21 Facts to Know if You Want to Be the Smartest One in the Room

We are taught so many things at school, yet only a few of them really come in handy. Although the amount of material we learn by volume is large, we somehow miss the most interesting facts about our world. Luckily, there’s only one step from ignorance to knowledge. So roll up your sleeves and get ready for a quick brain boost.

Bright Side picked 21 curious facts that we’re sure no teacher taught you in school.

1. Iguanas have 3 eyes. The third eye is on top of its head and only perceives brightness.

2. Las Vegas is the brightest spot on the planet when it’s seen from space.

3. Australia is as wide as the moon.

4. A praying mantis can turn its head 360 degrees.

5. Shoe shops used X-Ray machines to fit shoes in the 1940s before the risks of X-Rays were discovered.

6. Grilled or baked watermelons can be a perfect substitute for meat.

7. February used to be the last month of the year, that’s why it has the shortest number of days.

8. The expiration date on a water bottle is for the bottle itself, not the water.

9. In approximately 4,000 years Big Ben in London will be at the same angle as the tower in Pisa because it’s sinking into the banks of the Thames.

10. We’re taller in the morning and shorter at night.

11. Apples help you stay awake better than coffee does.

12. Your tonsils can grow back if there is some tissue left behind during the removal process.

13. Boiling water puts out fire better than cold water.

14. Bluetooth is named after the Viking king Harald Bluetooth.

15. Oak trees don’t produce acorns until they are 50 years old.

16. It will take you 3 hours to read the longest English word.

17. Boeing uses potatoes to test Wi-Fi because they absorb the signals similar to how people do.

18. Women blink more often than men.

19. A cow can be led upstairs but not downstairs unless you force it.

20. Neanderthals had larger brains than modern humans.

21. Cats are also allergic to humans. Or rather, their perfume or soap.

Which ones were the most surprising to you? Did any of your teachers mention at least one of these facts?