We learn new things every day. But how do we distinguish that which is worth remembering from that which serves merely as a useless factoid? Our brain is constantly processing information, even while we’re deep asleep. Now that’s a fact that I’d rather remember than forget.
Following are 10 useful facts you never knew. Some of them might even save your life!
YOU’RE TALLER IN THE MORNING
As weird as it sounds, your height actually fluctuates during the day. In fact, when you get up in the morning, you are roughly 0.4 inches taller than later in the day. How so? Well, This bizarre fact can be explained by the fact that throughout the day, the cartilage in our joints is slowly compressed due to gravity.
So, if you want to show off your height, make sure you take the measurements as soon as you get up from bed.
YOU CAN VOTE EVEN IF YOU’RE LATE
Well, kinda. If you can, it’s always best to vote early in the morning. There are bound to be long lines the closer you get to the poll closing time. If, however, you don’t manage to vote early in the day, you can still fulfill your civic duty, even if the time is technically up. All you have to do is make sure you stand in the line to the polling station before the poll closing time. It doesn’t matter how long the line is, you are legally allowed to cast your vote.
ONLY TRUST 3-STAR REVIEWS
Fake reviews are a plague. In fact, the sad truth is that most written reviews for products, businesses, etc. are potentially fake. This can either be done by the business in question or by a rival company.
Fortunately, most fake reviews follow a predictable pattern. Positive fake reviews always give 5 stars (or the highest score), whereas negative unreliable- and potentially fake- reviews always give a 1 star. So, if you want to avoid fake reviews at all costs, only read those in the middle of the spectrum, such as 3-star reviews. This is the only way to make sure that the info you’re getting is honest and reliable. This doesn’t mean that all 5-star reviews and all 1-star reviews are fake, but let’s be honest, most of them are. There’s a good number of documentaries out there on the topic, but that’s not our subject of interest at the moment.
PERCENTAGES ARE EASY
If you were never taught this at school, then I’m sorry, but it’s time to sue your math teacher. Percentages are actually very easy to calculate without a calculator.
The trick is very simple. Let’s say you want to know how much 5% of 867 is. Just move the decimal point in 867 to the left and divide by 2. In other words, first, you divide by 10 (to get to 10%), and then you divide by 2 (to get to 5%). Let’s see how it works in practice:
867/10 = 86.7
86,7/2 = 43.35
Voila, you are now a math genius. You can find out more about signs that you might be a genius by reading our article here.
HOT WATER FREEZES FASTER THAN COLD WATER
Have you ever been in a rush to make ice? Well, it should be quite simple. Just get some cold water and put it in the freezer, right? Wrong. According to, well, science, hot water turns to ice faster than cold water. No one really knows why, but hey, if it works it works.
ELECTRICAL FIRES SMELL LIKE FISH
Usually, when your house smells of fish, you probably took some fish out of the fridge and forgot to put it back in. But sometimes, something more… sinister might be afoot. For some reason, electrical elements tend to smell like fish when they overheat. So, if something smells “fishy” in your house, make sure your house isn’t about to burst into flames.
CALL 112 FOR EMERGENCIES ABROAD
If you like to travel a lot, this is definitely for you. When you find yourself in a dire situation in a country that isn’t the United States, you can dial 112, and you’ll be redirected to a local emergency number. This works in most countries, including all European countries.
Now, you have to keep in mind that not all emergency phone number operators speak impeccable English. If you travel to some country, make sure you learn at least the basics of the local language. For more reasons to learn foreign languages, check out our article here.
COLORFUL = POISONOUS
We all like vivid colors, right? Well, after you hear this, you might change your mind. Bright and eye-catching colors symbolize one specific thing in the animal world: poison. So, if you see, say, a scarlet red creature in the wilderness, stay as far away from it as possible; it is likely noxious.
The same applies to plants and mushrooms. The prettier they are, the more likely they are to hurt you. Sounds kinda like, people, doesn’t it? Looks are deceiving in the humble opinion of the author.
DON’T RUN FROM BEARS
Bears are huge, but that doesn’t mean they’re not dexterous. In fact, if you ever try to run from an angry bear, it will catch you. If you think climbing a tree is a better alternative, you’re in for a rude awakening. Bears can climb trees like ninjas.
In that case, what can you do? Well, in most cases, you should stand your ground and be as loud as possible (you have to show the bear that you mean business). Alternatively, you can lie down in a fetal position and hope the bear is in a good mood. If you don’t believe me, check this out.
