We firmly believe that learning happens all life long. You don’t suddenly turn off your curiosity and desire to get to the truth of things the moment you graduate from school or get your college degree. Sure, all of life’s responsibilities—like paying taxes and petting cats—might get in the way a bit, but at the core of it all lies a simple truth: we love learning new things about the world.
The fun thing about knowledge is that it isn’t a race. Though some people like to gently poke fun at others for only hearing about [insert a random piece of trivia here] only just now, the truth is that we all have knowledge blind spots. It’s awesome social media projects like ‘Today Years Old Media’ that help us learn something entirely new about the world while entertaining us with some witty quips at the same time.
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We’ve collected some of the coolest facts, as shared by the TYO team, to give you something fun to talk about during your next coffee break/dinner party, Pandas. So get ready to learn something new, prepare yourself for a ton of fun, and don’t forget to take notes. Oh, did we mention that a ton of these facts are animal-related? The Arabian sand boa is particularly delightful company, we feel.
As you’re scrolling down, upvote the posts that really got your noggins jogging, and consider following the TYO accounts if you enjoyed their stuff.
Aidan Schwieger, the founder of ‘Today Years Old Media,’ was kind enough to answer our questions about the project. “I always found myself coming across random facts that truly blew my mind, and couldn’t help but share them in the hope that others would find them as fascinating as I did,” he told Bored Panda.
More info: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | TodayYearsOld.com
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“I’m truly amazed that the project has had such a positive response on Twitter, literally overnight. We’ve had a long-standing presence on Instagram, but I’m so glad the content we share has now found a home on Twitter as well,” Aidan, from TYO Media, told Bored Panda that he’s over the moon about the fact that social media users enjoy the content he shares so much.
Bored Panda was interested to find out how ‘Today Years Old’ decides on what to share with its fans.
“In all honesty, I really share whatever interests me. I love learning new things and when I come across something unusual or unexpected, I can’t help but share it,” Aidan, the founder of ‘Today Years Old Media,’ told us.
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“The project has just recently taken off on Twitter so it’s hard to say what resonates with people the most, but we hope to continue to be a daily source of trending facts and discoveries in a variety of topics.”
As for reigniting one’s curiosity and passion for learning, as well as chasing away cynicism, the founder had this to say: “There is always something new to learn in our world. You can never really know everything.”
He added: “I hope this project will allow people to find new interests and encourage us to continue to be curious about the world around us.”
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Meanwhile, we also got in touch with the friendly team at the PDSA for a chat about animals and becoming a veterinarian as a profession. The PDSA is the United Kingdom’s leading vet charity and they have 48 pet hospitals around the country.
“If you ask a vet or vet nurse why they chose their career, you may expect them to say that it is because they love animals and this is, of course, a huge part of their motivation. However, there is much more to it than that,” PDSA Vet Nurse Shauna Spooner told Bored Panda about the motivation behind people’s decision to become vets.
“People looking into a veterinary career will be passionate about science, problem-solving, and research as well as having a thirst for knowledge. They will want to make a difference not only to animals but also to their owners. They will be keen to act as a voice for those who can’t speak—championing animal welfare, educating others about the importance of the 5 Welfare Needs, and relieving the pain and suffering of species that are unable to tell us how they feel,” she said.
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“Skills and knowledge are essential in the veterinary world. After their initial training, vets and vet nurses continue to complete hours of Continued Professional Development (CPD) each year, ensuring they maintain, improve, and broaden their skills and knowledge. Veterinary medicine is constantly evolving and there is always something new to learn! In addition to this, compassion, empathy, and professionalism are required, particularly when dealing with sensitive situations such as euthanasia.”
PDSA Vet Nurse Shauna explained to us that learning more about animals can help us have more empathy for them. “It is so important for children to learn to care for and respect animals as, by doing so, it can help them grow into caring and compassionate pet owners of the future,” she said.
“Education is important for everyone though, not just children. The more we know about animals and understand that they too are sentient beings that feel the same emotions and pain that humans experience, the more likely we, as a society, are to treat them well. In addition, learning about the 5 Welfare Needs that all animals need to be happy and healthy helps to ensure that our pets have everything they need to live their best lives,” Shauna told Bored Panda.
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The ‘Today Years Old Media’ network is absolutely massive. 167.3k people follow the TYO project on Twitter. A further 20k internet users follow their Facebook page. And a whopping 9.4 million users are followers of the TYO Instagram page.
The appeal of the project is edutainment: equal parts education and entertainment. It’s all about having a ton of fun while remembering the simple fact that life on Planet Earth is far stranger and more interesting than it might seem. Some of us forget about that during the daily grind. Sometimes, all it takes is a single tweet or Instagram post running across our feeds to remind us what it felt like to be a kid skimming through a massive encyclopedia.
Parenting blogger Samantha Scroggin, from ‘Walking Outside in Slippers,’ previously shared her thoughts about helping kids maintain their sense of wonder and curiosity as they grow with Bored Panda.
“I believe by staying curious and enthusiastic about the world ourselves, we will help our kids be openly curious and enthusiastic,” she said that parents set the example and kids naturally follow it.
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“When we visit museums as a family, for example, I always ask lots of questions and my children do the same. When we travel, my husband and I demonstrate excitement for the new sights, experiences, and even food. This is an amazing world, and I want my children to always appreciate that,” the parenting blogger shared her thoughts with us.
“I figure my kids won’t love every assignment at school. That’s just how it goes. I still loathe math. But I try to help them power through school homework assignments they don’t want to do,” she said that parents can help their kids get through the topics that they don’t enjoy at school. Support goes a long way.
“I will sit with them and we go through it together in case they have questions. If they hate the task, there’s a good chance that’s because it doesn’t come easy to them (like me with math!). And there will definitely be a special sweet treat of their choice at the end,” blogger Samantha said.
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“My daughter who is 6 has much more regular homework than my son who is 10. Most of her homework is on a tablet, though, which makes it easier to knock out. I make sure she completes her assignments, but fortunately she has gotten pretty independent about doing the homework herself. My son’s teacher usually only assigned homework if there was something he didn’t finish in school. Which I am grateful for because I hate homework!”
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Age UK, Britain’s leading charity dedicated to helping people make the most of later life, explained to Bored Panda that trying out a range of different hobbies can help keep you physically fit and mentally sharp as you age.
“Hobbies add color and variety to all our lives so it’s good to help to inspire others to take up new interests. New hobbies and interests can help maintain social connections and reduce feelings of loneliness and it’s a great way to learn new skills. Taking part in social activities may help us to stay sharp in later life,” they told Bored Panda.
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“If joining clubs and classes are not an option […] there are still ways to help them engage with new hobbies. Making sure older family members have everything they need to take up or continue hobbies, such as arts and crafts or wool if they are a keen knitter, ingredients if they are a budding chef, or even the right tools for DIYing, can help,” they said.
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“Doing activities together such as the gardening can be a great incentive too, or maybe help them research locally to see if there is a neighborly Book Club dial-in they could join. Even encouraging older friends and relatives to settle in with a favorite book or audiobook, do some cooking, listen to the radio while doing a puzzle, or tuning in to an afternoon radio play can help emotional wellbeing and mental health,” Age UK gave some advice on how to help older relatives and friends stay engaged and always learning.
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“Having a hobby or learning new skills, whatever form they take, is important. And while for many they provide a nice way to spend spare time and an opportunity to interact with friends over a shared pursuit, for those with less social contacts it can give life a real sense of purpose and routine.”
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Source: boredpanda.com