The internet can be a wonderful treasure trove of knowledge—so long as you’re curious, media-savvy, and know what sources are reputable. The ‘Today I Learned’ (aka TIL) online community is a powerhouse of edutainment and one of the most well-known groups on Reddit.
Its members share interesting facts about the world they learned only recently. It’s honestly the perfect inspiration to get all of our creative juices flowing and our brains (re)energized. We’ve collected some of the freshest and most intriguing TIL insights to share with you, Pandas. Scroll down to check them out.
Bored Panda got in touch with neuroscientist Burcin Ikiz, Ph.D., who shed some light on how getting older impacts our ability to learn new information, as well as how to stay curious about the world even when overwhelmed with grown-up responsibilities. Dr. Ikiz is the founder of the EcoNeuro project and the host of the Connecting Neurons blog on Psychology Today. Read on for her insights.
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Dr. Ikiz explained to Bored Panda that as people age, certain changes in brain function and structure can affect their ability to learn new information.
"Neuroplasticity, or the brain's ability to form new neural connections, does not cease as we age, but it may slow down. The hippocampus, vital for memory formation, tends to shrink with age, and blood flow to the brain can decrease, impacting cognitive functions. Also, older adults often experience a decline in neurotransmitter systems, which can affect learning and memory," the EcoNeuro project founder and the host of the Connecting Neurons blog told us via email.
Though all of these changes can pose a challenge, they don't actually eliminate our ability to learn new things. "The brain has a remarkable capacity for adaptation and learning throughout life. It’s like a muscle; the more you practice learning, the more the brain’s learning ability will continue to increase," Dr. Ikiz noted.
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In the meantime, Bored Panda wanted to get the neuroscientist's thoughts on how people can stay curious about the world while they're busy dealing with all the responsibilities that grown-up life throws at them.
"Maintaining curiosity in the face of adult responsibilities involves consciously cultivating a mindset of lifelong learning and exploration," Dr. Ikiz, the founder of the EcoNeuro project, said.
She shared a few strategies that can help with this. For instance, pursuing different interests and hobbies can stimulate various parts of the brain. That way, the entire learning process remains dynamic and interesting.
The neuroscientist also urged people to consider taking advantage of formal or informal education. There are lots of excellent ways to keep learning, from online courses and workshops to high-quality podcasts.
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It's not just through (in)formal education that we can learn new things about the world, though. We can do that by having social interactions with people from diverse backgrounds, to challenge our own ways of thinking and give us new perspectives.
Dr. Ikiz told Bored Panda that practicing mindfulness can also enhance cognitive flexibility. "Maintaining mental health is crucial in maintaining cognitive functions, including curiosity," the host of the Connecting Neurons blog on Psychology Today said.
Something else to consider is making small changes in your routine and environment. "This can mean traveling to new places, trying out different cuisines, or simply changing your daily route to work," the neuroscientist said that this sort of novelty can, in turn, lead to new experiences.
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Though reading through tons and tons of random facts on the internet can be a lot of fun, it’s important to consider the reputation of the source. The TIL online community, for example, prides itself on verifying facts and backing up claims with legitimate sources. However, not all internet sources are as diligent as the TIL community.
During a recent interview with Bored Panda, Susan A. Nolan, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Seton Hall University, shed some light on valid claims and conspiracy theories. "The difference between a valid, or even potentially valid, claim and a conspiracy theory comes down to the willingness to consider evidence," the co-host of the 'Misinformation Desk' blog on Psychology Today explained to us earlier.
"A conspiracy theory is not backed by evidence, and those who believe it tend to discount any evidence that does not support it. If you’re willing to consider evidence and change your mind based on it when warranted, you’re unlikely to fall for a conspiracy theory," the psychology expert said.
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"On the other hand, there are some weird facts out there that do have evidence backing them. Research has found that swearing can reduce the experience of pain. Also, cats and dogs are left- or right-handed (or left- or right-pawed) just like humans,” Professor Nolan told Bored Panda.
She pointed out that people tend to believe in conspiracy theories because it gives them a sense of control in uncertain, scary situations.
"For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially early on, conspiracy theories gave some people a sense that there were solid answers. The science was shifting a lot early on—because that is how science works—so conspiracy theories might have felt more certain to some people," she said.
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However, the expert added that most people probably believe some things due to their desire for control rather than looking for evidence.
"It’s why we might respond to a scientific finding by saying, 'That’s not my experience' and discounting it. Ideally, we would be able to say, 'That’s not my experience,' while understanding that scientific findings are about groups of people. There will always be exceptions."
To say that the ‘Today I Learned’ community is well-known on the internet would be an understatement. At the time of writing, the subreddit had nearly 34 million members and was the 6th biggest group on Reddit.
The TIL project, which was created in late December of 2008, has been running for a decade and a half. It provides a very good mix of education and entertainment. The members of the community feel like they’re always learning something new about the world. Meanwhile, many of the facts are very surprising, so there’s the element of novelty to reel in new fans of the project as well.
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Another big plus of the TIL community is that the facts that people share are so varied. So if you’re a fan of history, politics, psychology, science, or anything else, you’re going to find something that appeals to you.
However, far from every fact is lighthearted and fun. A lot of them are nuanced and show the world in shades of grey. But that’s the idea. Truth isn’t supposed to be cuddly and comfortable: it’s supposed to give you a broader perspective of what reality is like, not affirm pre-existing biases.
For some more fascinating facts about the world, as shared by members of the TIL online community, take a peek at Bored Panda's earlier features.
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TIL that Philip Workman, an inmate on death row, requested that his last meal be a pizza for any homeless person located nearby. Prison officials refused, declaring they don’t donate to charity. The public decided to donate pizzas to homeless shelters themselves, in his name, after his execution.TIL The first speeding ticket in history was issued to a person caught speeding at 8 mph (13 km/h), four times the speed limit of 2 mph (3 km/h). In 1896, Mr. Arnold was pursued for 5 miles by a policeman on a bicycleTIL Alaska is so large and deserted, it has the equivalent population density of 16 people living in Manhattan.TIL that JFK didn’t invite Sammy Davis Jr. to his 1961 inauguration as Sammy had married a white woman, and JFK was worried that the presence of an interracial couple would upset Southerners. Dean Martin, who was angered by this news, refused to attend the inauguration in solidarity with Sammy.TIL James Earl Jones was officially replaced as the voice of Darth Vader last year by AI with Jones' consent. The move was made after he told Disney that he "was looking into winding down this particular character." He consented to the future use of his voice with AI to "keep Vader alive."TIL Quentin Roosevelt, son of President Theodore Roosevelt, was a pilot who was killed in combat in WW1. For propaganda purposes, Germany made a postcard of the dead pilot and his plane, However, this was met with shock by Germans, who were impressed that a president's son died on active duty.TIL During a 1972 John Lennon/Chuck Berry jam session that the sound engineers muted yokos mic.TIL in 2009, three masked burglars broke into Dolph Lundgren's home, tied up and threatened his wife, but fled after finding a family photo and realizing whose home they'd broken intoTIL an International Chess Master tried to advance his career in 1951 by playing against 30 Russian school children at the same time. In the end, he drew 10 and lost the other 20, setting the record for worst simultaneous chess playing in the world.TIL when a newly discovered sponge-like fungi was named after SpongeBob SquarePants in 2011, a mycological research journal initially rejected the name for being “too frivolous”. When challenged, the scientists stood behind their discovery, saying “we’ll name it whatever we like”.TIL about Darius McCollum, a man who was arrested 32 times for impersonating a transit worker. He commandeered hundreds of buses and subway trains over the course of 30 years, staying on route and schedule without being paid. He attended Union meetings, even though he wasn’t a member.TIL bleach has a shelf life with the effectiveness decreasing after just 6 months and eventually degrades into salt waterTIL that the last person verified to have been born in the 1800's died in 2017TIL Japan recounted its islands and found 7,000 it didn't know it had. There are now officially 14,125 islands in Japanese territory.TIL Kate Winslet broke Tom Cruise's underwater filming record while filming Avatar 2. Winslet held her breath during a scene for seven minutes and twelve seconds beating the mark of six minutes Cruise set while filming Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation.TIL that every Australian is entitled to a portrait of the reigning monarch - paid for by the government. After the Queen died, there was a rush to get the last portraits of her before the Charles stock came in.TIL the song “Fight for Your Right” by the Beastie Boys was written as a parody of frat culture, and the band was upset that people took it at face value.TIL researchers testing the Infinite Monkey theorem: Not only did the monkeys produce nothing but five total pages largely consisting of the letter "S", the lead male began striking the keyboard with a stone, and other monkeys followed by urinating and defecating on the machineTIL soon after the famous D.B. Cooper hijacking, 5 other copycat hijackers employed the same tactics on other flights. All 5 survived their parachute jump which forced the FBI to re-evaluate their initial conclusion that Cooper was likely killed during his attemptTIL before the invention of ice cream cones, ice cream was served in reusable glass containers called "penny licks" which were notorious for spreading disease because they were reused & never washed between customers.TIL That prisoners in Japan who are sentenced to death only find out on the morning of their execution. The prisoner's family and legal representatives, and also the general public, are informed only after the execution has taken place.TIL that when pitching Bratz dolls for retailers to sell, they were only interested in purchasing the white, blonde, blue eyed doll (Cloe). The CEO of MGA Ent. refused & only accepted if all four were purchased. The dolls grossed $2 billion in sales in their first five years on the marketTIL of "shifting baseline syndrome" which is ‘a gradual change in the accepted norms for the condition of the natural environment due to a lack of experience, memory, and/or knowledge of its past condition'.TIL that to join the EU, Austria had to lift its blanket ban on members of the Habsburg family entering Austria because it was a violation of human rightsTIL the nation of Iceland sued a company named Iceland to have all its trademarks invalidated. And won.TIL Shahtoosh, the most expensive fabric on earth is totally illegal to ownTIL when US President McKinley was shot in Buffalo, the city's best surgeon Roswell Park, was operating on someone else in Niagra Falls. When they told him he was needed in Buffalo, he responded that he could not leave, even for the President of the United States. He was then told who had been shot.TIL about Deep Lake, a lake in Antarctica that has such high salinity, 10 times saltier than the oceans, that it never freezes, even in the winter. Conditions in the lake are so hostile that almost nothing can survive there.TIL in Shanghai every weekend there is a marriage market, parents and grandparents of unmarried adults gather in a park and trade information on their children/grandchildren (height, weight, income, occupation...) with the goal to find them a suitable partnerTIL Human blood has a protein content around 6-8g/100ml, about the same as an average ready-to-drink protein shakeTIL Lincoln made no mention of Pilgrims, Plymouth or Natives when he codified Thanksgiving as a national holiday.TIL that four young people drowned in a narrow passage in an underground cave in Provo Utah 2005. They think one person tried to turn around and the others were unable to pass her. They knew the cave was unsafe.TIL that the idea of Napoleon losing all his troops to the "Russian Winter" is a misconception. He actually lost the majority to the "Russian Summer", due to disease, starvation, heat exhaustion, desertion, and suicide. He launched his invasion in June and within two months had lost half of his men.TIL that the story of Popeye eating spinach due to a misplaced decimal point over reporting its iron content is a myth. The correct iron value was already well known and nowhere did Popeye mention eating spinach because of its iron contentTIL of the Boy Scout Nuclear Science Merit Badge. The requirements to receive the badge include building a Geiger counter, planting irradiated and nonirradiated seeds, and visiting an accelerator (research lab) or university where people study the properties of the nucleus or nucleonsTIL that South Koreans can be punished for using cannabis in a county where it's legal upon return to South KoreaTIL during the filming of The Outlaw Josey Wales, Clint Eastwood persuaded the producer to fire the director and Eastwood took over the role. In response, the Directors Guild of America created the Eastwood Rule prohibiting an actor or producer from firing the director and then becoming director.TIL There are more than 300 types of headaches, but only about 10% of headaches have a known cause. The brain tissue and the skull are never responsible since they don't have nerves that register painTIL There are 36 million Americans of Irish descent and only 5 million people currently living in Ireland (of whom 4 million are ethnically Irish). If your ancestors lived in Ireland in the 1800s, you are 9 times more likely to live in the USA than Ireland.TIL about an energy drink sold in the 1920s that was water with (flavorless) Radium, a highly radioactive element. Thousands like Eben Byer suffered “Radium Jaw” (gore warning)TIL in 2020 68% of new marriages in India were arranged whereas in 2023 44% were.TIL all 658 employees at Cantor Fitzgerald who had offices in the World Trade Center were killed representing the single largest loss among any single organization in the attacksTIL in 1938, Chiang Kai-Shek caused the deadliest manmade flood in history when he intentionally broke the Yellow River dam. While he did succeed in his goal of slowing down the Japanese advance, it ended up killing 400,000-893,303 people in the process.TIL Not every one has two pinkie toe joints. About 44% of people only have 1 joint on their pinkie toeTIL; 1 out of every 50 people in the US has an unruptured brain aneurysm.TIL in 2017, Visa offered up to 50 small food and restaurant vendors $10,000 if they would agree to stop accepting cashTIL The Blood-stained Pink Chanel suit of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy wore in JFK’s assassination remains uncleaned and is currently stored inside a climate-controlled vault in the National Archives and will remain "out of public view" until at least 2103.TIL Wisconsin produces more cheese than ItalyTIL that Alaska actually has the easternmost point in America, which is Semisopochnoi, AK, because it is on the other side of the 180th meridianTIL that the pimp from the movie Taxi Driver was originally written to be black as it matched what the writer of the movie was seeing in everyday life but he was changed to white as it was thought to have been unpalatable to audiencesTIL that in olympic wrestling, ref can give wrestler a penalty, if they decide that the wrestler is giving "less than total effort". "Both wrestlers are required to always give an all-out effort. Wrestlers showing less than total effort are considered "passive.""TIL that slot machines run by the U.S. military earn $100 million a year from service members overseasTIL during Young Thugs 2022 RICO trial, a juror had to write a 30 page essay on the importance of jury duty as punishment for visiting the DR instead of showing upTIL YouTuber Trevor Jacob intentionally crashed his plane for views in 2021, portraying it on video as an unplanned real-life event. In May 2023, he admitted his motive for clicks and agreed to plead guilty to a felony count of intent to obstruct a federal investigation.TIL that in 2019, Sonos used to have a "recycle mode" that intentionally bricked speakers so they could not be reused - it made it impossible for recycling firms to resell it or do anything else but strip it for parts.TIL the year 2100 will skip being a leap year.TIL The Babushka Lady is an unidentified woman present during the 1963 assassination of JFK, who appeared to be taking photos as other witnesses took cover. Her identity, along with her photos, remain unknownTIL from a 2006 case report the highest amount of lifetime ecstasy consumption ever recorded is 40K tablets that were taken over a 9-year period by Mr. A. After quitting the habit, he developed several serious symptoms including memory loss so severe he needs daily help to functionTIL GPS satellites go so fast, that they need to adjust their location calculations to account for RelativityTIL Kissinger was sent on a secret trip to China in 1971, wearing fedora and sunglasses as disguise. Landing in Pakistan first, he feigned a stomach ache, saying he needed a few days to rest, which bought him enough time to fly into Beijing undetectedTIL that WWII British commandos were trained to instinctively take cover by having live ammunition shot 3 to 5 feet from them if they needlessly exposed themselves while maneuveringTIL that according to the regulations of Formula 1, each team is only allowed to use a maximum of 25 teraflops of double precision (64-bit) computing power for simulating the aerodynamics of their carsTIL about Operation Artichoke. A 1954 CIA plan to make an unwitting individual attempt to assassinate American public official, and then be taken into custody and “disposed of”.TIL that Americans actually started using the dating system (mm/dd/yyyy) from the UK who used it before the 20th century.TIL that some members of the Sama-Banjau ethnic group intentionally rupture their ear drums at a young age in order to improve their ability to dive & hunt at sea. This allows them to dive for extended periods of time between varying depths without worrying about pain from water pressure changesTIL Hugh Hefner paid $75000 for the burial spot next to Marilyn Monroe stating "Spending eternity next to Marilyn is too sweet to pass up".
