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If you have a Reddit account, you’ve probably seen fun threads discussing little-known “facts.”
These often sound too strange or outrageous to be true, but Lifehacker went through the trouble of fact-checking some of the trivia shared on the site.
As it turns out, knowledgeable Redditors know a ton of information the rest of the world doesn’t. Here are some confirmed facts shared on the popular site.
10. This Factoid About Ancient Times
“Pyramids and wooly mammoths coexisted.”
FACT CHECK: You can read the confirmation here.
9. The Mall of America doesn’t really get cold
“The Mall of America doesn’t actually have heating, even though it’s located in Minnesota (brrr!).
During winter, the heat produced by lights in the stores and the shoppers is enough to keep it at a comfortable temperature!”
FACT CHECK: The mall’s site explains this further, but it’s basically true.
8. This is still true!
“The 10th President, John Tyler, has living grandchildren.
Two men out there today had a grandfather that served as president six terms before Lincoln.”
FACT CHECK: The Washington Post confirms! So does Snopes.
7. Objects are not what we think they are.
“All of the solid objects around me are actually “vibrating”.”
FACT CHECK: The confirmation is right here.
6. Knowledge is a gift.
“George Washington never knew dinosaurs existed.”
FACT CHECK: True! Especially if you consider the next fact.
5. Ireland’s Drastic Population Change
“Ireland’s population in 1800 was 8.2 million.
Now, even including Northern Ireland, it’s just 6.6 million.”
FACT CHECK: A paper confirms the claim, though the dates were a bit different from what the Redditor claimed.
4. Redheads dave a lower threshold for pain
“Redheads typically need more anesthesia than others with different hair color on a bodyweight basis.
This due to the MCR1 gene mutation.
And yes, i can thank reddit for introducing me to this phenomenon.”
FACT CHECK: The NYT explains more about this bit of trivia.
3. The Truth About Greens
“Kale, collard greens, Chinese broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts and broccoli are all the same plant; brassica oleracea.
They are just different cultivars.”
FACT CHECK: Yes, one plant is responsible for a lot of popular leafy greens.
2. Nintendo’s history is longer than we thought!
“Warner Bros was founded a few months before the fall of the Ottoman Empire.
Even crazier is that Nintendo was founded 34 YEARS before it fell.”
FACT CHECK: And we can confirm this. Nintendo started off as a playing card company in 1889!
1. A Curious Kitten Fact
“Maybe this is common knowledge but it blew my mind when my veterinarian told me that one litter of kittens can have more than one father.
So if you ever wonder why all your cat’s kittens are different colors, it’s because your cat is a dirty whore… or nature. Whatever.”
FACT CHECK: With a confirmation to boot!
They say you can’t believe everything on the internet, but Redditors usually (sometimes?) come through with the truth.
Which of these was most surprising? We can’t wait to hear about it.
