."
-- Mayfair_Heir
And How do you Account for the Lungs Hmmmm?
"That the blood in your body is blue until it hits oxygen." -- StrikingWeb3
"I got onto a debate about this last year and dropped the 'blood literally carry's oxygen through your body' and they shut up." -- onionswithrubber
Would Have Run Out of Places a LONG Time Ago
"It's commonly said that 'lightning never strikes twice in the same place. In fact, it does - and frequently.'" -- Back2Bach
"Otherwise lightening rods would not be a thing." -- otter_pickles
"Or the one guy that has about 7 lightning strikes in his medical history." -- redbetweenlines
Do you have something to confess to George? Text "Secrets" or "" to +1 (310) 299-9390 to talk him about it.
@SecretaryBurgum/X
@Doug Ellin/X
@evanrachelwood/Instagram