Curiously Weird.
Dangerously Interesting.
Where Strange Lives
and Laughs
Various51.com is a blog for curious minds and lovers of the wonderfully weird. I’m here to uncover the strangest laws, oddest jobs, and funniest overlooked stories from around the world. Think of this site as a digital variety show for the bizarre — part trivia, part humor, all offbeat. I started this blog because I believe the internet should be fun, random, and a little unpredictable — like that one fact you can’t stop thinking about. So if you love facts that feel fake (but aren’t), odd history, or tales that make you laugh and wonder “how is this real?”, you’re in the right place. Let’s explore the weird side of everything — one strange post at a time.
Normal Is Boring — Stay Weird.
- 51 Weird Facts to Blow Your Mind
I’ve always been that person who blurts out random facts in the middle of a conversation. You know the type — someone’s talking about peanut butter and I suddenly say, “Did you know it can be turned into diamonds?” It’s not because I want to derail the conversation. It’s because weird facts are irresistible. They’re like tiny brain fireworks that make you go, wait… really?
So today, I’m giving you the ultimate gift of weirdness — 51 facts that will surprise you, confuse you, and make you the most interesting person at any party. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Let’s get weird.
1. Bananas are berries, but strawberries aren’t.
Yeah. I’m still not over it either.
2. Wombat poop is cube-shaped.
Nature has no chill, apparently.
3. You can hear rhubarb grow.
Put a microphone near it — it actually squeaks as it sprouts.
4. The inventor of the frisbee was turned into a frisbee after he died.
His ashes were molded into discs and passed out to family. Ultimate throwback.
5. Octopuses have three hearts and blue blood.
They’re basically aliens. Just wet, squishy ones.
6. Sloths can hold their breath longer than dolphins.
By slowing their heart rate, they can go 40 minutes underwater.
7. Honey never spoils.
Archaeologists have found 3,000-year-old honey in Egyptian tombs. Still edible.
8. There’s a basketball court on the top floor of the U.S. Supreme Court.
It’s called “The Highest Court in the Land.” I wish I was kidding.
9. The Eiffel Tower can grow more than six inches during the summer.
Heat expands metal. Science is sneaky.
10. There’s a species of jellyfish that can live forever.
Technically immortal — it reverts back to its baby state instead of dying.
11. Cows have best friends and get stressed when separated.
Moo-motional support, anyone?
12. Napoleon was once attacked by a horde of bunnies.
He planned a rabbit hunt. The rabbits revolted.
13. There’s a planet where it rains molten glass — sideways.
It’s called HD 189733b. Do not vacation there.
14. A single spaghetti noodle is called a “spaghetto.”
Suddenly sounds like a cool cowboy name.
15. Ducks can surf.
They’ve been seen catching waves for fun. Hang ten, quack edition.
16. Your stomach gets a new lining every 3–4 days.
So when you say “I have a gut feeling,” it’s brand new.
17. The “M’s” in M&Ms stand for Mars and Murrie.
They were the original business partners. Delicious history.
18. The word “muscle” comes from Latin for “little mouse.”
Because ancient people thought flexing muscles looked like mice under the skin.
19. Sea otters hold hands when they sleep.
So they don’t float away from each other.
20. There’s a museum in Sweden dedicated entirely to failed products.
Because failure deserves a place too.
21. Snails can sleep for three years.
Don’t let anyone call you lazy again.
22. There’s a species of fungus that glows in the dark.
It’s called foxfire and it’s nature’s glow stick.
23. The blob of toothpaste on your toothbrush has a name: a nurdle.
File that under “words I didn’t know I needed.”
24. Space smells like burnt steak.
According to astronauts. Sounds better than you’d think.
25. Kangaroos can’t walk backward.
So technically, they’re always moving forward in life. Inspirational.
26. There’s a fish that can climb trees.
The climbing perch. Because of course fish can do that now.
27. In ancient Rome, people used urine as mouthwash.
I don’t recommend trying this at home.
28. Chewing gum while cutting onions can keep you from crying.
It’s weird — and it works.
29. Tomatoes have more genes than humans.
So maybe that salad is smarter than me.
30. The dot over the lowercase “i” is called a tittle.
Because apparently we needed a word for that.
31. Butterflies taste with their feet.
Talk about stepping up your palate.
32. Blue whales’ hearts are so big, a human could swim through the arteries.
And their hearts beat only 2–8 times per minute.
33. The inventor of Pringles is buried in a Pringles can.
Original flavor, if you’re wondering.
34. There’s a town in Norway where it’s illegal to die.
It’s so remote, they can’t bury people there anymore.
35. The first alarm clock could only ring at 4 a.m.
Set by the inventor — who was clearly a morning person with no friends.
36. Penguins propose to their mates with a pebble.
Sweetest little engagement ceremony ever.
37. Baby puffins are called “pufflings.”
Let that joy wash over you.
38. Before erasers, people used bread to erase pencil marks.
Take that, gluten-free crowd.
39. The unicorn is the national animal of Scotland.
Because of course it is.
40. There’s a species of ant that explodes when threatened.
As a defense mechanism. Nature is intense.
41. A day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus.
It spins slowly but orbits quickly. Mind blown.
42. The average cloud weighs over 1 million pounds.
But floats like a feather. Physics is a liar.
43. Squirrels plant thousands of trees every year — by accident.
Nature’s forgetful gardeners.
44. You share 60% of your DNA with bananas.
Guess that explains our appeal.
45. Frogs can freeze solid and come back to life.
Winter? Never heard of her.
46. Spiders can’t fly — but they can balloon through the air.
Using silk and wind. Spider-Man wasn’t that far off.
47. There’s a Japanese island overrun by bunnies.
Called Ōkunoshima. It’s real, and it’s adorable.
48. A bolt of lightning is hotter than the surface of the sun.
Like, five times hotter.
49. There are more fake flamingos in the world than real ones.
Thanks, lawn decor.
50. You can’t hum while holding your nose.
Go on, try it. I’ll wait.
51. This blog post just made you 12% weirder.
But don’t worry — that’s why you’re here.
Thanks for sticking around for all 51. If your brain feels slightly bent now, that’s the idea. Weird facts are my favorite kind of trivia because they live at the edge of “wait, what?” and “I’ve got to tell someone this.”
Stay curious. Stay odd.
- Internet Hoaxes That Fooled Millions
Let me paint you a picture: you’re scrolling through your feed, minding your business, when you see a post claiming that NASA has confirmed Earth will go completely dark for six days. Or that a rare blue moon will make your phone battery explode. You raise an eyebrow, maybe even laugh, but still… you click. And now you’re 20 minutes deep into some sketchy YouTube video with 5 million views and music that sounds like it belongs in a haunted elevator.
Yep — you’ve just been lured in by an internet hoax. Welcome to the club.
I’ve always been fascinated by the kinds of things people will believe online. And I’m not talking about fake news with a political spin — I mean the full-on, bizarre, “how did anyone fall for this?” level of hoaxes. The ones that are so ridiculous, so clearly fake, and yet… millions of people bought in.
Today, I’m looking back at some of the most infamous, hilarious, and surprisingly effective internet hoaxes that fooled the masses — and what made them so believable in the first place.
1. The “NASA Blackout” Hoax
This one comes around every few years like a seasonal virus. The claim? NASA has confirmed that Earth will experience a “total blackout” for several days due to some galactic event, planetary alignment, or magnetic shift.
I remember seeing this one shared by family members with the kind of urgency usually reserved for natural disasters. One version even said President Obama was “briefed.” The story was completely made up, of course. NASA had to issue an official statement debunking a thing it never said in the first place.
So why did it work? Because it sounded science-y. Throw in a few vague astronomical terms and a government agency, and people panic-share without thinking twice.
2. The Bonsai Kittens Website
Okay, this one’s wild. In the early 2000s, a site called bonsaikitten.com claimed to teach you how to grow kittens in glass jars — molding them into ornamental shapes like living bonsai trees. The images were grotesque (and fake), but people were horrified and believed it was real. Animal rights groups lost their minds. Thousands of complaint emails flooded into MIT, where the site was hosted.
Here’s the twist: it was satire. A dark joke by some students using Photoshop and shock humor. But in an era before Snopes and fact-checking widgets, the internet wasn’t ready for that kind of trolling. The site got taken down, but not before leaving behind a digital scar on early internet culture.
3. The “Facebook Privacy Notice” Copypasta
You’ve probably seen this one more than once: a long paragraph that starts with “I hereby declare…” and claims to protect your Facebook privacy if you post it to your timeline.
I saw people who I know are intelligent post this — and defend it! The idea that you could override Facebook’s privacy policies with a Facebook status update is just… not how anything works. But it looked official. It had fake legal language, all-caps warnings, and an air of importance.
What made it viral was the fear of being watched or losing control of your data. It hit that sweet spot between paranoia and “better safe than sorry.”
4. The Momo Challenge
This one honestly creeped me out the first time I saw it. The story claimed that a terrifying character named Momo — with bulging eyes and a creepy bird-like face — was encouraging kids to hurt themselves through WhatsApp messages and YouTube videos.
The panic spread like wildfire. Schools warned parents. News outlets ran dramatic stories. The only problem? There was no actual evidence the challenge existed in the way it was described. No confirmed injuries. No legitimate source. It was a moral panic built on an image from a Japanese sculpture that had nothing to do with any “challenge.”
But fear travels fast. Especially when it involves kids and the internet.
5. Balloon Boy
This was less of a hoax by the internet, and more a hoax captured by it. In 2009, a couple claimed their six-year-old son had accidentally floated away in a giant homemade helium balloon, launching a nationwide manhunt and massive media coverage.
People watched live, breathless, as the balloon soared across Colorado skies. When it landed… no kid. Turns out the kid had been hiding in the attic the whole time. The parents staged the event hoping to get a reality show deal.
It wasn’t the internet that made this one viral — it was the internet that made it bigger. The footage, the theories, the memes. It was an early taste of what hoaxes could become in the age of instant media.
Why We Fall For It
So, why do these hoaxes work? Simple: they’re emotional. They tap into fear, curiosity, humor, or outrage. They often have just enough truth to make them almost believable. And in a world of infinite scrolling and quick reads, people don’t fact-check — they share.
I’ll admit, even I’ve been fooled once or twice. (Don’t ask me about the time I believed Nicolas Cage was a vampire.)
But hey — that’s part of the fun of the internet, right? It’s chaotic, unpredictable, and full of surprises. And here at Various51, I’ll keep unearthing these digital oddities so we can all laugh, learn, and maybe think twice before reposting the next “breaking news” that claims your phone is spying on your dog.
Stay weird. Stay skeptical.
- Japanese Game Shows That Shouldn’t Exist — But Do
Let me start with a disclaimer: I absolutely love Japan. The culture, the food, the respect built into everyday life — it’s a beautiful place. But then I watched my first Japanese game show and thought, “There’s no way this is real.” Then I watched another. And another. And suddenly, I was knee-deep in a world where contestants get blasted by air cannons, licked by strangers, or forced to keep a straight face while getting tickled by a feather-wielding robot.
If you’re wondering whether I made any of that up… I didn’t.
Japan has long held a reputation for pushing the boundaries of television. While Western game shows might test knowledge or athletic skill, Japanese shows often test your pride, your dignity, and sometimes your basic human rights. That’s not a critique — it’s part of the charm. These shows are outrageous, sometimes uncomfortable, but always unforgettable. Here are a few of the most jaw-droppingly strange Japanese game shows I’ve ever seen.
1. “Silent Library” – Shhh… While Getting Slapped in the Face
Imagine a library. Now imagine a bunch of dudes in school uniforms sitting quietly at a long table. Suddenly, one draws a card, and that card says he’s about to get flicked in the nose by a mechanical device shaped like a rubber chicken. And he can’t make a sound.
That’s the basic premise of Silent Library. Contestants are punished with painful, embarrassing, or just plain weird challenges — from being slapped with a fish to having their nipples yanked — all while trying not to laugh, scream, or cry. Because libraries are sacred spaces, apparently.
2. “Human Tetris” – Yes, It’s Exactly What It Sounds Like
Take Tetris, remove the blocks, and replace them with humans flailing around in spandex suits trying to contort their bodies to fit through moving wall cutouts. If they fail, they get knocked backward into a pool of water behind them.
This isn’t just a game. It’s a full-body, live-action panic attack. I watched one contestant practically dislocate his shoulder trying to form the letter “Z” with his body, only to be smacked off the platform like a rag doll. Zero points. Full entertainment.
3. “Dero!” – Escape Room Meets Fever Dream
This show takes contestants and drops them into themed escape rooms — but on steroids. Floors vanish beneath their feet. Walls close in. Rooms flood with water. It’s part Indiana Jones, part nightmare. And if you think it’s just for laughs, think again — the panic on some contestants’ faces is very real.
In one episode, a woman tries to solve a riddle while hanging upside down, screaming as the floor beneath her starts retracting. You can practically feel the producers high-fiving each other in the control room.
4. “Don’t Swallow the Marble” – Just… Why?
This one’s a classic from the “how is this allowed?” vault. Contestants must hold a marble in their mouths while enduring various distractions — jumping on a trampoline, getting hit with pillows, or being told jokes by a comedian dressed as a dinosaur.
The goal is simple: don’t swallow the marble. The risk? Choking on national television.
5. “Orgasm Wars” – Too NSFW to Be Real (But It Is)
This one honestly feels like it came from another planet. A gay adult film actor attempts to, ahem, “finish” straight men through non-contact stimulation while they try to resist. Contestants are awarded if they can hold out.
It’s like “Fear Factor” meets adult film satire, and yet, it aired on public television in Japan. I’m not sure whether to laugh, cringe, or file a report.
Final Thoughts: Welcome to the Weird
What I love most about Japanese game shows is that they don’t pretend to be anything they’re not. There’s no moral lesson, no hidden life wisdom. It’s chaos, comedy, and absurdity — and somehow, it works.
Would these shows get greenlit in the U.S.? Probably not. Would I watch them again? Absolutely. Sometimes life is too serious, and we all need to see someone get hit in the face with a rubber mallet while wearing a sumo diaper to remember that the world is a bizarre, wonderful place.
So if you’re bored of the usual reality TV drama, head down the rabbit hole of Japanese game shows. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.