Though it’s literally impossible to know everything there is to know in the universe, there are some fundamental things about being a human being in the modern world that everyone should strive to know. Core skills like cooking and cleaning allow you to be self-sufficient. Meanwhile, knowing how antibiotics work, why cat bites can be dangerous, and what chemicals to never ever mix together can actually end up saving your life.

Reddit users had a very informative discussion on r/NoStupidQuestions in a thread that went viral. They shared the pieces of ‘basic’ knowledge that everyone should know, but that a scary number of people may be oblivious about. Check out what they feel is vital to know in the 21st century as you keep scrolling.

Bored Panda got in touch with Glenn Geher, Ph.D., who was kind enough to shed some light on the evolutionary reasons why people might get embarrassed about not knowing something that others do. He also shared his thoughts on how to fill those knowledge gaps and whether it’s easier to survive in the modern world than in the far past. Geher is a professor of psychology at the State University of New York at New Paltz and a published author, and you’ll find our full interview with him as you read on.

• Read More: “Babies Below 6 Months Shouldn’t Drink Water”: 50 Facts That Really Should Be Common Knowledge

#1

Vaccines do not cause autism

Image credits: BananasInHand

#2

It’s “should’ve” “could’ve” “would’ve”, not “should of”, “could of”, or “would of”

Image credits: sarinotsorry11

#3

No means no. It doesn’t matter who is saying it. If you ever ask or suggest something that requires the cooperation or permission of another person and they say no, you MUST respect that.

#4

That climate change is a real phenomenon caused by human activity

#5

If it has a tail, it’s a monkey.

If it doesn’t have a tail, it’s an ape.

#6

Native Americans are still here, and we don’t live in a teepee.

#7

You can try to be as “green” as you want, companies are responsible for the highest amount of damage when it comes to the environment and you can do almost nothing against it.

#8

Rags soaked with paint thinner, varnish, oil-based paint, polyurethane, and/or other volatile oils can actually spontaneously combust without any outside ignition source. The oils slowly release heat as they oxidize, and for example in a pile at the bottom of a garbage can, that heat can build enough to start smoldering and eventually ignite. I didn’t know about this until a year or two ago, so don’t feel dumb if you didn’t know either.

Image credits: lunchboxdeluxe

#9

Schizophrenia has nothing to do with multiple personalities.

#10

Different antibiotics work on different bacteria. You can’t take random antibiotics you’ve stocked up on at home and assume they will work for an infection.

Doctors make an educated guess on what antibiotic to give for an infection. This is based on the probability of the infection being caused by a specific bacteria; this knowledge comes from research on what organisms most frequently cause certain infections in certain individuals.

Image credits: Safe_Document_1140

#11

That England and the UK are not the same thing. That’s like thinking that California and the US are the same thing.

Image credits: BottyFlaps

#12

Being able to change your mind shows strength not weakness.

95% of comments on the political internet are meaningless declarations of ideological affiliation.

No one knows your experience better than you do.

If you can’t simply explain something, you don’t understand it. That’s OK! No one can understand everything.

Children owe their parents NOTHING

#13

I was at lunch at work one day and said that I was amazed at the number of people in a recent poll who didn’t know how long it took the Earth to rotate around the Sun. I was met with a sea of complete bank looks. It’s a year, people, a year!

Image credits: Anne314

#14

yellow teeth do not have to be a sign of bad hygiene!

Genes as well as your diet, dark consumable items, excessive fluoride, and also the quality of consumable items in your environment + a lot more aspects can turn your teeth yellowish over time.

Image credits: Shakira_120

#15

Babies below 6 months shouldn’t drink water, it can be fatal.

Edit: To clarify, water isn’t just fatal. “But children under a year old don’t need water like adults do. It can actually be dangerous for them. Babies get all their hydration from breast milk or formula.” Adding additional water can lead to water intoxication as children under 6 months have underdeveloped kidneys. If they have a mouthful of water of will they die? Most likely no, however everything I’ve read said not to give them plain water on top of their diet.

Image credits: -DBZ-

#16

There is no minimum time. You don’t have to wait to file a missing persons report. You know your person better than the police, even if they tell you to wait, file one anyway. 

Image credits: immortalsauce

#17

IF you have a nosebleed, tilt your head FORWARD not back. tilting it back makes the blood go down your throat and you can feel nausated or start to vomit because of it.

Image credits: BoredConfusedPanda

#18

OCD rarely has anything to do with being clean, tidy or orderly. 

Image credits: bertsdad

#19

Clean the dryer vent. Change furnace filter regularly

Image credits: knuckboy

#20

Towels will last longer and be more absorbant if yiu don’t use fabric softener on them

#21

1 mile = 1.6 km,
1 kg = 2.2 pounds

Image credits: bcb0y

#22

Sinus headaches without green snot are migraines. Had to educate my GP doctor on this when he kept trying to push antibiotics for my weather headaches. Neurologist confirmed that they are indeed barometric pressure migraines.

Image credits: Ardea_herodias_2022

#23

That you are not your mind and you can choose to agree or not with any thoughts you have. Most people act like a robot and think they have to do everything their mind says.

Image credits: sharky3175

#24

You aren’t immune to propaganda. If you get all of your news from one source/ one bias/ find sources that just confirm your own ideas, you probably have been subject and believe in propaganda.

It’s easier to fool people, than to convince them they’ve been fooled.

Everyone sees the sensationalized moment, but not the quiet redaction or the outcome leading to a wrong idea of what happened.

Image credits: CosmicWondererTV

#25

If something is on fire in your oven, do not try to take it out. Just leave it there until it runs out of oxygen.

Image credits: swcollings

#26

If your house suddenly smells fishy & you’re not cooking fish, check your electrical outlets, particularly any multi-plug extension cables.

Burnt out sockets & plugs give off a fishy smell, so you might save yourself from an electrical fire.

Image credits: Grouchy-Reflection97

#27

Don’t mix bleach and ammonia, it makes chlorine gas! I work in a cleaning/sanitization job and we have ammonia-based cleaners and bleach, the amount of times I’ve seen co-workers mixing them together thinking they’re making a stronger sanitizer is ridiculous.

Image credits: HappyLittleDelusion_

#28

A lot of people don’t seem to know the dangers of carbon monoxide. Entire family’s have died in their sleep after moving coal burning BBQs etc inside when it’s extremely cold. I myself have seen many times people using petrol powered tools in an enclosed space and get told I worry too much when I’ve spoken up.

Image credits: FerretWeekly9178

#29

I am always amazed when a grown adult first notices that you can see the moon during the day.

Image credits: choochacabra92

#30

How to chew with your mouth closed, how to apply deodorant

#31

A cat bite that pierces the skin is a serious event (because of the type of bacteria present) and needs prompt medical attention.

If you get water in your lungs for whatever reason, seek medical advice as it can dissolve the surfactant on your alveoli and cause what’s known as “second drowning” up to a day or so later.

Don’t hyperventilate before diving underwater (to increase your time underwater) because it can cause “shallow water blackout” when the partial pressure of oxygen drops below the threshold for consciousness before the CO2 concentration gets above the threshold that makes you feel the need to breathe.

Image credits: briankanderson

#32

Getting periodontitis (gum disease) can be a precursor to getting heart disease (I think still the biggest killer in the US)

• You Might Also Like: 29 Humorous One-Panel Comics To Take A Break From The Everyday Hustle And Bustle

Image credits: Cmmander_WooHoo

from Bored Panda https://ift.tt/9gbLGBj
via IFTTT source site : boredpanda