If you still don’t know what a phantom vibration syndrome is and just how powerful the iPhone can be – this is your chance to find out the truth! These are not just some random facts you haven’t heard of before, but 13 of the most impossible (and sometimes silly) facts that will definitely broaden your mind. And you’ll also get a chance to show off your new-found knowledge to your friends and co-workers!
Clouds are actually super heavy
We are used to seeing clouds everyday as they roam freely across the sky. They look fluffy and absolutely weightless. But guess what, looks can be deceiving because an average cloud weighs around 1.1 million pounds. Imagine 100 elephants floating merrily above your head – that’s how much a cloud weighs!
iPhone beats NASA in tech power
Well, maybe not currently, but the first ever iPhone released was actually more powerful than the tech NASA used to fly us to the Moon back in 1969. Better keep this in mind next time you watch that hilarious cat video for the umpteenth time or check your mail.
Combat dolphins are real
Many believe that dolphins are smarter than humans, and while that may or may not be true, militaries in many countries started using these amazing animals for various purposes. Mostly they are trained for important and dangerous missions like searching for enemy vessels or locating underwater mines. It appears dolphins are much better at this than humans!
Phantom vibration syndrome is a thing
Most people have never heard about phantom vibration syndrome, but many have experienced it one way or another. We are incredibly connected to our gadgets, some more than others. In some situations, when we are bored out of our wits or experience stress, we may hear our phone ringing (or buzzing) when in reality it stays absolutely silent. We need to unplug more often!
Neutron stars have enormous mass
We all know what neutron stars are – they are what’s left from the core of what used to be a large star. When a massive star goes into a supernova explosion, its gravitation collapses, and the core compresses drastically into a neutron star that is no more than 12 miles in diameter. What most of us don’t know is that, although small, these stars can pack the mass of two Suns. Can you imagine the weight of 900 Pyramids of Giza? Well, it would equal to one teaspoon of neutron star’s matter!
Indian house wives own a huge part of the world’s gold
Okay, it may be ‘only’ 11% of the world’s gold, but it is still a lot considering India is just one country. This happens because gold plays an important role in Indian culture – virtually no ceremony goes without it, including weddings and religious celebrations. That’s why Indian homes hold around 18,000 tons of gold, which is more than the reserves of Switzerland, Germany, and the USA combined.
Nintendo is older than you think
We all know and love Nintendo for generations of consoles and fun video games, but not many of us realize just how old the company is. Long before it started creating console games, Nintendo wasn’t even Nintendo, bearing the name of ‘Hanafuda’. It was founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi in 1889 in Kyoto and specialized in making Japanese playing cards.
Chinese government controls reincarnation
One might think that afterlife is off limits for the powers that be, but that is clearly not the case in China. There, if you’re planning on having another life sometime later in the afterlife, you need to fill in 4 applications and get them all signed in various offices. Meaning, you will be able to pass on to your next life only after the government’s approval!
Guillotine has been used quite recently
It seems that the infamous guillotine used by the French government is long gone never to be back. And while the latter is true, the guillotine itself has been used extensively until not so long ago – the last execution was performed in 1977. Hamida Djandoubi, a convicted murderer, was the last person that met his end via this vicious, yet merciful machine.
Stupidity is a disease
Didn’t think you can actually catch stupid like any other infectious disease out there? Well, scientists found out you can! You can get the stupidity virus (ATCV-1) through water and it will impede some of your brain functions. Which means you will fulfil tasks and process information much slower than usual. Now that’s a horrifying thing to catch!
Oxford University is actually quite ancient
In fact, it’s older than the Aztec Empire itself! This seems nearly impossible, but the numbers don’t lie. The main Aztec city, Tenochtitlan, was built in 1325, while Oxford has existed since 1906. Sure, Oxford Uni has no exact date of foundation, but the numbers are still impressive and make you take a closer look at history.
A disease that can turn muscles in bones
There are just as many wonders in the world as there are horrors. Most of us have never heard about the FOP (Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive) disease, but this is the very disorder that can turn muscle and connective tissue (ligaments, tendons, etc.) into actual bone! The tissue gets ossified, forming a kind of outer extra-skeleton. After a while, the person loses almost all ability to move.
Snails have more teeth than sharks
One shark can have up to 400 teeth (more or less depending on the species), but snails are way cooler than that! Common garden snails don’t have teeth as we understand them, but rather a chitinous ribbon called a radula. This radula resembles a grater and can contain around 12,000-20,000 teeth all carefully arranged in rows.
