The Creepiest Scientific Facts We Never Knew

Microscopic Mites Roam Our Hair

Image Source: Reddit

Scientists have revealed that the human face hosts more than 2 million microscopic mites. They include Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevix, which attach to your hair follicles. Colonies of these mites spontaneously populate themselves around the eyebrows, eyelashes, and the hairline. And every human being on earth contains them!

The ‘Zombie' Chicken... That Lived With No Head?!

Image Source: Reddit

In 1945, a Colorado couple was surprised when one chicken refused to die after having its head chopped off. 'Mike the Chicken' was exhibited on tours, and audiences were surprised to see a headless chicken getting fed through the esophagus. Scientists said the beheading left 80% of the chicken's brain intact, and some vital functions remained intact.

The Human DNA Strand - You Won't Believe How Complex It is!

Image Source: Reddit

The Human genetic code contains 23 chromosomes comprising 500,000 – 2.5 million pairs of nucleotides. The body has about 37 trillion cells, each containing DNA nucleotides. If you uncoil every strand infused in every cell, you’ll obtain a distance more significant than 17 trips from Earth to Pluto! It is impossible to believe how something of this magnitude can exist within us.

The Bacterial Home - We Are Secretly FILTHY!

Image Source: Reddit

Imagine all the hygienic precautions we take to avoid getting infected with bacteria and other pathogens. Scientists have shown that the human body contains more bacterial cells than somatic cells. Microbiologists at the University of Idaho say that there are ten times more bacterial cells in the body than human cells! Our bodies are filthy!

Lead Poisoning - Making Us Dumber By The Second!

Image Source: Reddit

Scientists reveal that Lead can damage your brain functions and make you dumber. However, that is not the scariest part. According to experts, lead poisoning is untreatable, and nothing can be done to alleviate its levels in your bloodstream. Finally, escaping lead poisoning is problematic because it is everywhere!

Coronal Mass Ejection From The Sun Will Kill Us!

Image Source: Reddit

Every few hundred years, the sun releases Coronal Mass Ejections bound to affect Earth negatively. In 1890, the CME emission was not harmful because society then was less inclined to technology. However, if it occurred today, the side of the Earth facing the sun would have its tech infrastructure destroyed, which would be a drawback to civilization.

This Is For The Dogs!

Image Source: Reddit

Onions are vegetables that we won't miss in the kitchen. While many of us think its only effect lies in irritating our eyes, scientists have revealed that dogs could die if they consumed onions. They would develop Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), where the body's immune system attacks its red blood cells. Keep your dogs away from onions henceforth!

The Anthrax Menace - A Deadly Bomb Test...

Image Source: Reddit

In 1942, the UK tested a bomb containing anthrax on Gruinard Island and abandoned the project after it proved unviable. The problem was that anthrax spores remained active and dangerous for about four decades. When the UK resolved to decontaminate the area using 280 tons of Formaldehyde, the process became tedious and was only completed four years later!

UV Radiation WILL Cause Cancer...

Image Source: Reddit

Don’t fret whenever your skin peels off by itself when you sit under the oppressive sun. Sunburn does not cause any skin damage. On the contrary, UV Radiation in the sunlight damages the DNA structure. When this happens, you are prone to contract cancer. However, the skin peels itself off to prevent this from happening.

Antibacterial Resistance - Medicine Doesn't Work Anymore...

Image Source: Reddit

Our war on diseases becomes difficult because it is the nature of microbes to defeat our efforts. The evolution of the genetic code allows harmful bacteria to build up resistance against drugs we manufacture. The scary part is that the rate of antibacterial resistance surpasses our knowledge to create better and stronger drugs. How soon before we lose this war?

Frozen Viruses

Image Source: Reddit

Scientists found some viruses frozen in the Arctic region and decided to reactivate them for testing. One of them included the Pithovirus, which was inactive for 30,000 years but was found to infect amoeba in the laboratory. What would happen if these ice sheets melted away? New strains of viruses threaten to cause a rampage in our civilization.

Placental Microplastics

Image Source: Reddit

We could be entering a new era of human evolution involving plastics! Researchers have recently found that there are microplastics in the placenta of an unborn baby. This reveals that plastics have infiltrated our organic spectrum, and sooner or later, they may become part and parcel of our human development. But only for the worse!

Botox

Image Source: Reddit

The Anti-aging movement goes to extreme lengths to prevent wrinkles from appearing on their faces. Botox injection is made from toxins derived from a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. The toxins prevent facial muscles from contracting, thus maintaining a supple appearance. However, a slight overdose of Botox injections is fatal. What a risk!

Rabies symptoms

Image Source: Reddit

Health officials are serious when demanding that we vaccinate our dogs for rabies. This is because symptoms would take months of inactive incubation for symptoms to arise when a rabid dog bites you. When they do, your fate is sealed. Rabies at this stage is incurable, and death is imminent. Ensure your dog doesn’t get it!

The West Coast extinction

Image Source: Reddit

Every 250 – 350 years, the coast between Northern California and Southern Canada faces an existential threat. The region is called the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ). When this zone ruptures, there would be a magnitude 9+ earthquake around the area and an accompanying tsunami. I don’t think the cities around the zone would withstand this cataclysm.

Continuous growth

Image Source: Reddit

Watching movies about huge reptiles and fish may seem unbelievable, but zoologists have a shocker! Unlike other organisms that stop growing once they reach maturity, many cold-blooded creatures have 'Indeterminate growth.' In this case, these organisms experience slow growth when they mature, but they never stop growing!

Allergic to red meat

Image Source: Reddit

If you love Red meat, you may need to avoid visiting the southeastern US region. This is because the area is a habitat for the Lone Star Tick. A bite from this parasite infuses a sugar molecule called Alpha-gal into your blood. The bite victims suffer from allergic reactions to Red meat because the body’s immune system is compromised.

Blue light

Image Source: Reddit

If you are wondering why you cannot lose weight, it may be because you're frequently exposed to blue light. The science behind this is simple! Blue light interferes with your melatonin levels, messing up your body's Circadian rhythm. When this happens, your eating habits during the day become affected, and you're likely to ingest more calories than usual.

Mosquito magnet

Image Source: Reddit

Science dictates that mosquitoes are attracted to black or red-orange colors. The Human skin has pigments of red, making it easy for mosquitos to fly towards us. So, mosquitos are bound to attack you ferociously when dressed in red or black clothing. Moreover, scientists have established that mosquitos called gallinippers are repulsed by white, green, and blue clothing.

Dark Matter

Image Source: Reddit

Dark Matter is a region in the universe where electromagnetic and light cannot be detected. According to astrophysicists, Dark Matter is a mysterious force that dominates the cosmos. It is responsible for the rapid expansion of the universe. However, since we cannot detect this force, much of our understanding of the universe remains scanty. Perhaps we may never know about it!

Fermi paradox

Image Source: Reddit

The vast universe contains billions of galaxies, some of which we have no idea what they look like. It has led to the search for extraterrestrial life and intelligence because it does not seem plausible that space could only hold one vessel of life called Earth. However, the Fermi paradox suggests we could be alone in this void without evidence of this life. Jeez! How isolating!

Mind control

Image Source: Reddit

Scientists have studied a species of wasp called Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga that lays its eggs on a spider's abdomen. When these eggs hatch, a chemical is released into the spider to control its behavior. When this happens, the spider spins webs that will serve as a suitable and conducive habitat for the developing larvae. How terrifying!

The end

Image Source: Reddit

According to some scientific theories, the universe is not eternal as we would imagine. A concept called 'The Heat Death' suggests that a time will come when the universe will cease its expansion. When the universe attains the state of maximum entropy, energy will be distributed evenly, and what remains is a cold and lifeless universe.

A bloody waterfall

Image Source: Reddit

In Antarctica, there is a waterfall that looks like blood! The famous waterfall flows from the Taylor glacier, and you may think it is supernatural horror. However, this strange phenomenon happens because there is an intense concentration of Iron minerals around the region. The minerals give the sub-glacial water a crimson tinge.

Reversing the life cycle

Image Source: Reddit

You may not have heard of the Immortal Jellyfish. According to scientific research, this organism called Turritopsis dohrnii defies the fundamental conception of reality: The life cycle. When this jellyfish becomes old or faced with impending death, it changes its mature cells into younger ones, which enables it to restart its life cycle.

Black holes

Image Source: Reddit

These mysterious entities can absorb anything around them. Black holes have immense gravitational force that even light cannot escape their power. All material substances moving closer to the black holes are assuredly compressed and destroyed. Planets and stars have died in them. We can only hope ours never faces the same fate.

The Deep-sea Angler fish

Image Source: Reddit

In the deep ocean, a monstrous fish glides in the darkness. The Deep-sea Angler fish is a creature unlike any other. It has very sharp teeth and a luminous appendage on its head. The monstrous fish moves with flashing speed and gobbles up the victim whenever its prey follows this alluring light.

The Unexplored ocean

Image Source: Reddit

Technology has enabled us to map out vast space and land. But the sea? The deep sea remains largely unexplored. According to estimates, only 20% of the deep sea is known to humanity. We have yet to develop efficient methods of exploring the ocean. It is a fear of the unknown. What horror lies down there? The little we know about the deep sea terrifies us.

Sea levels rising

Image Source: Reddit

Global warming is a concern in the 21st century because our ecosystem faces a danger like no other. Ice sheets in our mountains and polar regions melt when temperatures rise, and sea levels rise. We have many cities built along the coastlines and many islands we adore. All these will be submerged and swallowed up if the current trend continues unabated.

Dangerous fungi

Image Source: Reddit

Did you know that a fungus called Cordyceps infects insects and makes them behave like zombies? When the fungi spores cut off the brain from other body muscles, other organs behave erratically and do not follow mental commands. The insect ends up dying slowly and consciously.