The Most Fun and Interesting Facts I Learned in 2021

With links for more reading

Photo by Tarryn Myburgh on Unsplash

This is a collection of some of the coolest, most interesting, and weirdest concepts I discovered in 2021. I spent a long time curating and crafting this, I hope you enjoy it.

*Note: Almost all of the headlines are clickable links.

Be Happy, You’re Smiling

According to a study published in Experimental Psychology, researchers found the act of smiling — even a fake smile — can have a positive impact on mood. Essentially, triggering certain facial muscles by smiling might “trick” your brain into thinking you’re happy.

“When your muscles say you’re happy, you’re more likely to see the world around you in a positive way” — Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos, study author

😄

Magic Mushroom Evolution

The Stoned Ape hypothesis “suggests we owe the emergence of language and self-reflection to ancient, sustained consumption of psilocybin mushrooms.” The idea would solve a big gap in our history — the giant evolutionary step to self-consciousness. The scientists stress the theory is almost certainly impossible to prove or disprove, however. But it sure is interesting.

The Dense-ist House in the World

This large McMansion-sized building has 18,000 residents. But only a few people reside there.

Credit: Ugland House by Legis

It’s called the Ugland House and is home to 18,000 offshore businesses in the Cayman Islands. If you want a lesson in dancing on a moral tightrope in PR, have a read through their FAQ.

If you want to evade billions in taxes forcing the burdens of society onto the poor, read the rest.

How Many Streams to Make $1

A user named Sgt_Nerve posted this on Reddit, it blew up there, then T-Pain tweeted it and the “debates” began.