Every day we learn new things. The world is full of surprising facts that may never have crossed our minds until we are told, isn't that right? Some can be scientifically explained while others are "strange but true" facts. But how many of those are actually useful? Here are some random interesting facts and myths. Do any of them blow your mind? Let's see.

Random Interesting Facts (and Myths!) To Blow Your Mind

1. Myth or Fact? 

The current US flag was designed by a high school student, Ohioan Robert G. Heft. At the time, his teacher, Stanley Pratt gave him a B-minus grade for the lack of originality.

His design was officially chosen as a candidate, so the teacher had to give him A-grade. Eventually, it was chosen as the best one. America's 27th flag was designed by a high school student, Bob Heft.

That much is true, and you wouldn't blame the teacher for initially criticizing it. 

Technically, Bob Heft may have (re)designed the flag...but all he did was add two more stars to the existing flag.

Alaska was admitted to the USA as its 49th State in January 1959. At the time the American flag had 48 stars and 13 stripes. So they added another star in the blue rectangle for the independence day, July 4, 1959.  

Just a month later - in August 1959, Hawaii joined. So they added another star to make it 50 stars and 13 stripes. Who added? Bob Heft did. He sent it to the Ohio Congress and it was later chosen by then-President Eisenhower.

Much of the stories behind it that are going around seems to be fabricated - this interesting article, "False Flag" by Alec Nevala-Lee will tell you more about it.

4. About 1,800 thunderstorms are constantly occurring somewhere on the planet, with 100 lightning strikes per second.

This makes it 16 million thunderstorms annually.

5. [Myth] Lightning never strikes the same place twice.

Fact: Lightning can strike the same place more than once, and often does. The Empire State Building, for example, is hit about 25 times a year. This myth probably stems from the rarity of lightning strikes, making repeated strikes seem improbable, but in areas with high conductivity or tall structures, it's quite common.

7. [Myth] Scotland has 421 words for snow.

Around 2015, Media including BBC pointed out that the Scottish thesaurus had listed 421 "words for snow". Examples include, "flindrikin" (a slight snow shower) and "spitters" (small drops or flakes of wind-driven rain or snow).

We express the type of rain - drizzling, spitting, pouring down, like from buckets... These are just expressions to describe how it rains.

Rain is rain. Snow is snow. Ask your Scottish friends if you have any - they'll struggle to find an actual word that can replace the word "snow". "Scotland has 421 words for snow" is a myth.

9. Fernandina Island Galápagos tortoise was discovered in 1906 but was not spotted again for over 100 years, believed to be extinct.

...Until it was rediscovered in 2019.

11. Bananas are berries, but strawberries are not.

In botanical terms, a berry is a fruit produced from the ovary of a single flower with seeds embedded in the flesh. By this definition, bananas qualify as berries, but strawberries do not because they are derived from a flower with multiple ovaries. 

12. [Myth] Great Wall of China is visible from space.

This widely held belief is actually a myth. Astronauts have confirmed that the Great Wall of China is not visible to the naked eye from low earth orbit. The myth likely originated from a sense of national pride or the sheer scale of the construction, but in reality, many human-made structures are not distinguishable from space without aid.

14. Ancient Egyptians used to use pillows made of stone. They needed headrests to prevent insects from crawling up on their faces.

Although humans have been known to sleep on soft pillows for 2,000 years.

15. Octopuses have three hearts and blue blood.

Octopuses are among the most fascinating creatures of the sea, partly because of their cardiovascular system.

They have two hearts that pump blood to the gills, while a third heart circulates it to the rest of the body.

Their blood is blue due to a copper-rich protein called hemocyanin, which is more efficient than hemoglobin in cold, oxygen-poor environments.

17. Honey never spoils.

Archaeologists have found pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that are over 3,000 years old and still perfectly edible.

Honey's longevity is due to its low moisture content and acidic pH, which create a hostile environment for bacteria and microorganisms. 

This natural sweetener has been valued not only for its taste but also for its preservative qualities throughout history.

18. [Myth] Humans use only 10% of their brains.

This popular myth is far from true. Brain imaging studies have shown that no part of the brain is completely inactive. Even simple tasks require involvement from multiple parts of the brain, and over the course of a day, nearly every part is used.

This myth might have originated from a misunderstanding of neurological research or as a motivational tool to suggest that people are capable of much more.

20. Cows don’t have upper front teeth.

They have a thick dental pad instead. They do have upper back teeth and a full set of bottom teeth, so they can't really bite if you stick your finger.

21. [Myth] Chameleons change color to blend into their surroundings.

While it's true chameleons can change color, this ability is more often used to regulate their temperature or communicate with other chameleons rather than for camouflage.

Their color changes are due to the expansion or contraction of special cells in their skin that contain different pigments.

23. The shortest war in history lasted 38 minutes.

The Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896 is the shortest recorded war in history.

It began and ended on August 27, 1896, when the Sultanate of Zanzibar surrendered to British forces after a brief conflict that lasted between 38 to 45 minutes, showcasing the overwhelming military might of the British Empire at the time.

25. [Myth] House dust is mostly dead human skin.

It's not true - 2/3 of the dust in your house actually comes from outside. All sorts of others including clothes fibres, hair, carpet fluff, etc. Most of the dead human skin ends up in the bath/shower. 

27. [Myth] Vikings wore horned helmets.

This image of Norse Vikings sporting horned helmets has been popularized by cartoons and movies, but there's no historical evidence to support it.

Actual Viking helmets were conical, made from hard leather with wood and metals, and did not have horns. The myth likely originated from ceremonial or artistic depictions rather than practical battle gear.

29. Avocados were named after testicles.

When Aztecs discovered the avocado in 500BC, they named it āhuacatl, which translates into "testicle."

30. A day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus.

Venus has a very slow rotation on its axis, taking about 243 Earth days to complete one rotation. However, it only takes about 225 Earth days to complete one orbit around the Sun. This means that a single day on Venus (from one sunrise to the next) is longer than a Venusian year.

32. [Myth] Goldfish have a three-second memory.

Goldfish actually have quite impressive memories. Research has shown they can remember things for months, not just a few seconds. They can be trained to respond to various stimuli, debunking the myth that they only have a three-second memory span.

This misconception might stem from observing their repetitive behavior in small, featureless tanks, which doesn't stimulate their cognitive abilities.

34. Japanese dishes and cutleries come in sets of five.

When you buy a dinner set in Japan, they usually come in 5, mainly for two reasons. One is that they believe in the concept of "five senses". Sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. Or when it comes to the flavour, sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami.

The other reason is that the number 4 (pronounced "shi", meaning death) is considered unlucky in East Asian cultures. They don't sell nice china (as in ceramics!) in sets of 4.

35. [Myth] Humans have five senses.

Talking about "five senses"... Do humans only have 5? Tensions of the muscles, hunger and thirst, bladder control...there seem to be more. (How Many Senses Does a Human Being Have?) And what about the "six sense"?

37. [Myth] Sugar Makes Children Hyperactive.

There have been numerous studies carried out over the past decades, and they have not found a solid scientific evidence. (Medical News Today: Does sugar make children hyperactive?)

38. There are more trees on Earth than stars in the Milky Way.

Recent estimates suggest that Earth has around three trillion trees. In comparison, the Milky Way has between 100 to 400 billion stars. This fact highlights not only the vastness of life on our planet but also the importance of forests in maintaining ecological balance and supporting life.

40. [Myth] Bulls hate the color red.

Bulls, like other cattle, are actually colorblind to red. The myth that they become enraged by the color red comes from bullfighting, where matadors use a red cape, or muleta. It's not the color that irritates the bull, but the movement of the cape by the matador.

42. The Eiffel Tower can be 15 cm taller during the summer.

When a substance is heated up, its particles move more and it expands. The same happens with the Eiffel Tower, which is made of iron.

During the summer heat, the tower can expand to be up to 15 cm taller than its height in the winter, showcasing the fascinating effects of thermal expansion on structures.

44. Cleopatra lived closer in time to the moon landing than to the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Cleopatra VII ruled Egypt in the 1st century BC, roughly 2,000 years before the first moon landing in 1969.

In contrast, the Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed around 2560 BC, making it over 2,500 years older than Cleopatra. This fact puts into perspective the long span of human history and civilization.

46. [Myth] Shaving hair makes it grow back thicker and darker.

This belief is widely held but incorrect. Shaving cuts the hair off at the skin, but doesn't affect the growth rate or thickness.

The stubble feeling thicker or appearing darker is due to the blunt tip of the hair as it grows out, not because the hair itself has become thicker or changed in any way.

49. Mickey Mouse only has 3 fingers.

Walt Disney didn't want to give him mouse hands, but he also thought four fingers with a thumb would look too much. The white gloves would help him look not too mouse-like, but not too human-like, and make the actions stand out in the black and white animation.

51. There's a species of jellyfish that is essentially immortal.

The Turritopsis dohrnii, also known as the "immortal jellyfish," can revert back to its polyp stage after reaching maturity.

This process can theoretically go on indefinitely, allowing it to avoid death by aging, although they can still be consumed by predators or die from disease. This remarkable biological mechanism challenges our understanding of life and aging.

53. [Myth] Your body temperature is raised when you drink alcohol.

A hot alcoholic cocktail in the winter may make you feel warmer temporarily, but according to a study carried out in 2008, alcohol does not help you raise your core body temperature. It actually makes no difference.

57. [Myth] Go paperless to save the planet!

None of the environmental problems that we currently have is so simple and straightforward.

As we go paperless and save all the information in the cloud space, there's now a gigantic amount of e-waste, i.e. equipment such as servers and power generators. According to TwoSides, we don't seem to be recycling such equipment very well, while paper recycling is more controlled.

59. A group of flamingos is called a "flamboyance.

"Flamingos are social birds known for their vivid pink feathers and long, stilt-like legs. When they gather in groups, which can number in the thousands, it's known as a flamboyance. This term reflects their eye-catching appearance and the dramatic display they put on when congregated.

61. [Myth] We only have five senses.

The traditional list of five senses—sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch—is actually incomplete. Scientists argue that humans have at least nine senses and possibly as many as twenty-one. These include balance, temperature, kinesthetic sense (awareness of our body parts' position), and pain, among others.

62. A single lightning bolt has enough energy to toast 100,000 slices of bread.

A typical lightning bolt can carry up to one billion volts of electricity and tens of thousands of amperes of current. This immense energy, if harnessed, could indeed toast around 100,000 slices of bread.

However, capturing and using energy from lightning remains a significant challenge due to its unpredictable nature and the difficulty of storing such a vast amount of energy instantaneously.

65. [Myth] Venus is the only planet in the solar system that rotates clockwise.

Venus is not the only one. Uranus also rotates clockwise, on its axes from east to west.

So does the dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt, Pluto, which was once defined as the 9th planet of the solar system, until it was excluded in 2006.

66. The shortest commercial flight in the world lasts just 57 seconds.

Operated by Loganair, the flight covers the distance between Westray and Papa Westray, two of the Orkney Islands in Scotland. The actual flight time can be as short as 57 seconds, depending on wind conditions, making it the shortest scheduled passenger flight on the planet.

68. You cannot burp in space.

No gravity means your trapped air doesn't rise in your digestive systems. Air, food, and liquids all float in your stomach together.

69. [Myth] Camels store water in their humps.

It's a common misconception that camels store water in their humps. The humps actually store fat, which the camel can convert into water and energy when food and water are scarce. This adaptation allows camels to travel long distances through harsh desert environments without water.

71. [Myth] Einstein failed mathematics as a student.

This is a common myth that misrepresents Einstein's academic abilities. In reality, Albert Einstein excelled in mathematics from a young age.

He mastered calculus before he was 15 and was proficient in both mathematics and physics throughout his schooling. This myth undermines the early prowess of one of the most brilliant minds in history.

72. There's an area in the Pacific Ocean where no cyclones have ever been recorded.

The Earth's geography creates areas with conditions unsuitable for cyclone formation. One such area is the South Pacific's "cyclone-free zone," extending from the coast of South America to the central Pacific Ocean.

This zone's stable conditions and cooler water temperatures inhibit cyclone development, making it a unique meteorological curiosity.

74. [Myth] Bats are blind.

This myth couldn't be further from the truth. Bats have eyes and can see, though not as well as humans. However, they rely heavily on echolocation, a sophisticated sonar system, to navigate and find food in the dark. This ability is so precise that bats can avoid obstacles as fine as a human hair.

75. There's a volcano in Indonesia that spews blue lava.

Kawah Ijen, a volcano on the island of Java, Indonesia, is famous for its striking blue lava. This unusual phenomenon is actually the combustion of sulfuric gases that emerge from cracks in the volcano at high pressures and temperatures. When they come into contact with the air, they ignite, producing an eerie blue flame.

77. [Myth] Polar bears are left-handed.

There is no evidence to back up such a claim. Scientists say that polar bears seem to use their both hands - paws - equally.

78. The national animal of Scotland is the unicorn.

While unicorns are mythical creatures, Scotland has embraced them as its national animal since the 12th century.

The unicorn is a symbol of purity, innocence, and power in Celtic mythology, reflecting the qualities that the country values. It appears in many forms of Scottish heraldry and symbols.

80. [Myth] Ostriches bury their heads in the sand when they're scared.

This is a popular but incorrect belief. Ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand to avoid danger. This misconception may come from observing them lowering their heads towards the ground when they feel threatened, which is actually a defensive behavior to make them less visible to predators.

81. There's a species of fish that can walk on land.

The mudskipper is a fish that spends a significant amount of its life out of water. It has adapted to walk on land using its fins and can breathe through its skin and the lining of its mouth when it's not submerged. This unique adaptation allows it to explore the intertidal zones and even climb trees.

84. "Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia"

...is the fear of long words.

85. Venus rotates in the opposite direction to most planets in our solar system.

Most planets in our solar system rotate on their axes in the same direction as they orbit the Sun, which is counterclockwise when viewed from above the North Pole.

However, Venus spins clockwise on its axis, making its rotation retrograde compared to most other planets. This means on Venus, the Sun would appear to rise in the west and set in the east.

86. A day on Mercury is longer than its year.

Mercury completes an orbit around the Sun in just 88 Earth days, making it the shortest year of all the planets in our solar system.

However, a single day (sunrise to sunrise) on Mercury lasts about 176 Earth days because of its slow rotation and tight orbit around the Sun. This means Mercury has fewer than two days in an entire year.

88. [Myth] All babies are born with blue eyes.

Stanford University carried out a study of 192 newborn babies in 2016 and found that 2/3 of them were born with brown eyes, while only 1/5th of them were born with blue eyes.

89. [Myth] Humans swallow an average of eight spiders a year in their sleep.

This myth has been thoroughly debunked. It's highly unlikely for spiders to crawl into people's mouths while they sleep. Spiders usually avoid humans, and the vibrations caused by a sleeping person's breathing and heartbeat are likely to deter them, not attract them.

90. The largest living organism in the world is a fungus.

"Humongous Fungus (Armillaria Ostoyae)" in Oregon is covering 3.7 square miles and is still growing.

92. The English word with the most definitions is "run".

Previously, "set" was the word with 430 meanings in the Oxford English Dictionary, certified by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1989. Now OED says "run" has no fewer than 645 meanings.

93. [Myth] You need to drink eight glasses of water a day.

The advice that you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day is not based on scientific evidence. The amount of water a person needs can vary greatly depending on factors like climate, physical activity level, and diet. While staying hydrated is crucial for health, there's no one-size-fits-all amount.

95. The mantis shrimp can strike with the force of a bullet.

The mantis shrimp, a colorful sea creature, possesses one of the most powerful and swift strikes in the animal kingdom. Its claws can snap closed at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, releasing an energy equivalent to a .22 caliber bullet. This incredible force is used to attack prey and can even break through aquarium glass.

96. Wombat feces are cube-shaped.

Wombats, marsupials found in Australia, produce uniquely cube-shaped poop. This unusual shape, which is not found in any other animal, helps the feces stay in place and mark territory without rolling away. The wombat's intestines have regions of varying elasticity, which shapes the feces into cubes as they are formed.

97. The "Spanish flu" pandemic did not originate in Spain.

The 1918 influenza pandemic, often called the "Spanish flu," likely did not start in Spain. Spain was one of the first countries to report the epidemic in the media, but researchers believe the flu may have actually originated elsewhere, possibly in the United States or France. Spain's neutrality in World War I meant it had no media censorship, so news of the flu's impact there spread widely, leading to the misconception about its origins.