Our guilty pleasure is absorbing as much knowledge as we possibly can. We absolutely love learning new things about the world and tip-toeing closer and closer to the truth. Look, we’re true Ravenclaws at heart, and the only way to keep us happy is to keep feeding us interesting tidbits. A few facts a day help keep the blues away. And they help keep our dragon’s library fresh.
One of the best subreddits to keep all of you curious Pandas interested is the r/Damnthatsinteresting online group. A community of over 5.1 million members, ‘Damn, That’s Interesting’ is a celebration of cool facts that grab our attention.
We’ve collected some of their best featured interesting facts, and we hope they’ll spark your curiosity to delve deeper down the rabbit hole, Pandas. Not all facts are pleasant, but that's life for you. Don’t forget to upvote the facts that you enjoyed learning about the most, and be sure to share the best ones with your pals.
Bored Panda reached out to u/LydiaAgain, one of the moderators helping run the r/Damnthatsinteresting subreddit, to get a better understanding of the community. We also got in touch with Alan Castel, Ph.D., a UCLA psychology professor and the author of 'Better with Age: The Psychology of Successful Aging,' to learn more about cognition, staying curious, and mental sharpness.
#1 In South Korea, The Solar Panels In The Middle Of The Highway Have A Bicycle Path Underneath..cyclists Are Protected From The Sun, Isolated From Traffic, And The Country Can Produce Clean Energy
Image credits: cottagecow
Redditor u/LydiaAgain, one of the mods managing things behind the scenes at the massively popular r/Damnthatsinteresting, stressed that the content posted by the members needs to make someone stop and go, "Well, damn!" It's supposed to leave a powerful impression. The impact really matters.
"Being merely cute, topical, unusual [isn't the same as] interesting. We look for new, original content if possible," she said.
Bored Panda was curious about the subreddit's rules, and whether the mod has some other guidelines that new members should know about that weren't written in the sidebar. She quipped that one of the main issues is that some members simply don't read what's already written there.
#2 This Is Jean-Baptiste Kempf, The Creator Of Vlc Media Player. He Refused Tens Of Millions Of Dollars In Order To Keep Vlc Ads-Free. Thanks, Jean!
Image credits: PeasKhichra
#3 A Strike, But Continues To Do Their Jobs
Image credits: networthking
"Our rules are pretty straightforward, the main issue is people do not read the rules in the sidebar. My main advice is to actually read the rules and browse the subreddit before posting. Also, sending modmail about where your post has gone is not helpful as it gets buried in dozens of others, and will not result in approval," she explained.
Lydia revealed to Bored Panda that she personally spends around 2 to 3 hours each day helping moderate the subreddit. However, the time that other mods spend might be different. "Duties include checking modqueue, looking at modmail, browsing the subreddit to remove posts and comments, and trying to eliminate spam."
Meanwhile, UCLA professor Castel, the author of 'Better with Age: The Psychology of Successful Aging,' was kind enough to answer our questions about sparking our curiosity if we think we already know everything, and what helps us stay mentally sharp as we age.
"Our awareness of our own cognitive ability and knowledge is called metacognition. Often as we get older, we are more aware of what we know, what we don’t know, and also what we are most interested in. I think being selective can be important so that we can focus on remembering and being curious about what interests us," he explained to Bored Panda.
#4 Syrian Archaeologist Khaled Al Asaad Who Devoted His Life To The Excavation And Restoration Of Palmyra, A Unesco World Heritage Site. He Was Beheaded By Isis After Refusing To Disclose The Location Of Ancient Artifacts, Despite A Month Of Torture. He Died A Hero Of Heritage Protection
Image credits: pharmdoll
#5 Lawrence Brooks, America's Oldest Living WWII Vet, 110yo
Image credits: sthenoo
#6 Astronaut Mark Kelly Once Smuggled A Full Gorilla Suit On Board The International Space Station. He Didn't Tell Anyone About It. One Day, Without Anyone Knowing, He Put It On
Image credits: Is_It_Beef
"Also, having some sense of awe is also associated with curiosity, happiness, and life satisfaction, while also making us care more about others and the world in general. I think metacognition and awe can make us more curious about the things that are important to us, especially as we get older," he shared some advice that might be useful for those people who feel like there's nothing new to learn about the world or that everything seems dull.
According to Dr. Castel, staying physically and mentally active helps keep our minds sharp. "Research shows that physical exercise such as walking can improve brain function and memory, and being socially connected has wide-spread benefits for the brain," he shared.
"Thus, it is likely a combination of things that keep us sharp, such as being physically active, talking to people, reading, being connected, and remaining curious about things that are important."
#7 This Legend Right Here
Image credits: ConsciousPatroller
#8 Vitaly Skakun Is A Hero After Sacrificing His Life To Blow Up The Henichesky Bridge. The Bridge Was Mined But A Russian Column Was Advancing And There Was No Time To Detonate It Remotely. Skakun Radioed His Unit And Told Them He Would Do It Manually, Saying Goodbye
Image credits: yosef_kh
#9 This Quote From Zelenskiy's Inaugural Address
Image credits: reddit.com
The r/Damnthatsinteresting subreddit has been around for a while now. Founded back in late July of 2013, it’ll be celebrating its 9th birthday very soon.
In that time, the sub has amassed a multi-million-member community and carved out a pretty damn large niche for itself on Reddit and the internet at large. If you love their content, then you should definitely join the subreddit. However, before you share any interesting things of your own, there are a few rules to be aware of.
New members should definitely check out the sidebar before posting anything. It’s got all the guidelines they’ll need to make sure that the content they share is relevant and of the highest quality possible. The subreddit cares about keeping standards high, as it’s what’s helped it entrench its position as a popular community in the first place.
One of the main things you should be aware of is that your posts have to fit the r/Damnthatsinteresting theme. “This subreddit is for things that are interesting and cool. Content that is only cute, funny, a meme, or 'mildly interesting' will be removed. Posts should be able to elicit a reaction of ‘Damnthatsinteresting,’” the moderators explain that the pics and videos shared should elicit a powerful reaction from the audience. Anything less than stellar has its place elsewhere on Reddit.
#10 Parents In Poland Left Their Baby Strollers In Rail Road Stations For The Ukrainian Moms That Fled Carrying Their Children
Image credits: reddit.com
#11 "The Uncensored Library" Is A Huge Minecraft Map Where Anyone Can Read Censored Journalism From Countries Without Freedom Of Press
Image credits: frede2702
#12 This Man Spoke With Every Parent In Uvalde, Texas To Build Personalized Caskets For All 19 Children Who Were Killed. His Name Is Trey Ganem
Image credits: jcepiano
Meanwhile, you should avoid using clickbait in your titles. Sure, most people enjoy getting attention online. But it should be the content itself that shines, not a sneakily-crafted title that grabs people’s attention only to then disappoint them. The mods have a strict no-clickbait policy and will remove posts that violate this rule.
#13 These Tunnels Were Dug By A Giant Ground Sloth That Lived 10.000 Years Ago In Brazil. The Third Photo Are The Claw Marks
Image credits: Guio-
#14 This Homeless Man's Rabbit Was Thrown Over A Bridge By A Passerby And He Immediately Jumped Into The River To Save Her. He Won An Award, Was Given Animal Food And A Job, And The Passerby Was Charged With Animal Cruelty
Image credits: BOSSBABY33
#15 Meme People: Then And Now
Image credits: hyp_0504
Even though curiosity isn’t a sin, there should be some limits on what information is available to everyone. At least that’s what scientist Steven Wooding, a member of the Institute of Physics in the UK, thinks. In an earlier interview with Bored Panda, he stressed that there’s a need to protect the wider public in some cases.
#16 A Diver Found A Turtle That Looks Like It Knows All The Secrets Of The Universe
Image credits: satyamRajput004
#17 In 1980 The FBI Formed A Fake Company And Attempted To Bribe Members Of Congress. Nearly 25% Of Those Tested Accepted The Bribe, And Were Convicted
Image credits: _Xyreo_
#18 Father Knows The Best
Image credits: Master1718
"There have to be some limits to information, for the protection of the general public and those trying to use such information. One area where this is common is in the field of computer security. The fine details of how to do an exploit are withheld to stop low-level hackers from simply following a recipe to cause havoc on the internet. We mustn't make it too easy for bad people to do bad things,” Steven shared with Bored Panda.
#19 This Amazing Photo Was From A 16 Y/O Girl Who Snuck Her Camera Into A Queen Concert In 1978
Image credits: pietradolce
#20 A Statue In Istanbul To Honor Tombili, A Famous Stray Cat. He Used To Sit In This Position And Watch Passers-By
Image credits: Crassusempire
#21 A True Legend
Image credits: Swiftfox06
"You probably can't stop things from being discovered. If you ban it in one country, another will pursue it to gain a competitive advantage. And if all countries agree on a ban, some curious people will probably continue to work on it," he said that it is very difficult to control the spread of information.
#22 This Is FBI Agent Robert Hanssen. He Was Tasked To Find A Mole Within The FBI After The FBI's Moles In The Kgb Were Caught. Robert Hanssen Was The Mole And Had Been Working With The Kgb Since 1979
Image credits: _Xyreo_
#23 Medal Of Honor Recipient Kyle Carpenter Before And After Facial Reconstruction Surgery
Image credits: RedditorNumber50
#24 Douglas Bent Hegdahl
Image credits: RedditorNumber50
"In general, I think we should learn about everything about how the world and universe work. It's how that knowledge is applied later on that is debatable," the scientist pointed out that it’s not the information itself, but rather its application, that raises questions about how accessible knowledge should be.
#25 Nirvana Played A Concert In Buenos Aires Where The Crowd Threw Mud And Trash At The All-Female Opening Act. Kurt Cobain Was So Upset, He Sabotaged The Show By Playing Lesser Known Songs And Teased Hit Songs Such As "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Without Actually Playing Them
Image credits: Kronyzx
#26 Thomas Jefferson’s Sixth Great Grandson Recreates His Photo
Image credits: brotayto_yt
#27 That Sounds Very Cool
Image credits: j_curic_5
According to Steven, humility helps when trying to get closer to the truth. It’s inevitable that we’ll all make some factual mistakes. It’s important to embrace that and move past it.
"Nobody likes to learn they were giving out incorrect information in the past. It hurts, but we have to push through it, accept new facts and work with them. After all, they could lead to the next big breakthrough," he said.
#28 When A 6.8 Earthquake Hit Olympia, Washington In 2001, A Shop Owner Found That A Sand-Tracing Pendulum Recorded The Vibrations
Image credits: JustSomeGuy_Idk
#29 Ukrainian President Zelenskyy After Kyiv Survived A Full On Assault By Russian Forces Tonight, Announces He Is Right Here In The City And Is Not Going Anywhere
Translation: “Good morning to everybody. Ukrainians, there is a lot of fake information online regarding myself calling our troops and volunteers to lay down arms and that our army is currently evacuating. I'm here. We won't lay down our arms. We will be defending our country because our weapons are our truth. Our truth is that it is our land, our country, our children and all this will be protected. That is all. This is what I wanted to say. Glory to Ukraine”
Image credits: -Zepphyrrez-
#30 Anonymous Hackers Now Targeting Russian Websites In Retaliation For The Ukraine Invasion
Image credits: mitchanium
"This is constantly happening in science; as new discoveries are made, old discoveries have to be reevaluated," physicist Steven told Bored Panda.
"Try to view the world as a child does. Basically, keep asking 'why?' questions. As you learn the answer to one question, another will arise, and so on. It is a common situation in science that the more we know, the more questions there are. Keep questioning the world around you," he shared how we can keep our curiosity alive.
#31 Ukrainian Authorities Have Informed Citizens That You Don't Need To Declare Captured Russian Tanks Or Any Equipment They Pick Up As Personal Income
Image credits: NarcissisticEyes
#32 Pirate Bay Response To Legal Threats From Dreamworks
Image credits: Aaradhyaverma
#33 These Are The Buttons From A Ww2 Raf Uniform. When You Put Them Together, They Make A Mini-Compass, For Use If You Get Shot Down Behind Enemy Lines
Image credits: whaleears
#34 Cape Cod Lobster Diver Giving A Thumbs Up In His Hospital Bed After Being Swallowed And Spit Out Of A Humpback Whale
Image credits: deathakissaway
#35 Cia Revealed A "Heart Attack" Gun In 1975. A Battery Operated Gun Which Fired A Dart Of Frozen Water & Shellfish Toxin. Once Inside The Body It Would Melt Leaving Only A Small Red Mark On The Victim Where It Entered. The Official Cause Of Death Would Always Be A Heart Attack
Image credits: _Xyreo_
#36 Ravens Are Also Called "Wolf Birds"
Image credits: killHACKS
#37 A Stealth Bomber In Flight Caught On Google Maps - 39 01 18.5n. 93 35 40.5w
Image credits: Hippowned
#38 Winning A Lottery For $10 Million Was Supposed To Be A Dream. For Her, It Was A Nightmare!
Image credits: Kronyzx
#39 A Minimalist Drawing That Represents Closeness Over Time
Image credits: naturebeatsnurture
#40 As If We Needed Proof That Bill Is The Man
Image credits: CommonSchemeForYou
#41 He Went Naked To Prove A Point
Image credits: Kaos2018
#42 How Much We Accomplished In Just 66 Years. John Young
Image credits: NRGpop
#43 Daniel Kordan Accidentally Photographed A Meteor While Capturing An Erupting Volcano
Image credits: CAP_X
#44 A Father Designs A Headstone For His Wheelchair-Bound Son Depicting Him "Free Of His Earthly Burdens"
Image credits: ANXNEEMOUSE
#45 The Kindness Of Strangers
Image credits: MyNameGifOreilly
#46 When You Reach 100 Years Old In Barbados, You Get A Stamp In Your Honour
Image credits: killHACKS
#47 In Kyiv People Are Leaving Money After Taking Drinks Because There Was No Cashiers In The Store
Image credits: Hey_KJ
#48 In The 1640's The Dutch Inhabitants Of New Amsterdam Built A 12' Wall To Keep The Bad Hombres Out. In 1664 The British Ignored The Wall And Took New Amsterdam By Sea. It's Now Called New York. They Took Down The Wall And Built A Street. It's Called Wall Street
Image credits: Nasionboy
#49 World’s Fattest Man In 1890 Was Large Enough To Be Considered A “Freak Show” In The Circus
Image credits: wakeup2019
#50 After A Local School District Closed, They Parked Their WiFi Equipped School Buses In Areas Where Students Lack Internet, Acting As Free Hotspots
Image credits: thenewyorkgod
#51 Hatuey A Legendary Warrior Of Hispaniola , Who Preferred To Go To Hell Rather Going To Heaven
Image credits: reddit.com
#52 A Local Fisherman In Costa Rica Nursed A Crocodile Back To Health After It Had Been Shot In The Head, And Released The Reptile Back To Its Home. The Next Day, The Man Discovered “Pocho” Had Followed Him Home And Was Sleeping On The Man’s Porch. For 20 Years Pocho Became Part Of The Man’s Family
Image credits: gootyy
#53 This Guy Sounds Dope
Image credits: boopbeepbi
#54 Woman Can Smell Parkinson’s Disease
Image credits: cosmicleslie
#55 Only Five Olympic Athletes Ever Have Won More Than Eight Gold Medals And Four Of Them Hold Nine Gold Medals. Michael Phelps Holds 23
Image credits: Kronyzx
#56 The Difference Between An Orange vs. White Spacesuit
Image credits: SunCloud-777
#57 What A Great Idea
Image credits: reddit.com
#58 Mozart Was A Savage
Image credits: backflipper5k
#59 The 1985 Movie Clue Was Released Theatrically With Three Completely Different Endings. Each Screening Would Randomly Show One. The Home Video Release Contained All Three Endings
Image credits: reddit.com
#60 Humans Helping Other Humans Protect Rhinos
Image credits: hootersbutwithcats
#61 Italian Police Delivering A Donor Kidney Travels 490 Kilometers In Two Hours From Rome To Padua In A Lamborghini Huracan. His Average Speed During The Trip Was 233km/H (145mph). The Trip Normally Takes 6 Hours
Image credits: Gobi_Masala
#62 Nan Britton
Image credits: My_Memes_Will_Cure_U
#63 House Cat Suffering From Myostatin-Related Muscle Hypertrophy - A Rare Condition That Causes Muscles To Grow Excessively Large
Image credits: bsmith2123
#64 The Bee Lives Less Than 40 Days, Visits At Least 1000 Flowers & Produces Less Than A Teaspoon Of Honey. For Us, It Is Only A Teaspoon Of Honey, But For The Bee, It Is A Life. Thankyou, Bees!
Image credits: Realistic-Gap1608
#65 Chicago Public School Teacher Dwayne Reed, Who's Wife Is Eight Months Pregnant With Their First Child, Requested To Work From Home To Minimize His Covid Risk. His School District Said No. So Reed's Teaching Remotely - From Right Outside His School
Image credits: ohnoh18
#66 United Breaks Guitars
Image credits: nixonico
#67 The Skull Of A Purussaurus, One Of The Biggest Crocodiles To Have Ever Lived
Image credits: anthonyhui
#68 After An Accident This Tiger Had Its Tooth Replaced With A Gold One
Image credits: Here-For-The-Comment
#69 Postal Worker Cooks Steak On Truck Dashboard To Showcase 'Inhumane' Working Conditions During Extreme Heat
Image credits: tugboattomp
#70 Mcdonalds Is Permanently Closing In Russia Here Is My Friend's Stash
Image credits: noahstemann
#71 After The Death Of Her Husband & With No Breadwinner In The House, Mary Ann Bevan Decided To Enter A Contest And Won The Offensive Title Of "Ugliest Woman In The World" & Was Hired By A Circus. She Endured The Ridicule Of Of Others In Order To Raise Her Children & Give Them A Better Life
Image credits: husker3in4
#72 Insulin
Image credits: MyNameGifOreilly
#73 Finland's Olympic Athlete Dormitory In Beijing Today
Image credits: PeasKhichra
#74 The Generic Brands Are A Staple In Canada
Image credits: Ryan8088
#75 A Married Couple Discover They Appeared In Same Photograph As Teenagers
Image credits: TwasAnChild
#76 This Is Why Your Wear A Helmet
Image credits: borzilov
#77 My Wife Climbed A Mountain A Little Located In Little Over 12 Miles From Our House Yesterday. She Jokingly Asked Me To Use My Big Lens To Take Her Picture When She Reached The Summit. To Both Of Our Surprise, I Was Actually Able To
Image credits: JephriB
#78 Nutmeg, The World's Oldest Cat, Celebrating His 31st Birthday (141 In Human Years)
Image credits: killHACKS
#79 Grant Imahara Is A Class Act. R.i.p.
Image credits: Dareyouni
#80 Case Closed
Image credits: starstufft
#81 Carefully, He’s A Hero
Image credits: CommonSchemeForYou
#82 Public Transport vs. Private Transport
Image credits: Quantum3000
#83 The Lower Dungeon Of Warwick Castle. It’s An ‘Oubliette’, Where Prisoners Were Dropped And Forgotten About
Image credits: thebigchil73
#84 This Humpback Whale Was Found Dead In The Amazon Rainforest
Image credits: TheCheesecakeOfDoom
#85 Dogs Can Have Happy Tail Syndrome
Image credits: here4noodes
#86 Person Explains Why Astronauts Don't Use Pencils In Space
Image credits: Lord-Fizzy
#87 We’ve Come Full Circle
Image credits: TheGalvanian
#88 What Orthognathic Surgery Can Do
Image credits: burgpug
#89 Joseph Ducreux And His Self Potraits (1700s)
Image credits: _Xyreo_
#90 The Longest Road In The World That A Person Can Walk On
Image credits: XxF1RExX
#91 A Gallery Owner Was Arrested After Leaving A 10-Foot Heroin Spoon Sculpture Outside Oxycontin Maker Purdue Pharma
Image credits: AmazingScallion
#92 Prosthetic Leg Progression
Image credits: reddit.com
#93 The Talent That Went Into This
Image credits: j3ffr33d0m
#94 Complete Ancient Rome Replica 36 Years In The Making
Image credits: iam4real
#95 Daft Punk Performing Helmetless In 1993
Image credits: mtlgrems
#96 How They Prevent People From Urinating In Public In The Czech Republic
Image credits: UnironicThatcherite
#97 Oldest Surviving Pair Of Levis Jeans, 1879. Found In A Goldmine 136 Years Later
Image credits: General-Pryde34
#98 This Man Took Over 1,000 Children Of Fallen Soldiers To Disneyland Free Of Charge
Image credits: BOSSBABY33
#99 No Filters. Australia Is Red From Wildfires
Image credits: casualphilosopher1
#100 This Board Should Be Placed Everywhere. Don’t Waste Food
Image credits: Realistic-Gap1608
#101 How To Get A Scientific Paper For Free
Image credits: reddit.com
#102 Good Guy Einstein
Image credits: Academic_Sorbet-
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