There’s an endless list of weird facts about this world, but there’s no doubt in my mind that the 11 you’re about to learn really stand out! Do you know why female deer respond to the cries of a human baby, or why a long-dead Pharaoh needed a passport to travel through France? Find out these facts and more below:
1. A passport is required to travel across France – Dead or alive
The government of Egypt had to make a passport for Pharaoh Rameses II so that his body could be taken to France for restoration. What’s even weirder is that he was greeted with full honors when the plane carrying him touched down in Paris.
2. A boy that lived in Buckingham Palace used to steal Queen Victoria’s underpants
A boy, covered in soot, was discovered in one of Buckingham Palace’s rooms on December 14th, 1838 by a palace night porter. He was wearing two pairs of pants and had a number of pairs of ladies’ panties stuffed in his pockets.
Apparently, he had been hiding in the palace for an entire year before being discovered. He even hid under the table during royal meetings, eavesdropping on their conversations. He was caught inside the palace three more times after being removed.
3. Every belly button is unique
It isn’t the physical aspect of the belly button we’re talking about here – more than half of the 2,400 species of bacteria that live in human belly buttons might be new to science. The composition of the bacteria in each person’s navel makes them unique. Strangely, scientists even discovered a kind of bacteria that’s only found in the soil of Japan in the belly button of a man who had never been to the country in his life!
4. The cry of a human baby causes female deer to instinctively run for help
It just so happens that the cry of a human baby is in the same frequency range as the cry of a fawn. This occurrence repeats itself among many mammal species. Just as this has an effect on a doe, the part of the human brain responsible for responding to stimuli gets switched on and prompts us to protects a newborn baby, kitten or puppy
5. There’s a reason why we forget what we entered a room for
The “doorway effect”, as it has been dubbed by psychologists, is a mechanism that helps us divide one group of memories from another. Entering another room makes our brains archive the thoughts we were thinking in a previous room. This allows us to shift to performing new tasks and organizing new information with ease.
6. Humans know less about justice than ravens do
Ravens share food among themselves to ensure that all of them get an equal part. If one bird takes more than he or she is supposed to, the other birds in the group instantly lose trust in the cheater and stop cooperating with them.