1. Mosquitoes are more devastating to the human population than every war in history combined
Mosquitoes spread several infectious diseases, including malaria, dengue, and yellow fever, to name a few. It has been estimated that the deaths of 52 billion people, which is almost half of all humans who have ever lived, were caused by mosquitoes. This is more deaths than any other single cause in history.
2. The dark history of pinky promises
We associate pinky promises with childhood, but one possible origin story of this tradition is darker than you'd expect. In Japan, pinky promises are known as yubikiri, which can be literally translated as “finger cut-off.” Some say that this tradition was created by the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, and those who break a pinky promise would have their pinky finger cut off.
3. It’s impossible to save time by not sleeping
We have bad news for those who try to catch up on their chores and meet deadlines by pulling all-nighters. It is said that those who get less than 6 hours of sleep a night have a 12% higher risk of dying prematurely.
4. The mystery of Genghis Khan’s burial
Genghis Khan, the infamous ruler of the Mongol Empire, went to great lengths to conceal the location of his burial. To keep his burial site a complete secret, all 2,000 people who attended his funeral were killed by his army. This army was then killed by another set of soldiers, who then committed suicide. Genghis Khan's final resting place is a secret to this day.
5. The immortal jellyfish
Meet the Turritopsis Dohrnii jellyfish, the only animal species in the world that is considered to be biologically immortal. When damaged physically or exposed to sudden temperature changes, reduction of water salinity, and starvation, the jellyfish reverts to a younger state, bypassing death.
6. Creepy lightning strike stats
Dear men, be more careful during a storm. According to statistical data, men are 6 times more likely to be struck by lightning than women.
7. Some Victorian parties were really scary
19th-century England was engulfed in Egyptomania. The wealthy were buying mummies and using them to make medicine and pigment. But the so-called mummy unrollings were probably the peak of this creepy Victorian trend. These were social gatherings where the delighted crowd would watch mummies being unwrapped in front of them.
8. A squid attack
Japanese Flying Squid can rapidly propel themselves out of the water to a distance of over 30 meters (100 ft) through the air to escape predators.
9. Water pollution is too real!
It was estimated that around 1.2 trillion gallons of industrial waste, sewage, and stormwater are dumped into US water every year. This may be the creepiest fact yet!
10. Millions of bacteria are exchanged in every kiss
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, few of us were aware of the number of germs we are exposed to on an everyday basis. For one, we were all told that handshakes are bad. Well, it turns out that kissing is even less hygienic, as we exchange 80 million bacteria in a single kiss.
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