10 Random Facts to Surprise You
By Sneha Mahadevan, 8th Grade
Have you ever been part of a silent and awkward crowd, racking your brain for a conversation starter, just to not be able to think of one? Or, have you ever heard some really bizarre information and wondered what other shocking truths existed? Maybe you've at times been completely bored, wishing for some interesting news? Well, look no further: Here are 10 random and entertaining facts that would shock anyone.
1. The American accent came before the British accent.
English speakers in England and the colonies spoke the same way at first. However, after the American Revolution, some English citizens of higher class began using non-rhotic speech (they stopped pronouncing their R's, that is) as a way to show their social status. As time went on, more and more British people began talking this way. Americans, on the other hand, continued speaking in a rhotic accent and never used non-rhotic speech. Both accents have changed somewhat over the years, but today's American accent more closely resembles that of 18th century England than the English accent.
2. Pluto is less than a year old.
Pluto really is the baby of our solar system, not only in size but in age as well. Pluto was discovered on February 18, 1930. Being the farthest planet from the sun, it takes extremely long for it to complete one orbit, making one of Pluto's years equal to roughly 248 Earth years. This puts the one-year anniversary of Pluto's discovery on Monday, March 23, 2178. Make sure to wish Pluto a happy birthday when the occasion comes around - or tell your great-great-great-great-grandchildren to.
3. The human body literally glows.
Have you ever seen those skin-care product ads that promise glowing skin? Well, if that's the look you're going for, then congrats, you've already achieved it, because the human body literally glows. Though you can't really see it with the naked eye, each and every person actually emits a small amount of visible light (visible only when speaking technically - the brightness of this light is about 1000 times less than what you could actually see). Your body's light levels actually change throughout the day, being the dimmest at around 10 am and the brightness around 4 pm.
4. Cotton candy was invented by a dentist.
This seems strange, I know, considering this fluffy treat is made entirely of sugar, the same thing dentists are always telling you to cut down on. Whether William Morrison just wanted to share some sweetness with the world, or whether he had an ulterior motive, we don't know, but his "Fairy Floss", as cotton candy was known at the time, surely ensured him and the others in his profession plenty of more customers.
5. Some sharks can live up to 500 years.
Greenland Sharks are the longest living vertebrates on Earth. When one of these was caught in 2014, carbon dating revealed that it was around 392 years old. Further tests showed that the species was capable of aging up to 500 years! In other words, some of these sharks swimming around today have been alive since the American Revolution, and others even when Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa!
On another somewhat related note, sharks are also older than trees. While sharks have existed for about 400 million years, trees only officially became their own species 350 million years ago.
6. The national animal of Scotland is a unicorn.
While most people fame Scotland for its legend of the Loch Ness Monster, its national animal, equally praiseworthy, is often overlooked. While this one-horned, likely mythological creature may seem like an odd choice, unicorns played a large part in Scottish history. Back in the 12th century, they were used by King William I in the country's royal coat of arms.
7. The temperature of water determines the sound it makes when you pour it.
If you listen carefully, you might notice that hot and cold water actually make different sounds when poured. The reason behind this is that when water is heated, its molecules move faster, making it thinner than cold water. So, colder water, which is thicker, makes a slightly higher-pitched sound than hot water.
8. Napoleon was once attacked by thousands of rabbits.
Yes, you read that right. One of the most powerful men in European history was, indeed, defeated by a swarm of cute, fluffy bunnies. After a military victory, Napoleon went on a rabbit hunt to celebrate. The party brought thousands of rabbits to be set loose, but as soon as the cages were opened, the rabbits turned and attacked, sending the great Emperor running for his carriage after several failed attempts to shoo the critters away.
9. More Americans are killed each year by cows than by sharks.
If the ordinary person ever stumbled upon a shark, they would no doubt immediately run for the hills - but would you do the same if you saw a cow? Though sharks bite an average of 53 Americans a year, only one of those results in death. Cows, however, have been known to kill about 20 people every year.
10. Trees weren't always biodegradable.
Nowadays, we're always being reminded to use biodegradable products made from materials like cork, wood, and other organic resources instead of plastics. But believe it or not, if you lived hundreds of millions of years ago, you couldn't throw away things made from trees either. Today, fungi and bacteria eat away fallen trees, but back then, the tiny organisms had not yet evolved to eat wood. So when a tree died, there would just be large piles of dead wood on the ground. Unfortunately, these created massive forest fires, which is how most of today's coal was created.