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15 weird facts that sound totally fake but are actually true

Truth really is stranger than fiction sometimes.

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Cleopatra lived closer to the iPhone coming out than the pyramids being built.

As the information age morphs into the misinformation age, it's hard to know what to believe anymore. Falsehoods are referred to as "alternative facts," established institutional knowledge as "an agenda" and there's so much spin on political narratives that objective truth gets lost in a dizzying stream of senseless word vomit.

It's wise to be skeptical when propaganda abounds, especially when a "fact" looks fake on its face. But in reality, sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction, as evidenced by a Reddit thread in which someone asked for facts that sound fake but are actually true and people delivered.

truth, true, facts, information, random facts It's true. Giphy

Of course, as expected, not all of the responses actually constitute fact. But some fact-checking reveals that a whole bunch of them are true, and they are wild.

Here are 15 true facts that seem totally made up, with links to solid sources that back up their veracity:

"Bananas are berries and strawberries aren’t."

TRUE: Botanically speaking, there are all kinds of things that are berries that we don't realize are berries, and vice versa.

"There is a fish with the scientific name Boops boops."

TRUE: That's not a nickname, either. The actual scientific name of the fish is Boops boops. The common name is bogue.The most delightful thing ever.

"The chainsaw was originally invented to deliver babies."

TRUE: Yep. I know. So disturbing. I won't go into detail, but if you're curious, here's the whole gruesome history.

"Radio Shack sued a regional auto parts chain Auto Shack for infringing on their name. Auto Shack changed their name to AutoZone. Years later, Radio Shack created a section called POWERZONE so AutoZone sued them for infringing on their name."

TRUE: And the fact that there was more than a decade in between the lawsuits just makes it all the more petty. The lawsuits were technically between the Tandy Corporation (the parent company of Radio Shack) and AutoZone (which started out as Auto Shack). The first trademark infringement action was brought by Tandy against Auto Shack in 1985 and was settled in 1987 with Auto Shack changing its name to AutoZone. The action brought by AutoZone over Radio Shack's POWERZONE name ended in summary judgment in 2001 and unsuccessfully appealed in 2004. AutoZone may not have been successful in its legal action, but Radio Shack wasn't successful in holding onto its business, so who really won in this battle?

"Woolly mammoths were still alive when the Egyptian pyramids were being built."

TRUE: This one kicks of a few wild ancient Egypt facts. We often think of wooly mammoths as caveman days creatures, which they were. But they lived on Earth for a looooong time, dying out around 4,000 years ago (so approximately 2,000 B.C.). The Egyptian pyramids were built roughly between 2700 B.C. and 1500 B.C., so yep, wooly mammoths overlapped right in there.

To be fair, it was a pretty small band of mammoths that managed to stay alive on an island for thousands of years after their peers had kicked it, but still. They were there.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Cleopatra lived closer to the invention of the iPhone than the building of the Pyramids of Giza."

TRUE: The Pyramids of Giza were built between 2575 and 2465 B.CB.C. Cleopatra lived from 69 to 30 B.C. The first iPhone came out in 2007. The math checks out.

"There would be a lot more ancient Egyptian mummies around if the Victorians didn’t turn most of them into paint or eat them."

Ew, but TRUE: Sorry about this one. Victorian artists did grind up mummies to make paint—in fact, the pigment created from them was literally called "mummy brown." And as far as eating the mummies goes, yep, they did that, too. For medicinal reasons, apparently. They crumbled Egyptian mummies into drinkable tinctures to help stop internal bleeding.

Oh, and just for a bonus fun fact, they also used to have mummy-unwrapping parties.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Pokemon has made more money than Harry Potter, Marvel, the Beatles, and Taylor swift combined. Pokemon is the highest grossing IP of all time and it isn’t even remotely close. Pokemon is many $10B’s ahead of second place."

TRUE: Pokemon has been around since 1997 and in that time has earned a whopping $103.6 billion in total retail sales, with a cool $12 billion of that coming from 2024 alone. For reference, the Harry Potter franchise has made somewhere just north of $25 billion between all of the books, movies, and merchandise. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has made around $31 billion since 2008. The Beatles and Taylor Swift are estimated to have accumulated a net worth somewhere in the $1 to $2 billion range, so yes, Pokemon has left them in the dust, even all combined. As far as being $10Bs ahead of second place, it might depend on what you technically consider an IP (intellectual property). Regardless, Pokemon is raking in the dough.

"The U.S. Appalachian Mountains and the Scottish Highlands are the same mountain range, torn asunder by plate tectonics. The ancient mountains are older than sharks, themselves older than the Rings of Saturn, and knew a world before trees."

TRUE (mostly): The Appalachian Mountains are among the oldest mountains in the world, dating some 1 billion years back in Earth's history, before sharks and trees. When the Pangaea supercontinent split, what is now the Appalachians and the Scottish Highlands parted ways.

The only part of this claim that's iffy is the Rings of Saturn part. Scientists thought they were only around 400 million years old, but now they think they might be off by several billion years.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Up until a few months ago, John Tyler, the 10th president of the United States, had a living grandson."

TRUE: As the rest of the response explains, "John Tyler was born in 1790 and took office in 1841 when he assumed the presidency upon William Henry Harrison's death; he had 8 children with his first wife and 7 with his second, the youngest being born in 1860 when he was 70, making him the US president who fathered the most children.

His son Lyon had a child when he was 75 years old, in 1928; Tyler's grandson Harrison Ruffin Tyler, was living in Virginia until his passing on May 25th, 2025. The difference from John Tyler's birth to Harrison Tyler's death was a span of 235 years."

That's a lot of genealogical math, but it's legit. The grandson of the 10th U.S. president, John Tyler, died in May of 2025 at the age of 96. Totally bonkers.

dennis the menace, comics, cartoon, fun facts, two Dennis the Menaces Did you know there were two Dennis the Menaces? Giphy

"There are two comic strips called Dennis the Menace - one from the UK, one from the US. They have nothing to do with each other and were developed entirely separately from each other - but they both premiered on the same day (March 12 1951)."

TRUE: Yep. Smithsonian magazine calls the U.K. version the "evil British twin" of the U.S. comic character, a truly "sinister counterpart" to the lovable little rascal we Americans know as Dennis. It's just a super weird coincidence that they came out at exactly the same time.

"Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words."

TRUE: Delightfully verified by Merriam-Webster.

"Michelin stars are given out by the Michelin tire company. It was a marketing ploy, designed to get people to drive further, and to wear down their tyres. Now it is seen as one of the highest endorsements in the cooking world."

TRUE: Yep, the coveted Michelin stars that tell us how fine a dining establishment is come right from the Michelin tire company. Kind of makes them feel a lot less fancy, doesn't it?

michelin, michelin guide, michelin stars, michelin tires, michelin man This Michelin? Really? Giphy

"You can fit all the other planets in the solar system between the earth and the moon."

TRUE: Even NASA says so. (Though the use the phrase "just about fit," but close enough.)

"The majority of the Canadian population lives south of Seattle."

TRUE: Literally south. When you see it on a map, it's pretty clear. It's not some kind of map magic, either. It's just that the vast majority of Canada's population lives in the cities of Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, and Québec City, which all sit below the 49th parallel and south of Seattle.

This is not an exhaustive list of facts that sound made up but are actually true, but hopefully you've had your mind blown enough for one article. Isn't reality a hoot?

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Can you tell someone will die months before it happens? A hospice nurse shares clues.

Even 6 months ahead of time, there are signs.

Photo credit: Canva

Is it possible to know someone is going to die soon?

Death is a mystery in so many ways, despite the fact that we all know for sure it's going to happen. We don’t know when we will go and can't really be sure of what comes next, so whether we’re thinking about ourselves or a loved one, there’s understandably a lot of fear and uncertainty around death.

That’s why Julie McFadden's work is so important. As a palliative care nurse in the Los Angeles area, who has seen over a hundred people die, her videos shed light on the process to make us all a bit more comfortable with the inevitable. McFadden is also the author of the bestseller, “Nothing to Fear.” The nurse’s experience helping people in their final stages has given her a unique perspective on the process.

In one video, she shared how she can see the first symptoms that someone is going to die a natural death about 6 months before they finally do. In other words, she can determine that someone only has half a year left to live when most of us have no idea they have entered the final stages of life.

@hospicenursejulie

Replying to @Mariah educating yourself about scary topics will help decrease fear. ✨Nothing to Fear ✨- my book- out june 11th #hospicenursejulie #hospicenurse #caregiversoftiktok #medicaltiktok #learnontiktok #nothingtofearbook

What are the signs a person is dying at the 6-month mark?

McFadden says that people who are dying are usually placed in hospice care when the symptoms begin to appear around the 6-month mark.

"You will have very generalized symptoms. Those symptoms will usually be, one, you will be less social. So you'll be more introverted than extroverted," McFadden said. "Two, you will be sleeping a lot more. And three, you will be eating and drinking a lot less. Literally, everyone on hospice, I see this happen to."

death, dying, afterlife, hospice, signs of dying What happens when we die is one of life's great mysteries.via PIxbay/Pexels

What are the signs a person is dying at the 3-month mark?

You are going to notice more debility,” McFadden continues. “They will be staying in their house most of the time. It's going to be difficult getting up and just going to the bathroom. Again, sleeping a lot more and eating and drinking a lot less.”

What are the signs a person is dying at the 1-month mark?

Something usually begins to happen in the final month of someone’s life. They start to believe they are in contact with others they have lost. It’s like they are there to make the dying person feel comfortable with their final transition.

"Usually around the one month mark is when people will start seeing 'the unseen', they have the visioning. They'll be seeing dead relatives, dead loved ones, dead pets, old friends who have died,” McFadden said. “Again, not everyone — but many, many people will start seeing these things at around one month."

death, dying, afterlife, hospice, signs of dying Many people start to talk to people and pets who have passed when they're approaching the end of life.via PixaBay/Pexels

Angela Morrow, a registered nurse at Verywell Health, agrees that people in the final stage of life often hear from those who have passed before them. Morrow says we should refrain from correcting the patients when they share their stories of talking to people and pets who have died. "You might feel frustrated because you can't know for sure whether they're hallucinating, having a spiritual experience, or just getting confused. The uncertainty can be unsettling, but it's part of the process," Morrow writes.

At the end of the video, McFadden says that the most important factors palliative care nurses look at to determine the stage of death are eating, drinking and sleeping. “Most people, a few weeks out from death, will be sleeping more than they are awake. And they will be barely eating and barely drinking,” McFadden said.

death, dying, afterlife, hospice, signs of dying Hospice workers deal with death more than most of us do. i.giphy.com

In the end, hospice nurses “allow the body to be the guide” as they help their patients transition from life to death.

McFadden’s work has brought a lot of peace to her followers as they go through trying times. "My mom is in hospice right now and she’s currently, I think, hours or days from death. YourTikToks have helped me out tremendously," Deb wrote. "My grandma passed away in February, and she experienced all of this. this page brings me peace knowing everything she went through was natural," Jaida added.

"Thanks, Julie. I volunteer in a hospice end-of-life facility, and this helps educate the families. Your posts are wonderful," Grandma Nita wrote.

One of the things that makes death so scary is the number of unknowns surrounding the process, so it's important that McFadden shares her stories of helping people to the next side. She shows that death is a natural process and that hospice nurses are here to help make the transition as peaceful as possible.

This article originally appeared last year.

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Falling short of meeting your goals and dreams? Start thinking of them as quests.

A little switch in perspective can change your life.

via Canva/Photos

A woman on a quest.

Have you set out lofty goals only to come up short? You deeply cared about the goal, made a plan to achieve it, but somehow felt short along the way. Does it feel like it’s now harder to re-attempt the goal because you couldn’t make it work the first time?

If you feel frustrated that you haven’t been able to achieve your aspirations, the key to achieving them may be in reframing how you think of them. If you dream big, your goal isn’t simple with a starting point and a target outcome. It’s something more dramatic, dynamic, and fulfilling: it’s a quest. When setting out to achieve a goal, many quit when things get frustrating, but when you’re on a quest, that’s when things start getting interesting.


How to turn your goals into quests

David Cain, creator of Raptitude, a blog dedicated to getting better at being human, perfectly described the difference between a goal and a quest in a 2024 post.

“A quest is an adventure, and you expect it to be one. You expect a quest to take you into a new and unfamiliar landscape. You expect there to be puzzles, surprises, perils, and curious encounters. A bridge you counted on will be out. You’ll meet an interesting stranger on the path. You’ll hear wolves howling at night. This is all part of the fun. The goal mentality frames this stuff as setbacks, problems, pains—stuff in the way of the goal,” Cain writes.


Having a quest, instead of a goal, also comes with the promise that you will experience a significant positive personal change by the end of the journey. In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker learns to embrace faith over technology to defeat the Galactic Empire. At the end of The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and her companions realize that they already had what they thought they lacked. What will you learn about yourself on your quest?

“A quest is personally transformative—the endeavor itself shapes who you are, and what you’re capable of. It’s not only the reward that does this, it’s your inevitable encounters with the unfamiliar, and the new capabilities you gain as you handle these encounters,” Cain writes. “You don’t just get the novel started, you become a writer. You don’t just declutter the house, you get your house in order.”


How to handle barriers on the way to achieving a goal

Another way to understand the “map” of your quest is through this cool visual tool, the infographic, The Emotional Journey of Creating Anything Great, which shows how every good idea eventually leads to a place where it seems unachievable, before you push through the challenging parts and reach the finish line.

Ultimately, a quest is all about embracing change to achieve your goal and become a better person. Baked into the idea of the quest is the understanding that you have to change; therefore, recognizing that there will be pitfalls on the road is all part of the deal. This understanding could give you the extra spike in resilience that you need to slay any dragons, climb a misty mountain, or send that one email to ask a publisher to put your book on the shelves.

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People are shocked after learning that maple syrup needs to be refrigerated

"I learned that one the hard way."

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This kitchen staple must be refrigerated after opening, and people are shocked.

Properly storing food once it's been opened or used is key to preventing foodborne illnesses and food poisoning. However, deciphering which foods need to be refrigerated and which foods don't can be tricky.

The topic became a mind-blowing discussion for a group of home chefs who were stunned to learn that a beloved kitchen staple they frequently use must be stored in the fridge after opening. Member GiuseppeZangara posed the following question to fellow chefs on the subreddit r/Cooking: "What is something that should be refrigerated that people often don't? What is something that does not need to be refrigerated that people often do?"

The shocking food most people have not been refrigerating? Real maple syrup.

syrup, maple syrup, maple syrup gif, elf, elf syrup Santa Claus Christmas GIF by Cameo Giphy

Real maple syrup does not have preservatives, and has a high water content that can encourage mold growth.

"As someone who lives in Vermont let me say as a PSA to everyone: Maple syrup should be refrigerated after opening no matter what kind of climate you live in!" one commented. Someone replied, "Yeah. I learned that one the hard way. I always assumed it was shelf stable like honey, until I had a big bottle [of] mold."

Other people shared their maple syrup horror stories after realizing it needed to be refrigerated. "Found this out when I went to pour syrup over a stack of pancakes I had just made from scratch. Green blobs spreading over the stack and I almost vomit. I always do a test pour now even if it’s refrigerated," one wrote. Another shared, "I found out the hard way what happens when you don’t. Not a pleasant realization halfway through eating waffles that there was green mold everywhere in that maple syrup container 🤢🤢🤢."

@littlehandskitchen_

How did I not know that you should refridgerate maple syrup?#kitchenstaple #PSA #maplesyrup #randomrealization


Other members noted they prefer buying glass bottles of maple syrup for this reason, which helps them more easily spot mold. "This is why I only buy maple syrup in clear glass jars. I hate surprises, especially fuzzy ones," one wrote. Another commenter noted, "If it's moldy you'll notice. Unless you're shaking it. Don't shake it. The mold forms (visibly) where it comes into contact with the air, so you should see it from the outside (assuming a clear glass container). When you open the bottle, also check the underside of the lid as well as the top of the syrup," another wrote.

Maple syrup storage tips

To properly store your maple syrup, stick it in the fridge once the bottle has been opened. Make sure the lid is tightly sealed. According to Michigan State University, maple syrup should remain safe to eat in the fridge for up to one year. You may also notice changes to its color and flavor within six to eight months of opening, per Purdue University. For long storage, maple syrup can also be frozen, and will last several years, according to Ohio State University.

maple syrup, maple syrup pancakes, pancakes, pancake gif, syrup gif Hungry Maple Syrup GIF Giphy

The surprisingly good news is that if you do notice mold in your maple syrup, you don't have to throw it out, says Ohio State University. To salvage your maple syrup, skim off the mold and bring it to a boil. Wash out the original container, then simply repack it.

Artificial maple syrup (brands flavored like maple syrup that are typically made of high fructose corn syrup--such as Hungry Jack or Mrs. Butterworth's) does not need to be refrigerated. That's because they contain preservatives that keep them shelf-stable. As one home chef noted, "My kids get the corn syrup cheap one cause most just is wasted in the dishwasher after they poured too much lol."

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