Did You Know That? 84 Curiosities and Weird Facts About the World In Which We Live

The world in which we live is fascinating and full of incredible things. Some of these curiosities and weird facts may seem funny, while others are downright unbelievable. 

All of them, however, are intended to show us how much we still have to learn about the world that surrounds us, and the deep complexities of nature. 

Here are 84 more fascinating curiosities and weird facts about the world around us.

11 curiosities and weird facts about animals

1. The Turritopsis nutricula jellyfish is the only immortal organism on Earth. It has the unique ability to regenerate every cell in its body and can theoretically live forever.

2. There is a mega ant colony that spans three continents: most of Europe, the USA’s west coast, and Japan’s west coast.

3. Curiosities and weird facts about animals – the ratio of humans to ants is 1 to 1.6 million. For every human on Earth, there are approximately 1.6 million ants.

4. The most venomous snake in the world is Parademansia microlepidotus, whose venom is up to 300 times more potent than the rattlesnake and up to 20 times stronger than the Indian cobra.

5. Pigeons are much more complex and intelligent birds than one might think. They are one of the few non-speaking species that can pass the mirror test – the self-recognition test.

6. Curiosities and weird facts about animals – the polar bear is the largest prey animal on land, reaching a weight of 700 kg (males), 1.8 meters in height, and up to 3 meters in length.

7. Owls are the only birds that can distinguish the color blue.

8. Humans have not domesticated any new animal species for more than 4,000 years.

9. Bees can distinguish and recognize the faces of other bees and humans.

10. Squirrels store nuts, seeds, and hazelnuts in several places to have enough resources during the winter. They inadvertently contribute to the emergence of trees and forest regeneration, as many of the hiding places are forgotten, and the seeds germinate into young plants.

11. Curiosities and weird facts about animals – eagles can feed on rotting animal carcasses. However, they are completely safe with this diet, thanks to the strong stomach acid, which can easily be compared to battery acid.

11 curiosities and weird facts about food from around the world

1. “Casu Marzu” is a specialty cheese produced only in Sardinia, Italy, that contains… worms. Those who consume the food must cover their faces to protect themselves from the repulsive creatures. The worms in “Casu Marzu” cheese can arch their bodies and dive to considerable distances.

2. The most extensive collection of wines in Europe, with over 1.5 million precious bottles, stored in a complex of galleries with a total length of approximately 250 km, can be found in Mileştii Mici in the Republic of Moldova.

3. The only food that never spoils or expires is honey. Several jars of honey have been discovered in an Egyptian tomb over 3,000 years old, and laboratory analyses showed that the honey in those pots was edible.

4. Curiosities and weird facts about food – the more coffee beans are roasted, the healthier they are.

5. In the Middle Ages, pepper was considered a luxury spice.

6. The most expensive pizza in the world costs $12,000. Three chefs work on its preparation, which can take up to 72 hours. The pizza contains three types of caviar, buffalo mozzarella, Norwegian lobster, and Australian pink salt.

7. Curiosities and weird facts about food – a single hamburger can contain meat from 100 cows.

8. According to a Harvard University study, moderate coffee consumption may be associated with a longer lifespan, plus a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or Parkinson’s. It may also have other health benefits, such as a lower risk of cancer, heart disease, or Alzheimer’s.

9. Blueberries are considered a superfood and contain extremely beneficial substances for health. It has been proven that these substances can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, lower cholesterol, boost immunity, help reduce weight, improve digestion, prevent hair loss, and stimulate cognitive processes.

10. Curiosities and weird facts about food – white chocolate isn’t actually chocolate. Unlike chocolate made from cocoa, white chocolate contains only sugar, milk, vanilla, lecithin, and cocoa butter.

11. Contrary to what most believe, the orange was not named after its color. Instead, the word orange comes from a transliteration of the Sanskrit “naranga,” which comes from the Tamil word “naru” (meaning “fragrant”).

12 curiosities and weird facts about the universe

1. The Earth moves around the Sun at a speed of 108,182 km/h.

2. It rains diamonds on Jupiter and Saturn. The two planets’ atmospheres are rich in methane, and violent electrical storms convert methane into carbon, which is transformed into graphite and diamonds by enormous atmospheric pressure.

3. The nearest star to the Sun is practically a triple star and is 39,000 billion kilometers away, or 4.22 light years. The star is called Proxima Centauri, which revolves around two much larger stars – Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B. 

Although much smaller, Proxima Centauri is more active than the Sun, meaning it erupts more often and more intensely. The eruptions on Proxima Centauri are downright impressive, with the star spewing billions of tons of plasma at over 20,000,000 degrees Celsius into space. 

Each eruption is accompanied by waves of extremely harmful radiation (X-radiation). Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B also form a binary system (two stars rotating around a common center of mass).

Similar read: 12 Unbelievable Strange Phobias You Won’t Believe Exist

4. Curiosities and weird facts about the universe – the so-called “black holes” are invisible. That’s because the light is absorbed inside black holes by the immense gravitational forces that break all matter into tiny atomic particles. 

To prove their existence, scientists discovered a way to observe the “edges” of black holes (event horizon – the point beyond which the laws of time, space, and physics no longer apply).

5. Curiosities and weird facts about the universe – Earth’s core has a temperature between 5,100 and 5,400 degrees Celsius, equal to the temperature on the surface of the Sun.

6. The Moon moves away from the Earth by 4 cm yearly, and the Earth moves away from the Sun by 15 cm yearly. The rotation of our planet decreases by 0.000017 seconds per year.

7. Scientists have discovered that the universe continues to expand at speeds greater than the speed of light. Moreover, the universe’s expansion rate is accelerating, a phenomenon that scientists cannot yet explain.

8. Curiosities and weird facts about the universe – stars, planets, and galaxies make up only 4% of the universe, the remaining 96% being composed of matter and substances that we cannot fully see or understand. Experts have named these strange substances dark energy and dark matter.

9. Contrary to what is shown in science fiction movies and series, there is no sound in space. That’s because sound waves need a medium to propagate, and outer space is a vacuum.

10. The mass of the Sun represents 99.86% of the mass of our solar system. The Sun is so big that it could contain 1.3 million Earth-sized planets. But the Sun is not the biggest star in the universe, not even by a long shot. 

Currently, UY Scuti is considered to be the largest star in the observable universe. Its radius is estimated to be about 1,708 solar radii (that is, between 1.2 and 1.53 billion kilometers) and a volume of about 5 billion times the volume of the Sun.

11. Curiosities and weird facts about the universe – a neutron star is so dense that a fragment the size of a peanut would weigh 6 billion tons.

12. 430 light-years from Earth there is a supergiant star (Betelgeuse) on the verge of exploding and going supernova. The explosion can happen anytime; when it does, it will light up the night sky for up to two months.

12 curiosities and weird facts about the human body

1. Our body produces and kills 15 million red blood cells every second.

2. Three thousand years ago, the life expectancy was about 30 years. Currently, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the average life expectancy worldwide has increased to 73 years.

3. Curiosities and weird facts about the human body – people with a lot of body hair are considered more intelligent.

4. Vaccines play an important role in “educating” the immune system. Vaccines help the immune system produce antibodies against foreign invaders without infecting the body with any disease. So, in the future, when the body encounters that infection, it already knows how to fight it.

5. Ernest Hemingway survived malaria, pneumonia, anthrax, dysentery, skin cancer, anemia, diabetes, hepatitis, high blood pressure, a ruptured liver, spleen, and kidney, two plane crashes, a fractured skull, and a crushed vertebra.

6. Curiosities and weird facts about the human body – with 37 teeth, Vijay Kumar (India) has the most teeth in the world, five more than the average person. His “performance” was documented by the Guinness Book of Records, surpassing the record held by Chassidar Danabalan (who had “only” 36 teeth).

7. The little finger is responsible for more than half of the strength of the hand.

8. Curiosities and weird facts about the human body – it is impossible to tickle yourself. This is because when you try to tickle yourself, the brain is perfectly aware of the exact moment and how the tickling will take place.

9. The brain sends electrical signals even 37 hours after death.

10. Man has an extremely well-developed sense of smell. The human nose can detect over one billion types of scents.

11. Curiosities and weird facts about the human body – stomach acid is so strong that it can dissolve metals. Stomach acid does not pass through the body because stomach cells are renewed faster than they are destroyed.

12. About one percent of the world’s population can see in the infrared or distinguish ultraviolet radiation.

14 curiosities and weird facts from around the world

1. The total area of Russia exceeds that of the planet Pluto. The 17 million square kilometers belonging to Russia exceeds the 16.65 million square kilometers of the tiny planet.

2. On the globe, there are five so-called “blue zones” (areas where life expectancy exceeds 100 years). These blue areas are Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica), Loma Linda (California), and Icaria (Greece).

3. Curiosities and weird facts from around the world – the most common name is Mohammed.

4. The Grand Canyon is the largest and most spectacular terrestrial canyon. 

Located in the southwestern United States of America, in Arizona, the Grand Canyon is 349 kilometers long (according to other sources, 446 kilometers), measures between 6 and 30 kilometers wide, and has a maximum depth of 2,133 meters. 

The canyon is the result of the erosion process of the sedimentary and crystalline rocks of the Colorado Plateau by the action of the swirling waters of the Colorado River. The Grand Canyon was formed several million years.

Interesting read: Weird Guinness Records You’ve Never Heard Of: Top 15 List!

5. The most populous country in the world is China, with a population of 1.405 billion inhabitants (about 18% of the world’s population). China is closely followed by India, with a population of 1.369 billion. In contrast, the country with the smallest population is the Vatican, with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants.

6. Curiosities and weird facts from around the world – the Hoover Dam in the USA was designed to last for at least 2,000 years, and the concrete used to erect the impressive construction will need another 500 years to fully harden.

7. In Alberta in Canada, absolutely all mice were exterminated; it is the only region in the world with no such rodents.

8. The University of Indiana, USA library sinks every year by about 2.5 centimeters. This phenomenon is due to an error by the builders who failed to calculate the weight of the books that will be stored in the vast building.

9. Curiosities and weird facts from around the world – even today, more than 90% of the territory of the United States of America consists of undeveloped land.

10. The largest transoceanic ships pay a passage fee of $250,000 every time they pass through the Panama Canal. A third of the country’s economy is supported by the fees paid by the vessels that cross the canal.

11. In Iceland, leaving a tip in a restaurant is considered an insult.

12. The national animal of Scotland is the unicorn. Although the unicorn is a mythical creature, it was chosen because of its association with dominance and chivalry, as well as purity and innocence in Celtic mythology.

13. The Japanese have invented a unique jacket that gives the wearer the feeling of a hug every time someone likes their posts on Facebook.

14. The longest wedding dress veil was reportedly 3 kilometers long and was worn by a bride in China in 2015. The veil was made of silk and was said to have taken over two months to complete. 

The bride reportedly wore the veil for her wedding ceremony and then changed into a more traditional dress for the reception.

13 curiosities and weird facts from science

1. According to the late physicist Stephen Hawking, humanity will not survive on Earth. The human species has about 200 years to find a way to leave Earth and colonize other worlds.

2. Curiosities and weird facts from science – fungi are more closely related to humans than plants.

3. The Earth’s atmosphere evaporates at a rate of 3 kilograms of hydrogen and 50 grams of helium per second.

4. Insulin was discovered by the Romanian scientist Nicolae Păulescu. He originally called it “pancreatin.” 

However, two Canadian researchers got the first Nobel Prize in 1923 for their studies on insulin. Still, the work done by Nicolae Păulescu in diabetic medicine was adequately accredited.

5. One of the wealthiest people in the world is the founder of Bitcoin, a mysterious character with the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. No one knows who he is, his real name, or where he lives. He owns 1 million Bitcoins, equivalent to $15.6 billion.

6. Everyone knows the story of the famous apple that hit Sir Isaac Newton, inspiring him in his research on gravitational force and related theories. However, the story is not real; so far, no concrete evidence has been discovered to support the funny story.

7. Curiosities and weird facts from science – more than 99% of the species of plants and animals that have ever lived on Earth are now extinct.

Interesting read: 75 Mind-Blowing Facts About the Human Body You Won’t Believe Are True

8. Curiosities and weird facts from science – a proton needs 40,000 years to travel from the nucleus to the surface of the Sun, but only eight minutes to cross the distance between the Sun and the Earth.

9. There are eight times more atoms in a tablespoon of water than in tablespoons in the Atlantic Ocean. A tablespoon of water (about 5 milliliters) contains 2×10²³ water molecules, and each molecule contains, in turn, three atoms: two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

10. Curiosities and weird facts from science – when helium is cooled to absolute zero (-273 degrees Celsius), it turns into a liquid with remarkable properties: it moves against the force of gravity, flowing to the top of the containers in which it is kept.

11. Statistically speaking, the odds of someone being killed by a coffee machine are twice the odds of that person being bitten by a shark.

12. Months that start on a Sunday always have a “Friday the 13th,” considered in many cultures to be an unlucky day.

13. The fear of apples is known as “malusdomesticaphobia”.

11 curiosities and weird historical facts

1. Oxford University was founded before the Aztec Empire. Oxford University was founded around 1096, while the Aztec Empire (an alliance of three city-states – Mexico Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan) emerged in 1428.

2. Curiosities and weird historical facts – the ancient Romans used to clean and whiten their teeth with urine.

3. In 1567, a bizarre incident took place. The man who held the record for the world’s longest beard died after tripping over his beard while trying to escape a burning house.

4. Curiosities and weird historical facts – until the beginning of the 16th century, men did not wear underwear.

5. The Great Pyramid of Giza contains enough stone to build a 50 centimeters high wall to encircle the planet at the Equator. The Great Pyramid of Giza consists of no less than 2,600,000 stone blocks, each weighing between 2 and 20 tons.

6. Curiosities and weird historical facts – the Toba supervolcano, which last erupted 74,000 years ago, threw 2,500 cubic kilometers of lava and volcanic ash into the atmosphere, almost twice the volume of Mount Everest.

7. Do you find the Rohirrim charge an absolutely exceptional piece of cinematic art? J.R.R. Tolkien may have taken some inspiration from the largest cavalry charge in history that occurred in September 1684 during the siege of Vienna by Ottoman forces. 

The city was surrounded and under continuous siege for several weeks. At the last minute, the 3,000 soldiers defending Vienna received reinforcements from a coalition of Poles, Lithuanians, Germans, Venetians, Austrians, and Italians. 

The coalition’s army was led by the Polish king John III Sobieski (nicknamed the Lion of the North) and included several cavalry detachments, including the dreaded Polish-winged hussars. 

The Ottoman army (reportedly 150,000 soldiers) retreated. Seeing the opportune moment, John III Sobieski led the largest cavalry charge in history, 27,000 knights, with which he managed to obliterate the Ottoman army and save Vienna.

8. At Tărtăria (a small village in Alba county, Romania), three clay tablets dated around 5,300 BC were discovered by the German researcher Harald Haarmann. 

The tablets sparked a real controversy among archaeologists after several claimed that the symbols carved on these tablets could be the oldest forms of writing ever discovered.

9. Curiosities and weird historical facts – the Chinese invented the first earthquake detector in 132 AD. Their system used a large bronze vessel with the heads of eight dragons, each holding a bronze sphere in its mouth. 

During an earthquake, the movement of the Earth would cause one or more spheres to fall, thus indicating the direction and intensity of the earthquake.

10. Originally, the story of “Little Red Riding Hood” was used to make children afraid of the dangerous wild animals in the forest. Stories like the story of “Little Red Riding Hood,” but also superstitions related to wolves, are the basis of people’s fear of these wild animals.

11. The biggest score difference in a soccer match was 149 – 0. This fabulous score was recorded during the game between AS Adema (Madagascar) and SO l’Emyrne (Madagascar), held on October 31, 2002.