Possessing an intriguing fact can be a trusty dusty ace in the hole when conversation wavers. A tidbit that manages to surprise while it caters to logical intuition is worth its weight in gold.

Many of them, however, despite being interesting, are complete nonsense and they came from God knows where.


This Reddit thread is stocked with the vigilantes of the fun fact. They've adopted the thankless, but important role of setting the record straight.

The result is a list of deflating revelations. But arguably, these corrections carry as much, if not more interest than the original *incorrect* facts themselves.

Ryrylx asked, "What's a common 'fact' that's actually incorrect?"

Bring a Shield and it's Safe and Sound

"It's not dangerous to wake a sleepwalker. They won't have a heart attack or be put into a coma. They'll just be confused and it won't be pleasant for them, that's it." -- calathea1

"And depending on what kind of dream they're in, they might hit you." -- Fantastic-Mrs-Fox

Gotta Cut Corners Somewhere

"The beverage used by Jim Jones to kill all of those people was not Kool-aid, it was another brand called 'Flavor-aid.' " -- FloralBison

"When you're making enough fruit-flavored beverage to serve a thousand people, the savings from using a generic brand can really add up." -- brberg

Better Odds, but Still Bad

"Gladiator games in ancient Rome were not 'two men go in, one comes out.'"

"The figure I've seen in most studies is a chance of 1:9 for a gladiator to die during a munus that he took part in."

"That's huge, of course... but still means that, in most cases, it wasn't a fight to the death."

-- slacker25

Work Smarter, Not Harder

"You most probably weren't the fastest sperm cell. The egg has an outer protective layer that takes several sperm to wear down before fertilization."

"Honestly, you were probably one of the slowest sperm cells who arrived too late to do any work but still won the race of life."

"Also, the egg actually has a number of chemical barriers that select sperm with certain attractive chemical markers. The egg actually chooses which packet of DNA makes it to fertilization."

-- TinCupTan

Don't Flatter Yourselves

"Humans eat 8 spiders a year in their sleep."

"Spiders generally like cool, dry places. The inside of your mouth is not an appealing place for them."

-- VanillaSkittlez

Brian Power--About Three AA Batteries

"'We only use 10% of our brainpower.'"

"You always use 12 watts. That is the total power of the brain." -- DjDisingenius

"More specifically, you use all of your brain, but use different parts at different times, rather than all at once."

"This is why you never hear doctors saying, 'Thank god, he got shot in the 90% of the brain that doesn't do anything.'" -- Kakyoins_Egg

WHAT.

"'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day...'"

"Kelloggs payed researchers to create studies confirming that statement and started using it as a slogan to sell more cereal."

-- ValentinerX

Standard Measurement Strikes Again

"Napoleon wasn't short, he was actually 5'7" which was considered average-to-tall height for the time."

"Apparently the only way we can surmise that the urban legend started that he was short was because of the difference between English and French Imperial units, which led to his height seeming small by British figures."

-- Mayfair_Heir

And How do you Account for the Lungs Hmmmm?

"That the blood in your body is blue until it hits oxygen." -- StrikingWeb3

"I got onto a debate about this last year and dropped the 'blood literally carry's oxygen through your body' and they shut up." -- onionswithrubber

Would Have Run Out of Places a LONG Time Ago

"It's commonly said that 'lightning never strikes twice in the same place. In fact, it does - and frequently.'" -- Back2Bach

"Otherwise lightening rods would not be a thing." -- otter_pickles

"Or the one guy that has about 7 lightning strikes in his medical history." -- redbetweenlines

Do you have something to confess to George? Text "Secrets" or "🤐" to +1 (310) 299-9390 to talk him about it.

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In fact, many people should never be one.

So I find it commendable how many of us acknowledge that and chose not to procreate.

Redditorucinangel wanted to everyone to vent about why children are a "no thank you" in their book of life. They asked:

"What is the biggest reasons why you don’t want children?"
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You're a guest.

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So let's discuss hitting up America for the first time.

RedditorPraglikwanted to share some must knows for the people whole and visit our land.They asked:

"Americans of Reddit, what's something anyone visiting the US for the first time absolutely must know about or be aware of?"
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Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash

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It feels like that more and more as I meander in my local shopping center.

But a little crazy I can deal with.

I want to discuss the people who leave an imprint of fear.

The people who lack empathy, remorse... and a soul.

You met many of those?

Redditor playmesomethinnice wanted to see who would fess up and discuss the person or persons that leave us shook.They asked:

"What type of people are you scared of?"
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The amount of poor behavior I witness on the daily is astonishing.

How are we like this in these modern times?

Instead of serving shame, we're serving justice for improper deeds.

Be a better human.

Redditor ValenFrost wanted to share what people need a little bit of bad spotlight. They asked:

"What do you think people actually deserve to be shamed for?"
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