facebook pixel


True or False: Researchers have found a link between cycling and impotence.
Question image
Researchers have found a link between cycling and impotence. One study showed a 28-year-old cyclist whose blood flowed to his penis had the sexual peformance equivalent to that of a 60-year-old man. Essentially, this is caused by the pressure from sitting on the long, narrow tip of a bicycle seat too much, which can lead to permanent damage.
Where is the oldest confirmed human burial site?
Question image
The oldest confirmed human burial site is in Israel's Tabun Cave, where remains have been found that are 100,000 years old.
True or False: Neanderthals buried their dead.
Question image
Humans have been burying their dead for eons—the earliest grave sites are believed to have been located in Pontnewydd Cave, Wales, and Atapuerca, Spain. It seems to be an activity which simply comes naturally to us. Instinctive—like laughter, or speech. In fact, Neanderthals—who lived among early Homo sapiens—also most likely buried their dead. The oldest confirmed human burial site is in Israel's Tabun Cave, where remains have been found that are 100,000 years old.
True or False: The Japanese giant hornet has venom so strong that it can dissolve the flesh of a human.
Question image
Grab some bug spray the next time you visit Japan. The Japanese giant hornet's venom is so strong that it can even dissolve the flesh of a human. It's also said that one hornet alone has the power to wipe out 40 European honeybees per minute. An Entomologist from Tamagawa University in Japan described her encounter with one of this hornets as a "hot nail through my leg."
China trains their paramilitary police with a grueling technique to improve their posture. What is it?
Question image
China trains their paramilitary police with a gruelling technique that’s a pain in the neck, literally. To get them to stand up straight they are made to wear crosses on their backs, but they are also forced to stick pins facing straight upward through their collars, so that if their posture slips, they'll be jabbed in the throat.
The world's largest consulting and auditing firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, suggests that robots will take over a significant number of American jobs by 2030. What percentage of jobs did they claim would become automated?
Question image
The world's largest consulting and auditing firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, suggests that robots will take over even more of our jobs in the near future. They suggest that in Japan, 21% of the jobs will be handled by robots, in the United Kingdom, 30% and in the US, 38 % of jobs will be done by machines by the year 2030.
True or False: A parasite found in cat feces can take control of a rat's mind if they ingest it.
Question image
A parasite found in cat feces can take control of a rat's mind if they ingest it. The parasite is known as Toxoplasma gondii, and it can only reproduce inside of a cat. When a rat ingests it, it is able to alter the rat's brain functions so that they're drawn to the smell of feline urine. This makes them an easier target for a cat to find and eat the rat, starting the cycle all over again.
Roughly how many people have disappeared in US National Parks?
Question image
Over 1,600 people have vanished in US National Parks, never to be seen or heard from ever again. After 9/11, the US government put in place an analysis and reporting system so that missing people could be found more easily. Unfortunately, this hasn't stopped people from disappearing in National Parks... and since tracking these people is often virtually impossible, many of them tend to stay missing.
True or False: The CIA invented a gun that could cause a person to have a heart attack, using a method that was absolutely undetectable.
Question image
A 1975 Congressional testimony revealed the CIA had a created a gun that could give you a heart attack. It shot darts that left a tiny red dot. The poison worked quickly, but most people didn't feel a thing until it was too late. The poison darts could even penetrate clothing. It was also impossible to detect during an autopsy because the poison would dissolve fairly quickly.
In July 1518, a dancing plague swept through a town in France and caused about 400 people to dance for days without stopping. Many of those who were affected eventually collapsed from exhaustion or died from a stroke or heart attack. Which of these options is a leading theory as to what caused it?
Question image
A psychoactive compound in the town’s wheat was the cause of the dancing plague.
For years, Alcatraz prison was the only prison in the United States to offer their inmates one specific creature comfort. What was it?
Question image
Alcatraz, one of America’s most notorious and impenetrable prisons, was for a time the only prison in the United States to provide inmates with hot showers. Alcatraz is on an island in San Francisco Bay, and the hot showers were thought to hinder escape, by making sure inmates didn’t get acclimatized to the freezing cold Bay water and swimming to shore.
UVB-76 is a shortwave radio station that has been broadcasting a low, monotonous buzzing sound since 1982 (you can sometimes hear Russian voices in the transmission too). What is the nickname for this station?
Question image
UVB-76 is a shortwave radio station that is also known as "The Buzzer." The station has been broadcasting a low, monotonous buzzing sound since 1982. Freakishly enough, you can sometimes hear Russian voices in the transmission too. The thing is, no one really knows where the transmission is coming from, but of course many people believe it is of Russian origin, only adding to the mystery.
What happens to a patient who has Cotard's Syndrome?
Question image
Cotard's Syndrome is a rare mental condition that convinces patients that they aren't actually alive. In some cases, the patient thinks they've lost blood, body parts, organs, or their soul, which leads them to believe that they are dead. Most of these cases are the result of psychosis, a medical condition, or mood disorders, and Cotard's is usually treated with electroconvulsive techniques (ECT) rather than with pills.
True or False: Cows kill more people in the US each year than sharks do.
Question image
Despite the persistent fear people have of being killed and eaten by a shark, that should really be among the least of your worries. It turns out, if you crunch the numbers, that your odds of getting trampled and killed by a cow are far, far higher: Cows kill about 5 times more people than sharks every year in the U.S.
Which of these Japanese cities did the US drop a nuclear bomb on during WWII?
Question image
During the World War II, the United States detonated two nuclear bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
True or False: a study showed that 1 in 4 Russian men will die before they turn 55.
Question image
Overall, the life expectancy among Russian men is fairly low at 64 years old, but a study found that one out of four will pass away before they hit 55. However, unsurprisingly, the risk of dying before that increases even more in those who drink three or more half-liter bottles of vodka per week.
True or False: A tumor can sometimes grow teeth or hair.
Question image
There are some tumors that are able to grow hair, teeth, and their own organs—it's like having another person growing inside of you. In 2008, doctors in Colorado Springs in the US took out a tumor from a baby that contained a partially formed foot, a hand, and a thigh. In 2007, doctors removed a lump from a Japanese woman's right ovary that had an eye and internal organs.
Butterflies occasionally exhibit one strange behavior, wherein they suck up the fluid from moist substances such as mud, rotting plant matter, or even dung and blood in order to gain nutrients from it that aren't in their usual diet. What is this called?
Question image
Butterflies occasionally exhibit a strange behaviour known as "mud-puddling." They look for moist substances such as mud, rotting plant matter, or even dung and blood, and they suck up the fluid to gain nutrients from it that aren't in their usual diet. Species like the Halpe butterflies are particularly attracted to the sweat on human skin as well as tears and blood.
Who was the famous painter who cut off his ear?
Question image
Vincent van Gogh is one of the most famous painters of all time. Unfortunately, he also suffered from mental illness his entire life, and he cut off his own ear while in a completely erratic mental state.
True or False: Scientists have recently discovered the exact reason we die of old age.
Question image
The reason behind why exactly we die of old age continues to elude us. One theory is that since throughout history most creatures die before they get the chance to reach old age, there was never any chance for natural selection to screen out the genes that ultimately damage and kill us when we get old.
Long before Novocaine, what did Ancient Egyptians put in their mouths to ease the pain of a toothache?
Question image
Ancient Egyptians used to put dead mouse paste in their mouths. They believed that the mashed mouse mush would ease a toothache when applied with other ingredients, because why not? Yet another reason to be thankful for Novocaine.
What is a Rat King?
Question image
What's worse than a rat? Try a whole group of rats who have fused together, their tails intertwined with hair and other substances such as gum or sap. In ancient times, the rat king was deemed an omen of misfortune, but today they're so rare some people even question whether the phenomenon even exists. However, museums like the Mauritianum in Altenburg, Thuringia claim to have a mummified rat king on display.
True or False: there are FDA regulations that specifically forbid ANY amount of insect particles in your food.
Question image
FDA regulations allow for a certain amount of insects to be present in the food you eat. In fact, 10 insects and 35 fruit fly eggs per 8 ounces of raisins is perfectly acceptable. The FDA is also cool with 5 rodent hairs and 150 bug fragments to remain present in one pound of peanut butter. This totally killed my craving for some Raisin Bran with my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Your Results

Lover Of Darkness

Sure, a few of those questions got past you… but that’s because we made this as hard as humanly possible. And you still did pretty dang well. Good on you. One thing is absolutely for certain: you’ve done some serious reading.

Master Of The Twisted

How could you possibly know all that? Do you ever make a mistake? No wonder you know all these questions. You’ve clearly made a study of the art of terror. Well done.

Happy With Your Test Score? This video can help you do better on any quiz... even if you know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the topic.

Quiz

The world is incredibly strange. So strange, in fact, that many of us do our best not to think about all the things that go bump in the night... At the same time, though, there is a magnetic pull to the macabre. Like the aftermath of a car-crash, or the allure of a horror movie, many of are drawn by morbid curiosity to understand the dark side of life. It seems to be human nature. Does that fascination affect you? How much do you know about the world’s darkest and most twisted phenomenon? Time to find out...

More from Factinate

Featured Article

My mom never told me how her best friend died. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery.

Dark Family Secrets

Dark Family Secrets Exposed

Nothing stays hidden forever—and these dark family secrets are proof that when the truth comes out, it can range from devastating to utterly chilling.
April 8, 2020 Samantha Henman

Featured Article

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.

Madame de Pompadour Facts

Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.
December 7, 2018 Kyle Climans

More from Factinate

Featured Article

I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life.

These People Got Genius Revenges

When someone really pushes our buttons, we'd like to think that we'd hold our head high and turn the other cheek, but revenge is so, so sweet.
April 22, 2020 Scott Mazza

Featured Article

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history.

Catherine of Aragon Facts

Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but very few people know her even darker history.
June 7, 2018 Christine Tran



Dear reader,


Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your time!


Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. We want our readers to trust us. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your help!


Warmest regards,



The Factinate team




Want to learn something new every day?

Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter.

Thank you!

Error, please try again.