Top 10 Strangest Facts You Want to Know

This list is a compilation of the strangest facts you should know but that you may don’t know because you haven’t even thought about them. Tell us which one surprises you the most.

Top 10 Strangest Facts you want to know about animals, cities, words, culture and more!

10. Cats pee is fluorescent

Yes, cats pee is fluorescent. That is, it shines in the dark under ultraviolet light because of its chemical composition, which contains phosphorus and uric acid crystals. But this can be very useful if you own a cat; it’s important to clean the urine so that the cat doesn’t re-mark the same site. If you don’t find the urine, just turn off the light in the room and light it with a black light bulb. Voilà! Your cat’s pee will be glowing before your eyes. Probably this is one of the strangest facts about cats you didn’t know!

9. Coca-Cola can be used as a cleaner

That’s right, this is one of the 10 strangest facts you want know if you’re a Coca-Cola lover. The famous drink that was born in 1886 as digestive syrup is so acidic that it works even as a cleaner. Its phosphoric acid with a pH level of 2.8 could even kill a snail or dissolve a nail in 4 days! You can try yourself by cleaning oil stains, ballpoint pen or even the toilet.

8. Cockroaches can survive without their head

A cockroach can survive up to 9 days without its head! This is because, having no blood pressure in its head, if you cut it, the cockroach will starve to death on the ninth day. Other animals with this feature are snakes, crickets and flies. Eugh! Surely this is one of the strangest facts you have read about animals.

7. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

As you read, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is not an error. The next in these top 10 of strangest facts is the name of a large village on the island of Anglesey in Wales, where 3107 people live. This is the longest place name in the United Kingdom and one of the longest in the world, with 58 characters! What would they be thinking when they chose that name?

6. F.U.C.K.

This is undoubtedly one of the coarsest words in the English language. And one of the strangest facts you should know is its origin, which comes from ancient England. At that time, sex was not allowed as enjoyment, but only to conceive; and to have sex, you had to ask the king for permission. It’s said that he was authorizing it through a plaque that read “Fornication Under Consent of the King” (F.U.C.K.), which gave rise to the word.

5. Foot binding

The next in these top is this weird Chinese practice that was a symbol of beauty. At the beginning of the 19th century, it’s estimated that 40-50% of Chinese women had bandaged feet. This was a custom in the population due to feudal traditions; women with large feet were much less likely to marry. It’s estimated that more than one billion Chinese women had their feet bandaged from the late 10th century to the mid-20th century. Luckily this tradition died, but this is one of the strangest facts that you surely didn’t know about Chinese culture.

4. Dolphins keep an eye out while sleeping

Dolphins are the world’s most adorable and intelligent aquatic mammals! We know that. But in addition, one of the strangest facts that has been discovered about them is that they keep an eye out while sleeping. This is because, for them, breathing is voluntary and not a reflex. Therefore, they had to develop the ability to sleep by turning off only one of the hemispheres of their brain, while the other remains awake and controlling vital functions. That’s why, when sleeping, dolphins float on the surface with an open eye and a flap protruding from the surface of the sea.

3. “Yes” and “No” gestures

Now, still talking about cultures, the next in this list of 10 strangest facts you want to know is a unique feature of Bulgaria. We all know that, in most cultures, the gesture of nodding one’s head expresses agreement; and the opposite shows disagreement. However, did you know that the Bulgarians are an exception? In Bulgaria, the head shake means “Yes” and a nod means “No”. Nobody knows exactly where this custom comes from. But now you know, if you speak with a Bulgarian, it’s bettter to say “Yes” and “No” verbally.

 2. Thomas Edison was afraid of the dark

The American businessman and inventor who patented more than a thousand inventions and inaugurated the world’s first power plant for public lighting, was afraid of the dark! Maybe that’s why he put so much effort into inventing a light bulb that would remain on. Thanks to that, we can have light in our homes, everywhere in the night and in the dark days.

1. Speed of a sneeze

And to finish with these top 10 of strangest facts, we want you to know that the speed of a sneeze is of aprox. 160 km/h! Probably it’s faster than you’re used to driving. Besides, it’s impossible to sneeze with your eyes open!

Now you tell us which of these strangest facts surprised you the most!