Smarty Pants: 28 Fun, Interesting, and Random Facts About Everything

Why do human beings love trivia so much?

According to experts, trivia can literally make us feel good. “Playing trivia games can provide a dopamine rush much like gambling, without the negative effects, says Healthline writer Lori Roniger, adding: “It can be quite satisfying and doesn't have many downsides. That's how psychologists describe the mental health benefits of trivia.”

RELATED: 5 Interesting Facts Everyone Should Know – These Can Lead to Great Conversations

There’s also a degree of social capital involved in knowing lots of fun facts.

When you have a lot of interesting facts ready for quick recall, it can make for more interesting conversations that can make you more enjoyable to be around, and not just on trivia night, but on any day of the week.

And then there is the fun of it all.

Fun facts are just a pleasure to learn and share and heck, you might even learn a thing or two.

From facts about animals to famous people to planet earth and beyond, we’ve got you covered with these 28 random facts that will fill your brain with interest. And dopamine.

Fun Facts About Human Beings and Other Animals

Let’s start off with fun facts about the human body and the bodies of our animal friends, because biology is pretty amazing. (And sometimes gross.)

The Skin of Polar Bears Is Black

Sure, we think of these giant, fierce mammals as being all white save for those eyes and noses, but under their fur, these bears have dark black skin.

Blue Whales Can Communicate with Each Other Across Hundreds of Miles

A blue whale’s “song” can be as loud as 188 decibels — louder than a jet engine — and can travel for hundreds of miles through the water.

Sea Lions Can Go Deeper Than Any Scuba Diver

Sea lions can dive down to depths of 450 feet, which is more than a hundred feet deeper than even the best-trained divers are supposed to reach.

You Have More Bones in Your Hands and Feet Than in the Rest of Your Body

The bones in your hands and feet add up to 106 bones in total, which means more than half of the bones in the entire adult skeletal system are in these extremities.

Your Taste Buds Are “Refreshed” Weekly

Humans have an average of 4,000 taste buds on their tongues, and the receptor cells on taste buds are replaced about every seven to 10 days.

The Elephant Is the Only Mammal That Cannot Jump

They can run pretty fast at 25 MPH, they can perform deft feats with their trunks, and of course, they never forget, but elephants cannot jump — at least one foot always remains on the ground.

The Female Human Nose Is More Powerful Than a Male’s

The part of the brain that processes smell is, on average, 50% larger in women than it is in men.

The Only Animal That Does Not Require Oxygen Is a Fish Parasite

An eight-millimeter parasite called the Henneguya salminicola that infects certain types of salmon is the only known creature that requires no oxygen to live.

A Shrimp's Heart Is in Its Head

The heart of the shrimp is located in the head, evidently having evolved to be located as such due to the thickness of the protective exoskeleton around that body part.

An Ostrich's Eye Is Bigger Than Its Brain

The ostrich eye, which is five times large than a human eyeball, is larger than its brain, which is in fact considered underdeveloped.

The Average Person Spends About 122 Days Asleep Each Year

Assuming you get an average of eight hours of sleep each night, that’s 2,920 hours in a year, which is just under 122 days.

Interesting Facts About Our World

Our planet is a pretty amazing place, especially with all the amazing things we have built on certain parts of it through the ages.

The Tallest Building on Earth is the Burj Khalifa

There Have Been Over 130 Pyramids Found in Ancient Egypt

Built in Dubai between 2004 and 2010, this true skyscraper is an astonishing 2,717 feet high, meaning it is just over half a mile in height.

We may think only of the impressive trio of pyramids at Giza, but in fact, at least 130 Egyptian pyramids are known, surely representing but a fraction of the total

The Pacific Ocean Covers an Area of More Than 63 Million Square Miles

The entire surface of the planet is about 197 million square miles, and the Pacific is responsible for the largest amount of that coverage by a large margin.

The Eiffel Tower Was Supposed to Be Built in Barcelona

The eponymous designer of the famed Parisian landmark, Gustave Eiffel, first proposed building his tower in Barcelona, but the city rejected it as a likely eyesore.

Those Iconic Stone Heads Have Bodies

The otherworldly dark stone heads for which Easter Island is famous are in fact perched atop huge bodies that have simply been covered up with soil over the years.

The Empire State Building Was Erected in Less Than Two Years

In fact, this iconic skyscraper, which was finished in 1931 and was the world’s tallest building until 1971, took just 20 months to build.

Saint Lucia Is the Only Country in the World Named After a Woman

There are plenty of nations named after men, but at present only Saint Lucia is named for a woman, namely Saint Lucy of Syracuse.

Delaware Is the Only US State Without Commercial Air Service

If you want to visit the First State, you’ll need to drive, bike, walk, or hop on a train, because no commercial airlines fly there at present.

There Are Now More Than Eight Billion People Alive

The population of living humans is estimated to have surpassed eight billion in the closing weeks of the year 2022.

Totally Random Facts Just for Kicks

Sometimes, you just want a lot of fun trivia, categorization is not necessary. Let’s close out with these fun facts.

One Man Has Set More Than 600 World Records

The record of all records.

Ashrita Furman has set more than 600 official Guinness Records, thus holding the Guinness world record for the most Guinness world records.

George Washington Was the Only President Not to Live in the White House

The executive mansion was not completed until near the end of Washington’s second term, thus he lived at his manor to the south, Mount Vernon.

Twice as Many Civilians Died During World War II Than Soldiers

Hardly a fun fact, but a real one — of the estimated 60 million deaths caused by the war, the majority of those who died were not combatants.

The First Person to Have Reached 120 Years of Age Was Jeanna Calment

She lived from 1875 until 1997, reaching 122 years of age and she may well be the oldest person to have ever lived.

There Is Only One Letter That Does Not Appear in Any State Name

And that letter is Q. Even J and X and other more obscure letters are used.

Only One Person Has Earned Two Unshared Nobel Prizes in Different Categories

Linus Pauling earned a Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1954 and then earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962.

It Is Physically Impossible to Lick Your Own Elbow

OK, actually some people can do it, but we hope it was worth a laugh either way if you just tried.