It's strange to think we walk around with powerful supercomputers in our pockets, yet we don't use them as much as we should to learn interesting facts about the world. Our planet is massive, always changing, and there's always something cool to learn. Just take a note from these people and learn something incredibly cool.
Reddit user, u/[deleted], wanted to hear about:
What's something cool you recently learned about?
Everyone Be Ready To Set Your Clocks
the simpsons episode 25 GIF
Giphy
The Earth is slowly decelerating, 17 milliseconds slower per 100 years. In 140 million years, the time in a day will be increased to 25 hours.
Oh cool, that will be right before I get my xbox series x.
The True Side Of America
That in 2007, Rockstar Games allowed fans to call a number and rant about what they thought was wrong with America. The best calls were featured on a radio station in "Grand Theft Auto IV"
It Comes Around So Rarely, It's All Chance
The origin of the word "happiness" is from the Middle English "hap" which has to do with chance and possibility. As in "happenstance" or per-haps. So hap-iness was originally about the feeling of good fortune/getting lucky; the chance that something could or could not occur, and then it goes your way. Happiness is that specific feeling when something that could have gone horribly wrong goes amazing well.
Cool! And, Gross!
New fish pop up in ponds because ducks eat fish eggs from other ones and excrete them whole in another water body
A Life-Saving Feather Transplant
That vets can "transplant" feathers to birds and will harvest flight and tail feathers from bird who didn't make it and donate to another bird in need like an organ donor.
Powered By SCIENCE
watching season 3 GIF
Giphy
For the last 50+ years, every submarine and aircraft carrier built by the US Navy has been powered by nuclear reactors. What's more, the aircraft carriers have a 50 year service life and only need to be refueled ONE TIME. There has also never been a nuclear related accident on board these ships (two subs have sank, but not because of a failure in the propulsion system).
Rocket J. Squirrel Says, "What's Up?"
Squirrels can acquire terminal velocity while plummeting to the ground (on average above 70 feet) and survive 80% of the time.
Ingested And Stuck
Rodents can't vomit.
This is exactly why rat poison works. They can't vomit up the poison
Monitoring All Aspects Of Prisoner Life
The shower water on Alcatraz was intentionally kept very hot.
This is so prisoners wouldn't get used to cold water and be able to swim to shore if they escaped.
Within Our Line Of Sight
On December 21, 2020 Jupiter and Saturn will align such that you can see them together in the same telescope, and even with the naked eye. It's called The Great Conjunction.
Edit: To answer some common questions:
- It should be viewable from most anywhere in the world. In the Northern Hemisphere look southwest. In the Southern Hemisphere look south.
- The best time to view will be 30 minutes to 2 hours after sunset.
- If it's cloudy on the 21st don't worry. The 21st is just the date that they're closest. But since the planets move so slowly across the sky it should allow for similar viewing in the several days before and after the 21st.
- The planets will appear pretty low in the sky so try to find a viewing location where you can see as much of the horizon as possible in the proper direction. Since there are several nights this will be visible it's best to try early to find the right spot.
A Protective Wall
No one who was born blind has ever gone on to develop schizophrenia. Researchers are investigating how congenital blindness may protect people from developing the condition.
The New "Normal"
Museums are struggling to keep the appropriate humidity levels for their collections because of the lack of foot traffic and people breathing in the buildings due to COVID.
Edit: should say I heard this on the podcast "No Such Thing as a Fish", which I highly recommend, as I'm sure many in this comment chain would as well :) I think, as some have pointed out, "struggle" might not be the right word to have used, but it does appear from the research I did this morning that it is something museums are dealing with due to lack of foot traffic creating a "new normal" of humidity in these places.
Let's Be Up Front: They're Bigger Than You Think
intimidating homer simpson GIF
Giphy
How f-cking big wolves are.
Honestly, why did I never know this before?!?!
This was my exact reaction to seeing a MOOSE.
My grandpa told me once that a moose is an ugly horse and wow I didn't realize they were really that big until I came across one backpacking.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
@jmrphy/X
@CatholicCharm/X
@SWENGDAD/X
@nhoodpublicist/X
@jmrphy/X
@0xPuff/X