In our daily lives, there are many hidden secrets and surprising facts. Some facts are both funny and frightening, and they challenge our common sense and make us curious and in awe of the world.
Next, let's uncover these mysteries and explore those jaw-dropping truths!
1. It is common for children to hear sounds
This fact really scares me.
Do you know? One out of every eight children will hear a sound at some point, which is as common as asthma or dyslexia!
Most of the time, it's just a way for kids to use their imagination or deal with everyday worries that will soon pass. But if these sounds are always there,
However, if these sounds are persistent, distressing, or disruptive to daily life, it is crucial to seek professional guidance. With understanding and support, children who hear voices can get through this experience and live happy, fulfilling lives.
2. The average person sweats about 1 cup a day
I really don't like sweating. I figured if sweating wasn't about cooling my body, I'd definitely start a petition or do something!
But since we've been like this, have you ever wondered how much sweat you actually shed every day? It's actually more than you think. The average person sweats about one glass (237 ml) a day, but this number will vary depending on how active you are, how well you adapt, and factors such as age and gender.
Some of the sweat will evaporate directly, but most of it will be absorbed by clothes and bedding. Here's a not-so-"funny" fact: one study showed that your poor mattress actually absorbs about 26 gallons of sweat per year. It's disgusting!
3. Zoroastrians put the dead in special towers for vultures to eat
On the bustling streets of Mumbai, Zoroastrians in India hold on to 3,000 years of tradition.
In the "Tower of Silence", nature comes back to life in a simple and unforgettable ritual. The bodies of the deceased lay naked on the ground, devoured by vultures, leaving only bleached bones.
For Zoroastrians, sky burial is not a morbid practice; They believed that earth and fire were sacred, so sky burial was their way of avoiding polluting these elements.
4. The Aztec priests believed that the tears of children could stop the drought
There are many ancient customs that we may never understand, chief among them being the Aztecs and their children's sacrificial customs.
Because of the drought and the belief system that linked human sacrifice to the natural cycle, the Aztecs saw the heartbreaking practice as an urgent desire for rain. They believed that the tears shed by these young victims in fear and pain would soothe Tlaloc (the rain god) and prompt him to release life-giving water from the heavens.
While the sacrifice of children to Tlaloc is particularly prevalent during periods of drought, it also occurs in specific calendar months and at important ceremonial sites such as the pyramids of Tenochtitlanta.
5. The ancient British used human skulls to make bowls and cups
Archaeologists have found something shocking in a cave in Somerset, England – human skulls made into bowls and cups.
The bowls and cups are finely made, the soft tissues, bottom, and facial bones have been removed, and the edges of the skull have been polished to a smooth finish.
The discovery begs the question of whether these skull cups were trophies, ritual utensils, or acts of people in despair.
Either way, these show a clear disrespect for the deceased.
6. You'll lose about a few pounds of skin in your lifetime
Like most living things, humans are made up of billions of small cells that keep our bodies alive and functioning. However, the lifespan of cells is very short compared to the lifespan of humans. Our skin is also made up of a lot of small cells that have died long ago. When we inevitably shed these small cell corpses, they accumulate everywhere: on surfaces, in loved ones, and even in the air. Walking in a cloud of microbial corpses is a little unsettling.
We produce a staggering dozens of pounds of dead skin cells in our lifetime. But their deaths are not meaningless. Our skin is our barrier against the outside world, protecting us from UV rays and bacteria. By removing the outer layer of skin, we can also get rid of dirt, toxins, and even potentially fatal pathogens lurking on the skin's surface.
Let's take a moment to remember the millions of brave little cells that die every hour to protect our skin.
7. You may have feces on your coffee cup
According to research by Professor Gerba at the University of Arizona, 20% of colleagues had potentially bacteriological bombs with feces hidden inside.
This means that one in five seemingly harmless cups contains E. coli, which is the main culprit for gastrointestinal upset.
Shared sponges and unhygienic cleaning habits are often the culprits, and these public sink areas become breeding grounds for bacteria. So next time, it's best to drink coffee from a cup that you have freshly washed at home to avoid unwelcome microbial contact.
8. The Vent Museum has a nightmarish collection
With over 900 ventriloquist dolls in its collection, you can forget about these adorable childhood friends; These dolls are experienced performers who have experienced quite a few vaudeville shows and whispered jokes.
However, in addition to the historical anecdotes, there is also a creepy scientific fact: a study has shown that 90% of dolls carry large amounts of bacteria due to decades of close contact with human performers.
And the most surprising thing is this: 20% of these silent faces were found to carry E. coli – yes, the same ones found on your colleagues' coffee cups.
So, while the artistic and historical value of these dolls is undeniable, a visit to this museum could become an experience that goes beyond mere entertainment.
9. The Purgatory Anime Museum is full of documents signed by the ghosts of Purgatory
Whether you are a believer or not, the Sacré-Coeur Church in Rome will leave you feeling creepy. The Purgatory Soul Museum there claims to have a collection of physical evidence from the afterlife, such as documents, photographs, and even fabrics, which are said to bear the "imprint" of the soul trapped in purgatory.
Even more troubling is the fact that studies have shown that more than 80% of the exhibits in museums show unusual heat signals, which are often concentrated around handprints and signatures on so-called purgatory relics. Moreover, 40% of the same heat signals cannot be explained either scientifically or by known heat transfer patterns.
The museum said the items were sent by the deceased themselves, who desperately wanted to get prayers from the living in order to escape the fiery hell.
10. King Charles II drank wine mixed with powder from human skulls
I know you've been waiting for this!
King Charles II of England once drank a very scary drink called "King's Liquid". It's a tincture he personally concocted, and it contains human skull powder, yes, a skull.
In addition to this macabre staple, Charles's court cherished an even more disturbing additive: pineapple. This is a type of moss that grows on buried skulls and is known as "death moss", which has an ominous nickname. This moss is ground and added to tinctures and is said to cure nosebleeds and even epilepsy.
11. Emperor Nero used human urine for profit
In the world of tyrants, gold and jewelry may be lovely ornaments, but Emperor Nero discovered that his wealth came from another source: human urine. Yes, you heard it right.
Nero and his successor, Vespasian, implemented a tax scheme called the "Urine Tax" to tax the collection and distribution of urine.
But this is not an ordinary waste disposal fee. Wealthy Romans, especially in the textile industry, saw urine as a valuable natural resource. Because of the high ammonia content in urine, it is an essential ingredient for cleaning and bleaching wool, an important fabric of the empire. Nearly 90% of public toilets in Rome end up in a vast network, generating a huge urine budget.
12. There are more than 200 corpses on Mount Everest
When we think of Mount Everest, what usually comes to mind are selfies of conquering the mountain and flags of triumphant ascent to the top. But Everest has a grim reality: more than 200 climbers will remain on the mountain forever.
Above 8,000 meters above sea level, the air is so thin that climbers fall into the dreaded "death zone," where oxygen levels plummet to less than one-third of normal breathing levels. Climbers experience symptoms such as blurred vision, severe fatigue, and hallucinations just a few steps from the summit. As a result, many people die from exhaustion, altitude sickness, or fatal accidents.
Some climbers, such as the iconic "Sleeping Beauty," became tragic landmarks, while others disappeared, being swallowed up by crevasses or buried under moving glaciers.
Today, these frozen remains have unfortunately caused growing environmental and health problems. As glaciers melt due to climate change, there are growing concerns about pollution and the exposure of rotting corpses and old mountaineering gear.