‘What’s a widely-known fact that blows the mind of people who don’t know it?’ 23 favourites
Over on Twitter, Greg Jenner asked a question which provoked a whole host of great and informative answers…
It’s always so interesting to see what people do and don’t know. Part of the problem with the massive splintering of media channels into a bazillion places is not everyone sees the same things anymore
— Greg Jenner (@greg_jenner) February 7, 2021
So he asked this.
Here’s an impossible-to-answer-but-fun-to-ask thought experiment, what’s the most widely-known fact which will blow the minds of people who don’t know it?
I’ll start the bidding low with The Beatles is a pun on ‘Beat combo’
— Greg Jenner (@greg_jenner) February 7, 2021
And we’re glad he did because it prompted lots of people to get in touch with facts that were almost all entirely mind-blowing.
How many of them also qualify as ‘widely-known’, well, you be the judge. Come to think of it, how many of them are actually facts? Most of them, we reckon, and it makes for a very interesting thread …
1.
I forward that the arrow on the fuel indicator shows which side the fuel cap is on. pic.twitter.com/ciohxVd7Dx
— Bethany Black ️⚧️ twitch.tv/beffernieblack (@BeffernieBlack) February 7, 2021
2.
The name Chubby Checker being a spoof of Fats Domino. I know that blows people’s minds as I posted it here once before and my mentions went crazy!
— Royston (@roystoncartoons) February 7, 2021
3.
A second is called a second as it’s the second division of the hour by 60. The first being the minute, of course.
— Ross Mac (@GestyNod) February 7, 2021
4.
I’m going pufferfish aren’t inflated like a balloon https://t.co/HSgVx4iwb7
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) February 7, 2021
5.
One 18” pizza contains more pizza than two 12” pizzas.
— Stuart Moffatt (@StuMoff) February 7, 2021
6.
Thought “Hans Zimmer wrote the theme tune to Going for Gold” was very well-known by now but it still seems to blow people’s minds.
— (@blakeconnolly) February 7, 2021
7.
When a boxing referee shouts “seconds out” he’s not calling time on the break between rounds but instructing the cornermen to get out of the ring.
— EdH73 (@EdH73) February 7, 2021
8.
My fave is a historical one – we live closer in time to the life of Cleopatra than Cleopatra was to the building of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Egypt is ooooold.
— The Church Mouse (@thechurchmouse) February 7, 2021
9.
These are my faves too. Humans are closer in time to the T-Rex than the T-Rex was to the stegosaurus.
(Oh, & quirky geography ones too. Hamburg is further north than Liverpool; Edinburgh is further west than Bristol; the pacific ocean is at the eastern end of the Panana canal)
— Darren Sugg (@DarrenSugg1) February 7, 2021
10.
Salvador Dali designed the Chupa Chups lolly wrapper logo.
— Anthony James (@Gruffsdad) February 7, 2021
11.
Oranges were originally Green and the word meant the tree not the fruit.
— HappyToast ★ (@IamHappyToast) February 7, 2021
12.
Your eyeballs never grow !! You are born with full sized eyeballs which is why some babies look so big eyed.
— michael jenner (@michael_jenner) February 7, 2021
