There might be a cure for ‘evil’. Well, a cure for psychopathy, anyway. Psychologists argue that aspects of psychopathy can be ‘cured’ by cognitive behavioural therapy, which is said to reduce violent offences by those with the condition. Preliminary research suggests that computer-based cognitive training could help a psychopath experience empathy and regret, too.
100 Mind-Blowing Research Facts
You remember more dreams when you sleep badly. Research suggests that if you sleep badly and wake up multiple times throughout the night you will be more likely to recall the content of any dreams you had. You are also more likely to remember a dream when woken from one.
Recent research shows that exercise positively impacts nearly every cell in our bodies.
We don’t know why, but research shows that in the days leading up to a full moon, people go to bed later and sleep less, reports Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials.
The cornea is one of only two parts of the human body without blood vessels. The cornea is the clear part of the eye that covers the pupil and other parts of the eye. Cartilage and the cornea are the only types of tissue in the human body that do not contain blood vessels, according to scientists at the Harvard Department of Ophthalmology’s Schepens Eye Research Institute.
Medical errors are a top cause of death. According to a Johns Hopkins research team, 250,000 deaths in the United States are caused by medical errors each year. This makes medical errors the third leading cause of death in the country.
South American river turtles talk in their eggs. Turtles don’t have vocal cords, and their ears are internal, so scientists believed that turtles were deaf and didn’t communicate through sounds. However, research has found that turtles communicate at an extremely low frequency that sounds like “clicks, clucks, and hoots” that can only be heard through a hydrophone (a microphone used underwater). These sounds even come from the egg before the turtle hatches. Researchers hypothesize that this helps all the turtle siblings hatch at once.
In 2014, there was a Tinder match in Antarctica. Two research scientists matched on the global dating app in the most remote part of the world – a man working at the United States Antarctic McMurdo Station and a woman camping a 45-minute helicopter ride away. What are the chances?!
Tinder made its first match in Antarctica in 2014. Tinder made its first match on the continent of Antarctica in 2014. The match in question was between two research scientists. You could pretty much find a match for you anywhere with these new dating apps.
Marie Curie’s belongings still have radioactive residue in the present day. Marie Curie’s contributions to science had her named by many as the mother of modern physics. One of the works she was most known for was her study of radioactive materials and the discovery of elements such as polonium and radium. However, her research took a toll on her health. Radioactive exposure not only led to her death due to aplastic anaemia – but her clothes, furniture, and books remain radioactive to this day. Now, over a century later, her notebooks have to be stored in a lead box, as they will still be radioactive for another 1,500 years.
The continental plates move at the same rate that fingernails grow. Research suggests that sometime in the far future, a supercontinent may form. The continents are continuously moving a few centimetres a year.
You are more likely to have a weird or scary dream when sleeping on your stomach. This is because different sleeping positions give different pressures on your body. Sleeping on your stomach restricts other movements compared to sleeping on your side or back. Research believes that this may be why the intensity of your dreams differs depending on your sleeping position.
Blue-eyed people have higher alcohol tolerance. Research in 2000 found that those with lighter eye colours are less likely to abuse alcohol. Thus lesser consumption and developing a higher tolerance.
Smelling green apples helps with weight loss. Research stated that the smell can help curb your hunger. The neutral sweet scent that comes from green apples and bananas is enough to temporarily forget about hunger.
Leeches were used to predict the weather. This was a common practice during the Victorian era. However, further research proved that this type of prediction method was not reliable.
The state of Virginia may contain hidden treasure. The Beale CIphers are a set of coded texts that are said to reveal the location of hidden treasure. Research believes that this is worth over $43 million in gold, silver, and jewels. Only one of three texts has been encoded so far.
The most successful predator is a wild dog. According to research, canines have an 85% success rate when hunting. This is higher than that of a lion or cheetah. A lion only has a 17-19% success rate.
Saliva can be used to monitor alcohol intake. It can also detect how often you smoke or use drugs. Some research also uses it to diagnose diseases.
Dolphins have names. Research has found that dolphins use their unique vocal whistles to identify and differentiate one another. When a specific call was played back to the dolphins, they would respond differently each time.
Losing weight alters brain activity. Some records show that when women lose weight, their memory improves. Research has also linked obesity to poor memory, most especially those with pear-shaped body types.
Optical illusions can be found at the bottom of the sea. While exploring an underwater volcano, explorers came across a small lake-like pool that was upside down. On video, it looks almost too unreal. Further research stated that this lake is what keeps deep-sea creatures alive.
The chicken is the closest relative to the T-Rex. Recent studies have now accepted that prehistoric dinosaurs have more in common with present-day birds than they do with reptiles. Research has found that their genetic makeup is shared more with chickens and ostriches rather than lizards.
Flossing your teeth improves memory. Here’s one useful random fact for you: Research suggests that if you keep your gums healthy and avoid gum disease, it will lead to the prevention of stiff blood vessels. Preventing stiff blood vessels also prevents memory problems.
You can become less depressed if you stay up. Research has found that there is a correlation between those who pull all-nighters and those hazing out of depression. This is because the longer you go without sleep, the more active your brain becomes. However, it is not recommended to go without sleep as it is a necessary need for humans to be able to function normally.
Therapy is least effective at battling depression compared to playing video games. While addiction to video games may contribute to depression, research has found that it is not so when done in moderation. Some video games help with rage and emotional control which promotes positive results.
Tanning beds increase your risk of developing melanoma. If you were to use one of these machines before the age of 30, your chances increase by 75%. Tanning beds and lamps have been proven to be the highest cancer risk according to research.
Left-handed people are better at particular sports. Mainly those that involve spatial judgment and fast reactions. This was stated by a research study comparing the performance of left-handed and right-handed athletes.
An organism with a disappearing butt exists. Scientists named this the comb jelly or the sea walnut. Research has stated that there has been no documentation of a transient anus, not even under a microscope.
The chacma baboons reside in Africa’s Namib desert. According to research, a group of chacma baboons once survived 116 days in the desert without any water. They survived solely by eating figs they found.
You can feel happier by crying. Research has indicated that crying triggers the production of endorphins which acts as a natural pain killer. It also releases feel-good hormones such as oxytocin.
Plastic bags are better for the environment rather than paper bags. Despite the common belief that recycled paper is better than plastic, it is not always the case. According to research, a paper bag produces 70% more pollution compared to plastic. It also uses 4 times the energy to produce and break down.
Most known asteroids in our solar system are located between Jupiter and Mars. Research has found that the main meteor belt resides and orbits between the two planets. This main asteroid belt is found to be more than two and a half times as far as the Earth is from the sun.
Vegetable has no scientific definition. By this logic, it is acceptable to call a tomato a vegetable as well. Research cannot find any reason why vegetables are called as such nor why we continue to refer to them as such.
Light does not always travel at the speed of light. Research has found that the slowest recorded light moving was at the speed of 38 mph. The light can travel even slower if it is made to pass through obstacles such as water.
Dogs and cats also have a dominant side like humans do. A research study from Washington, D.C. states that these animals can be left or right-handed. They favour either the left or right paw when they move.
Research states that the loneliest creature on the planet is a whale. This whale has been observed calling out for a mate for over two decades now. However, due to its calls being at a different pitch than other whales, it is unable to successfully find a partner.
Roosters have built-in earplugs in them. Research has found that when a rooster opens its beak to crow, its external auditory canals close off. This prevents the sound from coming in and acts as an earplug for them. A rooster’s crow is usually around 140 decibels and higher.
The father of Computer Science committed suicide. Alan Turning committed the act after being forced to undergo hormonal treatment for his homosexuality. He was also banned from continuing his research unless he went through the treatments.
A wild dog is ranked as the most successful predator. According to research, canines have an 85% success rate when hunting. This is higher than that of a lion or cheetah. A lion only has a 17-19% success rate.
The human brain is 78% water. Up to 60% of the adult human body is made up of water. Research has indicated that both the human brain and heart are around 73-78% water.
A fly will always launch backwards to get away faster. Fruit flies can turn midair by shrugging their shoulders. Research has also found that a fly can process information at a much faster speed compared to humans. The average fly can process the ongoings of its surroundings seven times faster than a human being can.
Giraffes cannot swim. A giraffe can maintain its balance on land due to its gait. However, research has shown that this balance is ineffective in the water. This makes them one of the worst swimmers in the animal kingdom.
Cows hate country music. You’d think that cows would vibe with country music, but that’s not the case. According to research, cows produce 3% less milk when listening to country music. The study was conducted on a Scottish herd of 45 cows, which were made to listen to classical music and country music. With classical music, their milk production increased, with one particular cow making 1 litre more milk than usual. However, with country music, 44 cows were observed to yield 3% less milk.
The Super Soaker was designed and invented by a NASA engineer. Lonnie Johnson used the royalties from his 1989 invention to fund research on solar power.
The average belly button has 67 species of bacteria. Your mom wasn’t playing around when she told you to clean your belly button. According to research, the belly button is a rainforest of bacteria, with even previously unknown bacteria found in the 60 participants’ navels.
The movie sparked interest in the life of Oskar Schindler. After the release of the film, there was a surge in research and publications about the real-life Schindler, furthering awareness of his heroic actions.
The movie sparked interest in Holocaust education and research. After the release of “Schindler’s List,” there was an increased focus on preserving and documenting the eyewitness testimonies and stories of Holocaust survivors.
Ants rest for around 8 Minutes in 12 hours. Yes, surprising right? But not in the way we interpret sleep. James and Cottel have conducted research which shows that ants have a cyclical pattern of resting periods where each nest respites collectively which lasts for around eight minutes in 12 hours.
All polar bears are left-handed. No, this is a common misconception that polar bears are left-handed. However, the research shows that both paws are used equally. You can say that they are ambidextrous.
More than half of our bodies are not human. Bacterial cells outnumber the number of human cells in our bodies. Research has found that the average human is around 56% bacteria. Wow!
In your house, dead skin cells are the main factor in dust. According to research at Imperial College London, humans shed roughly 200 million skin cells per hour.
Coral reefs are Earth’s largest living structure. Coral reefs are not only beautiful natural wonders but also the largest living structure on Earth. These underwater ecosystems are made up of colonies of tiny animals called coral polyps, which build calcium carbonate skeletons that accumulate over time and form the complex structures we know as coral reefs. Coral reefs are incredibly diverse and play a vital role in the ocean ecosystem, providing habitat and protection for many species, and acting as a natural barrier that helps to protect coastlines from storms and erosion. Unfortunately, coral reefs are under threat from a range of environmental factors, including ocean acidification, rising temperatures and global warming. ESA research has shown how our ocean waters have become more acidic over the last three decades and how this is having a detrimental effect on marine life. By using satellite technology to measure ocean colour, temperature and salinity, scientists can track changes in ocean chemistry and detect areas where acidification is occurring. Rising temperatures can also have a direct impact on coral reefs, causing coral bleaching, which occurs when corals expel the algae that live in their tissues and provide them with food. Coral bleaching can lead to the death of the coral, which can have knock-on effects on the wider ecosystem.
Earth has a squishy interior. Earth’s interior is not solid but rather has a semi-solid or ‘squishy’ consistency owing to high temperatures and pressures. This squishy consistency allows the mantle to flow and move over geological timescales, which is responsible for phenomena such as plate tectonics, volcanic activity and Earthquakes. One consequence of this squishy interior is a process known as post-glacial rebound. During the last ice age, large portions of Earth’s surface were covered by glaciers, causing the underlying mantle to deform and sink. As the glaciers melted and receded, the mantle slowly rebounded back to its original position over thousands of years, causing the land above it to rise. This process is still occurring today in places such as Canada, Scandinavia, and Greenland, where the land is still rebounding from the weight of the glaciers that once covered the region. Recent research has found that West Antarctica is rising faster than anywhere else in the world, thanks to data from ESA’s GOCE gravity mission. The study of post-glacial rebound provides important insights into the structure and behaviour of Earth’s interior, and how it responds to changes in the surface environment over long timescales.
Antarctica is home to the largest ice sheet on Earth. More than six times as large as Greenland, Antarctica is the southernmost continent and is the coldest and windiest place on Earth – with temperatures that can drop as low as -89.2°C and winds that can exceed 320 km per hour. Antarctica is home to the largest ice sheet on Earth, containing a staggering 30 million cubic kilometres of ice. This represents an incredible 70% of Earth’s freshwater and 90% of its ice. As a result, changes to the Antarctic ice sheet can have significant implications for global sea levels and ocean currents. Monitoring the Antarctic ice sheet is therefore of paramount importance and satellite data plays a crucial role in this effort. Data from satellites such as CryoSat, ESA’s ice mission, allow scientists to track changes in the thickness and movement of the ice sheet over time, providing insights into how it is responding to a changing climate. ESA has recently teamed up with NASA and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) to carry out an ambitious campaign in Antarctica which involved taking simultaneous measurements of sea ice from ESA’s CryoSat and NASA’s ICESat-2 satellites. This research is essential for informing policy decisions on issues such as climate change and sea level rise, and for developing strategies to mitigate their impact on coastal communities around the world.
Trees are breathers. Trees are one of the most effective tools we have to combat climate change. Forests are home to around 80% of biodiversity on land and tropical forests alone produce over 40% of the oxygen we breathe. Covering around 30% of Earth’s land surface, we depend on forests for our survival. Forests absorb around 8 Gigatonnes a year of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and play a crucial role in the carbon cycle and climate system. However, climate change, forest degradation and deforestation are causing much of this stored carbon to be released back into the atmosphere. Recent research found that recovering tropical forests was only successfully combating a quarter of the current carbon emissions which indicates the importance of preserving and restoring our tropical forests. To better understand the role of trees in regulating our planet’s carbon cycle, ESA’s upcoming mission called Biomass will use advanced radar technology to measure the amount of carbon stored in Earth’s forests and other biomass, providing a more accurate assessment of carbon storage and uptake than ever before. By monitoring changes in biomass over time, scientists will be able to assess the effectiveness of forest conservation efforts and better understand the impact of deforestation on our climate.
Get this – axolotls can regrow their body parts. Yep, you read that correctly and this isn’t the stuff of science fiction. If axolotls become injured they, like some other species of salamanders, can regrow missing limbs, including hands, feet and even tails. They can also regrow organs. This unique ability means they’re regularly used for scientific research.
Research shows that people who laugh at dark jokes have higher IQs and report less aggressive tendencies.
Research shows that most individuals spend 60% of their conversation time talking about themselves. This number jumps to 80% while conversing on social media.
According to research, starting school at 10 am is better for your health. This is particularly true for teenagers, whose growing bodies require more sleep than they’re able to get with conventionally early start times. Not only does starting a few hours later reduce illness by up to fifty per cent but it’s been found to boost students’ grades significantly!
Research has found that people who swear tend to be more honest. While society rejects those who utilise profanity on a general level, many people still swear worse than sailors if given the opportunity. A researcher from Stanford University was inquisitive about the connection between swearing and expressing one’s true feelings. Eventually, he concluded that there was a direct link between those who swear to their heart’s content and those who are generally more honest.
According to recent research, the human nose can distinguish at least a trillion different odours.
The Most Powerful Supercomputer in The World. Riken Research Lab and Fujitsu developed the Fugaku supercomputer. In June 2020, Fugaku dethroned IBM’s Summit supercomputer as the most powerful in the world. This supercomputer broke the record for computations per second (TeraFLOPS) and various other supercomputer metrics. Fugaku offers 442,000 TeraFLOPS of performance while a Playstation 5 offers 10.2 TeraFLOPS.
Facebook: It’s Become a Leading Factor in Divorce. Facebook has been the subject of myriad research studies, but few are as intriguing as one published in the Journal of Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking that investigated relationship break-up rates. Findings, that “more frequent social media use and monitoring of one’s partner could lead to misunderstandings and feelings of jealousy,” in addition emotional and physical cheating can be traced to Facebook interactions. Additionally, another study undertaken by British attorneys using evidence culled from Facebook for divorce proceedings, concluded that Facebook can hurt people in committed relationships and even offer tips on how to avoid splitting up.
There’s a name for when you feel your phone vibrate… but it doesn’t. This is my favourite tech fact on this list! “Phantom Vibration Syndrome” is the name for when someone thinks their phone is vibrating, but it isn’t. Research suggests the cause for this is someone being over-involved with their phone.
CompTIA research shows that 71% of companies reported increased usage of online marketplaces.
British invasions and conflicts. According to research, out of the 193 countries that are currently United Nations (UN) member states, Britain invaded or fought conflicts in the territory of 171 countries, which accounts for approximately 90% of the total.
So Far, in 2024, The Worldwide Antivirus Software Market has Increased to $4.25 Billion. According to a report from The Businesses Research Company, the worldwide market of Antivirus Software has expanded from $4.06 billion in 2022 to $4.25 billion in 2023. It shows a CAGR rate of 4.5% between the two years for the industry.
Iran is the Country Most Impacted by Malware Infections Shared by Mobile. A Kaspersky Labs research showed that Iran had the highest number of malware attacks in the second quarter of 2022 out of all its mobile antivirus users.
According to Avast Antivirus Statistics, 55% of Computer Antivirus Software Globally is Outdated. While many would like to claim to have installed a functional antivirus program on their devices, reports show that many individuals are still prone to attacks. Recent research by Avast showed that many users still have outdated software running on their computers.
The Dutch police’s Internet Research and Investigation Network has been using Linux since as early as 2003.
Ivan Sutherland: Ivan Sutherland, a computer scientist and engineer, has contributed to the NSA’s efforts in cybersecurity and AI research.
The World Wide Web (WWW) was invented in England: The World Wide Web came to be in 1989 when it was discovered by Tim Berners-Lee, an English scientist. Berners-Lee began the project whilst working at CERN, The European Organisation for Nuclear Research, and its main use was for scientists to share information and institutes across the globe. The WWW was used privately until 1993 when CERN released it to the public. It’s flourished since then, and you’re using it to view this blog right now!
Money Is Dirtier Than You Think: Both paper currency and coins can carry viruses and bacteria that can live on surfaces and easily transfer to your skin or onto other objects after touching them. Research has found physical currency changes hands at least 55 times a year or almost once a week. One recent study found banknotes made with cotton or linen fibres, such as U.S. dollar bills, present increased areas for germs and the capacity to retain moisture, which can make it an easier place for bacteria to thrive.
Research shows that millionaires enjoy better and more adventurous sex with more partners. Studies also show that women enjoy sex more if their partner has more money.
According to research released by BlackBerry, 51% of IT decision-makers believed a successful cyber attack would be credited to ChatGPT within a year, and it happened. Multiple firms have also reported ChatGPT’s ability to create malware.
There exist many other alternatives and competitors for ChatGPT both paid and free. One of them is HIX, an all-in-one AI writing suite.; YouChat, an AI chatbot within the You search engine; Claude 2, an AI tool that can access Internet links and provide insight, and more. Perplexity.ai is a popular ChatGPT tool used for research.
Consumers Will Embrace Chatbots for Improved Business Communications: Leading research and advisory firm Gartner, Inc. predicts that over the next decade, AI-enabled proactive chatbots will boost customer experience by anticipating the needs of customers and connecting with them at an emotional level. According to Gartner, advanced chatbots will be able to process 95 per cent of customer interactions, cutting human involvement to 5 per cent.
By 2030, AI Will Contribute Significantly to the GDPs of World’s Leading Economies: Artificial Intelligence stats published by the Statista Research Department show that the contribution of AI to China’s GDP will be 26.1 per cent by 2030, the highest in the world, followed by North America (14.5 per cent), and the United Arab Emirates (13.5 per cent).
Although private investment in 2022 is set to exceed $135 billion, overall investment in AI research and applications is set to reach $500 billion by 2024.
From a research perspective, China became the global frontrunner in AI in 2021 regarding technological development and market applications.
Though there has been research to develop AI that could detect depression from someone’s voice, it’s still not very accurate and tends to misdiagnose ethnicities that weren’t the majority in the group used for the ML development phase.