Mind-blowing facts are just that: facts that make you go “whoa” or crack an uncontrollable smile. Of course, there’s not much you can do with these facts, but they may come in handy on your next pub quiz or trivia night with your friends or even just as a conversation catalyst around the dinner table. And hey, you might also learn something about yourself or the world that we live in. Besides, we’re so used to hearing bad news these days, and whenever we open social media, we see another celebrity dissing a colleague; it’s nice to scroll through the internet and find these pieces of information that are not bad but simply entertaining- and that’s what the Mind-Blowing Facts Facebook page provides us with!

#1: What “Wetness” Feels Like

Jerry Seinfeld has a joke about humans hating rain because we only like getting wet on our terms- we don’t mind getting wet in the shower or when we go swimming, but water falling down from the sky is unacceptable. As it turns out, human skin doesn’t actually sense “wetness”- we only grasp the concept of getting wet.

While our skin doesn’t actually sense wetness, our brain creates this illusion of what being wet feels like based on prior experience and similar stimuli. Wetness is an illusion. You can read all about the science behind this in different researches- but you’ve got to admit it’s pretty mindblowing!

Many view inheritance as the express lane to wealth, a genetic stroke of luck from the moment of birth. However, that isn’t the case for many of the rich and famous… Some of the world’s wealthiest individuals shun the notion of bequeathing their riches to their children.

In a departure from the conventional “keep it all in the family” approach, a select group of affluent luminaries harbor a grander vision for their family’s legacy. Their strategy entails a deliberate reduction in the financial lifelines passed down to their offspring, compelling them to chart their own paths through diligence and individual merit. In some instances, these high-profile figures have gone to the extreme of completely disinheriting their family…

#1: Bill Gates

Known as: Founder of Microsoft

Net Worth: $106.8 billion

Children: 3

In 1975, Bill Gates left Harvard to co-found Microsoft with his childhood friend, Paul Allen. Few could have foreseen that Gates would become a millionaire at 26, let alone the world’s richest person for much of the past two decades.

Now, with a fortune exceeding $100 billion, Bill is dedicated to using his wealth as a catalyst for global philanthropy through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Together he and his ex-wife have committed over 99% of their legacy to charitable causes and encourage other billionaires to follow suit through The Giving Pledge. However, they’ve also earmarked a modest $10 million for each of their three children.

Our society is full of stereotypes, assumptions, and double standards that many take for granted without even realizing it. It’s always important to question our assumptions and the ways of the world, however, because that’s how change happens. One Reddit thread recently prompted people to examine their assumptions about the world we live in by asking a simple question, “What’s a double standard men experience that women don’t?” Thousands of people responded with their own personal experiences and opinions, and it led to some great discussions! Men and women all over the world shared lighthearted and serious stories, and we’ve rounded up some of the top responses.

#1: Gym Rats

When it comes to working out and going to the gym, we all have our insecurities, men and women alike. Men can be just as insecure about their bodies as women, and going to the gym, where people work out in tight clothes, can be a stressful experience for some. That’s why this person prefers to wear baggy, oversized clothes when he goes to the gym- to avoid any unwanted attention and stares.

He posted this story about a woman he knows from high school who worked out in the same gym as him. One time, she took to social media to complain about getting unwanted looks (not catcalling or harassment, just looks) from men at the gym. This person suggested that if she wears something a little less revealing, she won’t attract as much attention. Can you imagine the horrified? responses he got?

When I was younger, I thought it’d be fun to be a flight attendant: they get to fly to exotic places on the company dime, and they look so glamorous strolling through the airport with their uniforms and their rollaboard bags. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that it’s not nearly as glamorous as it seems. Flight attendants might get to see the world, but they also have to deal with passengers, who are often angry, rude, drunk, messy, ill, or all five. And I suspect that when you’re seeing the daily workings of the air industry and seeing how the sausage gets made, it takes a lot of the fun and magic out of air travel.

#1: Keep an Eye Out

I’d never noticed it until this question pointed it out, but if you think about it, it is kind of weird that the flight attendants have you open all the windows before you begin your takeoff or landing. I think I always assumed it was because they wanted them all open for the next flight that got on, and it was easier to have the passengers do it than for them to go through and open them all.

But apparently, that is not the case and there’s more important reasoning behind this. Apparently, flight attendants are relying on passengers to let them know if they see something crazy going on outside. Next time I’m in a window seat, I’m going to take my engine fire spotting responsibilities very seriously.

Not to sound too macabre, but in today’s world, there are a lot of unfortunate things happening all around us. It’s easy to feel down with all the negative news surrounding us. However, there are a lot of good things happening around us that don’t always make the headlines! So, we’ve gathered wholesome facts people have shared online (and fact-checked them) to help spread the cheer. That’s the little we can do to help make someone’s day a little brighter. If you found some of these facts illuminating or encouraging – pass them along to someone who could use to hear some good news!

#1: Wholesome Words

We all make weird sounds when we see a cute puppy or something else that we find adorable (for some people, it’s babies or cats – for us, it’s always a cute dog). Apparently, in the Philippines, they have a word that describes this urge we get to pinch or squeeze something cute.

The word in Tagalog (the spoken language in the Philippines) is “gigil.” We have to wonder how come we don’t have a word for that urge in English. Everybody gets this urge, after all, so it seems like it would be helpful if we had a word to describe it! We can’t explain it, but it’s an irresistible urge we all feel.

Have you ever been certain that something was true—I mean, absolutely certain that you remember hearing or seeing something—only to find out that you were completely wrong? Even weirder, have you ever met someone who also made that exact same mistake? If so, you’ve experienced what’s called the Mandela effect: when multiple people all share the same mistaken idea or memory. Is it, as some people claim, a glimpse into an alternate dimension? Or just a weird quirk of how our brains work? Let’s be honest; the latter is definitely more likely. But still, it’s always strange and just a little unnerving to find out you share a false memory with a group of total strangers. We’ve collected examples of the Mandela effect from all over the web. Read on and see if you share any of these mistaken ideas and memories with your fellow netizens.

#1: A Portrait Is Worth a Thousand Words

When I read this next one, I actually had to go Google it to see if it was true. If you had asked me before I saw this post, I would have sworn up and down that it was “Portrait,” not “Picture.” Maybe we just got confused because “picture” and “portrait,” in this sense, mean the same thing?

By the way, if you haven’t read this book and you’re wondering if you should, let me warn you ahead of time: the concept of the novel is a lot more interesting than the novel itself. You will have an equally enjoyable experience if you just read the Wikipedia article about it, and it will save you a lot of time.

Signs are one of those things that are very important for communicating information, but they’re largely unappreciated. If they’re doing their job correctly—by which I mean they’re quietly communicating useful information—you don’t really think about them; you process the information on them and move on. What this means is that you only really think about signs when they make you scratch your head. And that’s what this article is dedicated to! Join us as we check out some of the strangest signs people have spotted that left them asking for answers.

#1: A Frustrated Greeting

Another very popular subgenre of signs is the sign welcoming someone to your home. Whether it’s a cheerful “Welcome” on a doormat, a door decoration on which is painted “Friends welcome here,” or just a big wooden sign that says “Hello,” many people want to make sure the front of their house gives off a welcoming vibe.

But this welcoming vibe can quickly become an angry one if you’re not careful about the placement of your sign. “Hello” is one of those words that can quickly become something else if you take off the last letter. I have to say that “Oh” at the top of the sign is just the cherry on this bad sign cake.

We all know that kids are incredibly cute and precious. But let’s be honest; they can also be pretty creepy. From seeing ghosts in the hallway to recalling past lives, it seems like kids say and see the wildest things. But are they really seeing ghosts? Parents often take to the internet to figure out why their kids are experiencing spooky or supernatural things. While most experts cite overactive imaginations and cultural influence as the main culprits, it doesn’t make it any less creepy! We’ve rounded up the creepiest stories that people have shared about their kids’ supernatural experiences. So, turn on a light because things are about to get spooky.

“We’re Not Alone”

It’s kind of creepy babysitting in someone else’s home at night when you’re the only adult in the house. We’ve seen so much media with haunted houses and creepy kids that it’s almost a cliche at this point. That doesn’t make it any less scary when it happens in real life, though. 

This girl was babysitting a family friend’s kid, and the evening was pretty uneventful. Then, suddenly, the little girl turns to our storyteller and says, “We’re not alone in this house.” As if that line wasn’t creepy enough, the kid whispered it. Whispering kids are, hands down, the most dreadful thing ever. 

Summer is here, which means the wedding season is in full swing. If a couple invites you to celebrate their special day with them, you’re usually prepared for an evening of romantic gestures, dancing, and good times for all. But there are a few red flags you need to look out for. Some weddings are complete train wrecks and make you question why a couple is getting married in the first place. If you’ve ever experienced wedding red flags, you’re not alone. Reddit users recently shared the most cringe-worthy wedding experiences that made them think, “They are not going to last long.” Make your own judgments on whether these cringe wedding couples were able to stay together past “I do.”

#1: Cheers?

Wedding toasts are a notorious source of anxiety for most couples getting married. What if someone has one too many drinks and says something embarrassing? What if someone’s speech never ends? These are all legitimate concerns! This awkward wedding story is every couple’s worst nightmare. The maid of honor and the best man were married to each other and decided to let their true feelings show in their speeches.

Well… that’s definitely awkward. Why did this best man and maid of honor decide to dish it out on the stage of someone else’s wedding?! It’s not only awkward- it’s rude! Thank the wedding gods that the brother of the bride swooped in to do damage control with his speech directly after. That couple is now divorced and the couple whose wedding was ruined is still married, so it just goes to show that not all marriages are created equal.

There are many things we learn as we grow up that aren’t true. They aren’t necessarily taught in schools or laid out as blatant lies, but they’re little bits of information we pick up based on that seem to be how everyone views things – misconceptions that we all share. This Reddit thread is here with quite a few strange misconceptions to set them straight so you can win trivia night one day. What you do with this information is up to you, but it might be a good idea to pass on this knowledge to others. We all deserve to know the truth behind these little lies, so buckle up and enjoy the ride! Who knows, maybe you’ll find the answer to something you’ve been wondering about for years.

#1: Greek Sculptures Weren’t Originally White

When you think of Ancient Greek sculptures, chances are you imagine solid white works of marbled beauty with luscious curves and impressive muscles. This is certainly what they look like now, but that’s only because the paint didn’t last as long as the marble did. While it’s impossible to know exactly what they looked like, it’s been proven they were colorful.

This does beg the question of whether or not sculptors make good painters. Can you imagine putting all that work in with a hammer and chisel and then being awful at color application? Maybe it’s a good thing the pigments faded away over time…I’d hate to see some of my favorite statues looking less than elegant.