Science is great! It provides us with new inventions, innovations, explanations to life’s mysteries, and ways to save lives. But then, science also makes evident some not-so-nice truths about us, the world, and everything.
Here to bum you out are 20 depressing science facts from the fields of astronomy, psychology, and more. We thought you looked too happy!
1. Humans killed the world’s oldest animal.
Ming the clam was 507 years old and the oldest living animal. Humans accidentally killed it. Nice going.
2. Mars is entirely populated by robots.
The sad part? They’ll never meet each other because they’re on opposite sides of the planet.
3. On its year anniversary, one of the Mars rovers was programmed to play “Happy Birthday.”
To itself. Alone.
4. Pluto didn’t even get a birthday as a planet (i.e., make a full orbit around the sun).
Between its discovery in 1930 and the stripping of its planet status, the object didn’t make a full trip.
5. Your brain begins to deteriorate at about 27.
Sorry.
6. CPR doesn’t usually work.
In the movies this always works, but CPR mostly fails to revive.
There’s a whale that sings at a frequency other whales can’t pick up, so it swims alone.
8. The more you know, the worse it gets.
The more you know about a subject, the harder it is to talk about it with people who don’t know as much as you do.
9. Arguing does NOTHING.
If faced with a dissenting opinion, people are more likely to double down on their beliefs.
10. The facts don’t change peoples’ minds.
You can talk yourself blue in the face and have a whole list of evidence, but that’s not going to change someone’s mind. In fact, they’ll probably be stronger in their resolve. Welcome to the Internet.
11. Pigs can get depressed.
And the thought of a sad piggy is just too sad.
12. Most people think they’re perfect.
No one will come out and say they’re perfect, but most people consider themselves to be “above average” at just about everything, which is just not true. They tend to grossly overestimate their abilities, including the one about remaining objective and fact-based.
13. Obesity is more common than hunger.
No, hunger is still a problem. It’s just that more people are threatened by obesity now.
14. Silver medalists feel worse about their accomplishments than bronze medalists.
So close, yet so far.
15. This is the Amur leopard.
There are only 30 left in the world.
16. Cat bites are linked to depression.
A study showed that women who suffered cat bites severe enough to need medical treatment tended to have higher frequencies of depression. But do cat bites cause depression, or does depression cause owning cats?
17. There are mites reproducing on your eyelashes right now.
Your little buddies are probably gettin’ it on this very moment.
18. Puppy eyes mean nothing.
Despite looking very, very sorry, dogs don’t feel remorse. Those guilty dogs might not be so guilty after all.
19. Cuckoos are homewreckers.
Cuckoos get other birds to raise their young for them by laying eggs in their nests. The young cuckoos are larger than the other babies, and will kick them out of the nest.
20. Grizzlies have been known to abandon their cubs.
They will abandon single cubs so thy can try for a larger litter next year.
Now that you’re bummed, you can quietly resign yourself to a hopeless existence. Or, you could check out one of our happier stories about fluffy animals.
Here are more facts to cram into your brain! We promise they won’t all bum you out:
