Time-Traveling Potatoes & Other Facts That Shouldn’t Exist
There’s regular weird… and then there’s “wait, that’s actually *true*?” weird. Welcome to that second thing.
These are the kinds of facts that make you pause your doomscrolling, question reality for six seconds, then immediately send them to your group chat with “LMAO EXPLAIN THIS.”
Let’s break your brain (gently) with five share-worthy facts that sound fake but are annoyingly real.
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1. Potatoes Have Been To Space (And Technically Time-Travel a Little)
Humans: “We should explore space.”
Also humans: “Bring snacks.”
Potatoes have actually been grown in space. NASA and the International Potato Center (yes, that’s a real thing) worked together to test how potatoes might grow in low-gravity environments, because apparently the future of interplanetary civilization is… mashed.
They even tested potatoes in Mars-like soil conditions to see if we could someday farm spuds on the Red Planet. So yes, we looked at an entire universe of possibilities and basically said, “But can we do fries?”
And here’s where it gets extra weird: anything in orbit is technically experiencing **time dilation**—thanks to Einstein and his “time is fake and also rude” energy. Objects moving very fast or in weaker gravity experience time a *tiny* bit slower than we do.
Which means:
Some potatoes have technically aged slightly less than the potatoes in your pantry.
You, a normal person: “I’m tired.”
Space potato: “I’m younger than I look.”
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2. There’s A “Zombie” Fungus That Mind-Controls Insects
If you thought horror movies were wild, nature looked at them and said, “Hold my mushroom.”
There is a real fungus called *Ophiocordyceps* that infects insects (like ants), takes over their brains, and puppets their bodies around like a nightmare Uber driver. The fungus makes the ant climb to a high spot, lock its jaws into a leaf or twig, and then… grows out of its head.
Not metaphorically. Literally. Out. Of. Its. Head.
From there, it rains spores down on other unlucky insects and the cycle repeats. It’s like a zombie apocalypse, but for ants, and the villain is a mushroom with main-character energy.
Before you panic: no, it doesn’t target humans. We are too big and too weird on the inside. But it *has* been studied for possible medical and biological uses, because of course humans saw “zombie brain parasite” and went, “Let’s see what we can do with this.”
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3. You Are Outnumbered By Your Own Microbes (And They’re Busy)
You think you’re one person. Cute.
Your body is actually a walking, thinking, snack-eating ecosystem hosting trillions of microbes—bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microscopic freeloaders that live on and inside you. Collectively, this is called your **microbiome**, and it is doing way more than just vibing.
These microbes help you digest food, train your immune system, synthesize vitamins, and possibly even influence your mood and behavior. That random craving for yogurt? Maybe you. Maybe your gut bacteria placing an order.
For a long time, scientists estimated microbial cells outnumbered your own human cells by about 10 to 1. Newer estimates are closer to a 1:1 ratio—but even then, that’s still an entire separate civilization living rent-free in your intestine.
You: “I contain multitudes.”
Your gut bacteria: “We prefer the term ‘tenants.’”
So yes, you’re basically a flesh Airbnb filled with microscopic roommates who never pay but might save your life.
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4. There’s A Spot On Earth Where Gravity Is Weirdly Wrong
We like to think gravity is consistent. You drop something, it falls. Easy. Reliable. Dependable. The Toyota Corolla of physics.
Except… not everywhere.
In Canada’s Hudson Bay area, there’s a place where gravity is slightly *weaker* than in most other parts of the world. Not “you can float” weaker, but measurable-weird weaker. If you stood there on a scale, you’d technically weigh a tiny bit less. It’s not enough to make a difference on your selfie angles, but it does show up in precise measurements.
Why? Scientists think it’s a combo of two things:
1. **Glacial Rebound** – Massive ice sheets used to sit there during the last Ice Age, squishing the crust down. When the ice melted, the land started slowly springing back up (like a memory-foam mattress), redistributing mass and nudging gravity.
2. **Mantle Convection** – Hot rock moving around deep under Earth’s crust shifts mass and slightly changes the gravitational pull.
So yes, Earth has a place where gravity is literally a bit broken. It’s not a weight-loss hack, it’s just the planet being glitchy.
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5. Octopuses Are So Smart, Zoos Have To “Bored-Proof” Them
Octopuses are what happens when you roll intelligence, flexibility, and pure chaos into one creature and release it into the ocean.
They have:
- Three hearts
- Blue blood
- The power to change color and texture
- And the brainpower to outsmart humans on a slow Tuesday
Octopus neurons aren’t just in their heads—about two-thirds are in their arms, meaning each arm can semi-think for itself. It’s like having eight semi-autonomous noodles that can taste, touch, and problem-solve.
In aquariums and labs, octopuses have been known to:
- Escape tanks through tiny openings
- Unscrew jar lids from the inside
- Steal fish from neighboring tanks
- Memorize and mess with specific staff they don’t like (iconic behavior)
They get bored easily, so caretakers have to keep them enriched with puzzles, toys, and new challenges. If they’re not mentally stimulated, they start doing what any bored genius does: cause elaborate chaos.
You’re procrastinating on emails.
An octopus is planning a heist.
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Conclusion
The universe didn’t have to be this weird.
It did not *need* to give us time-traveling potatoes, zombie fungi, glitchy gravity, microbial roommates, and eight-armed escape artists—but it did, and honestly, thank you for the content.
Next time your day feels boring, just remember:
- Some potatoes are technically astronauts.
- Ants are starring in a live-action zombie series.
- You’re a mobile microbe resort.
- Gravity is not as stable as your high school physics teacher claimed.
- And an octopus somewhere is outwitting its zookeeper for fun.
Now go disturb someone else’s sense of normal and drop one of these facts in a chat. Science didn’t work this hard for you to keep it to yourself.
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Sources
- [NASA – Spuds in Space: NASA Tests Potato Growing Tech](https://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/potatoes-on-mars-nasa-scientists-are-helping-peru-grow-food-in-a-warming-world) – Details on potato experiments and Mars-like growing conditions
- [Harvard University – Time Dilation Explained](https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2016/whats-relativity-einstein-time-dilation/) – Clear breakdown of how and why time passes differently in space
- [National Geographic – Zombie Ant Fungus](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/140709-zombie-ants-fungus-spore-infection-animals-science) – Overview of *Ophiocordyceps* and how it controls insect behavior
- [National Institutes of Health – The Human Microbiome](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3535073/) – Scientific review of how our microbial passengers affect health
- [NASA Earth Observatory – Gravity Anomalies in Hudson Bay](https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/36164/gravity-anomalies-hudson-bay) – Explanation of why gravity is weaker in the Hudson Bay region
- [Smithsonian Magazine – The Mind of an Octopus](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/mind-of-the-octopus-72836785/) – Deep dive into octopus intelligence and behavior