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A Twitter user asked people to share the most random facts they know. The answers didn't disappoint.
Why do people even know this stuff?
06.21.24
People started a viral thread about the most random facts they know
Certain people have an innate ability to remember random facts. They are great at trivia but can also be insufferable know-it-alls.
So why are some people better at recalling random facts than others? Researchers in Europe believe that it's because their brains are more efficiently wired than other people's.
"We assume that more efficient networking of the brain contributes to better integration of pieces of information and thus leads to better results in a general knowledge test," biopsychologist Erhan Genc, from Ruhr University Bochum, said according to Science Alert.
Brittany Packnett Cunningham, an MSNBC contributor, activist, and co-host of Crooked Media's "Pod Save The People," wanted to harvest the mind hive on Twitter and find the most random fact that anyone knows.
"I mean RANDOM random," she wrote.
The answers ranged from the utterly pointless to the truly amazing. There was also a generous helping of utterly disgusting answers thrown in the mix.
Almost every answer deserved the follow-up question: "Why in the world do you know that?"
Here are some of the most random responses to Brittany Packnett Cunningham's question: "What's the most random fact you know?"
What\u2019s the most random fact you know?\n\nI mean RANDOM random.— brittany packnett cunningham. (@brittany packnett cunningham.) 1580180672
Most were utterly useless, but somehow still fascinating.
Snails can sleep for up to three years when the weather doesn\u2019t suit them.— \ud835\udc9f\ud835\udcb6\ud835\udcc3\ud835\udcbe\ud835\udc52\ud835\udcc1\ud835\udcc1\ud835\udc52 (@\ud835\udc9f\ud835\udcb6\ud835\udcc3\ud835\udcbe\ud835\udc52\ud835\udcc1\ud835\udcc1\ud835\udc52) 1580180829
pic.twitter.com/IhCEcPpVJN— \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8All AmErican New Year (@\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8All AmErican New Year) 1580499864
most mammals have twice as many nipples as their species' average litter size (e.g. humans mostly have 1 kid at a time, but 2 nipples), this is colloquially referred to as the 'half nipple rule'\n\nexcept opossums, which for some reason have an odd number of nipples— Several Irate Bobcats (@Several Irate Bobcats) 1580184771
Muhammad is statistically the most common first name on the planet while Wang is the most common last name on the planet. But I still haven’t met anyone named Muhammad Wang.
Muhammad is statistically the most common first name on the planet while Wang is the most common last name on the planet. But I still haven\u2019t met anyone named Muhammad Wang.— So There I Was... (@So There I Was...) 1580183727
The only word in the English language with all vowels+Y in alpha order is “facetiously”
The only word in the English language with all vowels+Y in alpha order is \u201cfacetiously\u201d— christy mcguire (FinishEdD!) (@christy mcguire (FinishEdD!)) 1580181277
Queen Elizabeth is one of the only people in the world who doesn’t need a passport to travel. Everyone else in the royal family does.
Queen Elizabeth is one of the only people in the world who doesn\u2019t need a passport to travel.\nEveryone else in the royal family does.— Connie B \ud83d\udc3b (@Connie B \ud83d\udc3b) 1580181326
NYE goes hard
NYE goes hard— M\ud83d\udd4a (@M\ud83d\udd4a) 1580184004
In DNA, mushrooms are more similar to animals than they are to plants.
In DNA, mushrooms are more similar to animals than they are to plants.— \u2728 No More Mayors \u2728 (@\u2728 No More Mayors \u2728) 1580181372
Some were pretty darn cool.
London Tube platforms have different tilings because when the Tube was originally built, a lot of people who used it were illiterate, and the different tilings helped them know what station they were at.pic.twitter.com/Yw8e04zCJA
London Tube platforms have different tilings because when the Tube was originally built, a lot of people who used it were illiterate, and the different tilings helped them know what station they were at.pic.twitter.com/Yw8e04zCJA— Sahil (@Sahil) 1580195864
Some were thought-provoking.
You've never seen your own face. You've seen a reflection, and you've seen pictures, but you've never actually seen your own face!
You've never seen your own face. You've seen a reflection, and you've seen pictures, but you've never actually seen your own face!— Ruby's Granddaughter (@Ruby's Granddaughter) 1580226748
When you look at a flower, some of the photons that entered your eye just ended a 100,000-year journey from the center of the sun. Nobody else sees them. Just you. 10% of THOSE will give up their energy to cause a chemical reaction that—literally—makes them a part of you.https://twitter.com/MsPackyetti/status/1221992423905202176 …
When you look at a flower, some of the photons that entered your eye just ended a 100,000-year journey from the center of the sun.\n\nNobody else sees them.\n\nJust you.\n\n10% of THOSE will give up their energy to cause a chemical reaction that\u2014literally\u2014makes them a part of you.https://twitter.com/MsPackyetti/status/1221992423905202176\u00a0\u2026— \u2796Dustin Miller\u2796 (@\u2796Dustin Miller\u2796) 1580187100
Elephants are the only animals other than humans who have something like funerals. They cover the dead elephant gently with leaves and branches, then stand around in a circle for hours making sad noises.
Elephants are the only animals other than humans who have something like funerals. They cover the dead elephant gently with leaves and branches, then stand around in a circle for hours making sad noises.— \ud83c\udf39Saffi \u2721\ufe0f (@\ud83c\udf39Saffi \u2721\ufe0f) 1580182116
There was a day when your parents put you down and never picked you up again.
There was a day when your parents put you down and never picked you up again.— Bradley King (@Bradley King) 1580186315
Others were disturbing.
Humans have a coccyx (aka a tailbone) which is the remnant of, you guessed it, a vestigial tail. One of our several vestigial features.
Humans have a coccyx (aka a tailbone) which is the remnant of, you guessed it, a vestigial tail. One of our several vestigial features.— Cat Noone (@Cat Noone) 1580181773
The act of touching glasses to cheers comes from medieval suspicions of poisoning each other, so youd slam mugs together to spill each others drinks into your own to show trust you werent trying to kill them. Europeans man...
The act of touching glasses to cheers comes from medieval suspicions of poisoning each other, so youd slam mugs together to spill each others drinks into your own to show trust you werent trying to kill them. Europeans man...— james beard (@james beard) 1580182190
Male dolphins can ejaculate as far as 10' and with such force it can kill a human if that human was foolish enough to attempt zoophilic relations with dolphin.
Male dolphins can ejaculate as far as 10' and with such force it can kill a human if that human was foolish enough to attempt zoophilic relations with dolphin.— dr. k still loves Richard (@dr. k still loves Richard) 1580180807
Artificial raspberry and strawberry flavoring comes from the anal glands of a beaver.
Artificial raspberry and strawberry flavoring comes from the anal glands of a beaver.— \u2744\ufe0f\u2744\ufe0f Stephanie Nelson \u2744\ufe0f\u2744\ufe0f (@\u2744\ufe0f\u2744\ufe0f Stephanie Nelson \u2744\ufe0f\u2744\ufe0f) 1580236997
And some could be helpful down the road. You just never know.
If you are attacked by a gator and your arm is in its jaws, push, don't pull. If you can push the flap open at the back of its throat, water rushes in and it starts to drown and will open jaws, hopefully releasing you.
If you are attacked by a gator and your arm is in its jaws, push, don't pull. If you can push the flap open at the back of its throat, water rushes in and it starts to drown and will open jaws, hopefully releasing you.— Anika Noni Rose (@Anika Noni Rose) 1580220908
The Phenomena: "The Doorway Effect" When you forget the reason you enter a different room. To retrieve the reason, walk backwards w/o turning around. It can trigger the memory.
The Phenomena: "The Doorway Effect"\nWhen you forget the reason you enter a different room.\nTo retrieve the reason, walk backwards w/o turning around.\nIt can trigger the memory.— CK (@CK) 1580185439
This article originally appeared on 02.06.20
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."