Bright Side

Out of the nearly 500 different species of shark that inhabit the oceans today, only a dozen or so have ever been known to go after humans. And even in those cases, it’s only believed to have happened because the shark was confused or curious. So, despite what movies like Jaws or The Meg have shown us over the years, there aren’t any sharks roaming near the shoreline, looking for people to eat.

In fact, sharks tend to prefer smaller fish and invertebrates. When it comes to us, it’s an old cliché but it rings true – they’re more scared of you than you are of them. Of course, everybody should know how to decrease the chances of encountering a shark. And if you happen upon one, here's what you should do.

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Imagine for a moment that you’re lost in an underground cave. You have no food, but plenty of fresh water to sustain you. There’s a catch, however: your partner, who’s gone for help, hasn’t returned for a few days now, and you’re quickly running out of breathing air. This is a true story of Xisco Gràcia’s dangerous ordeal in the Spanish caves.

Gràcia is a 56-year-old geology teacher. He’s spent many years as a scuba diver in the caves that make a huge network beneath Mallorca. Almost every weekend he takes his gear, calls on one of his diving partners, and goes on another underground adventure, mapping the mysterious hollows of the island. Bur even for such a skilled scuba diver as he is, underground caves can pose a real threat...

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Imagine for a moment that you’re lost in an underground cave. You have no food, but plenty of fresh water to sustain you. There’s a catch, however: your partner, who’s gone for help, hasn’t returned for a few days now, and you’re quickly running out of breathing air. This is a true story of Xisco Gràcia’s dangerous ordeal in the Spanish caves.

Gràcia is a 56-year-old geology teacher. He’s spent many years as a scuba diver in the caves that make a huge network beneath Mallorca. Almost every weekend he takes his gear, calls on one of his diving partners, and goes on another underground adventure, mapping the mysterious hollows of the island. Bur even for such a skilled scuba diver as he is, underground caves can pose a real threat...

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Have you ever dreamt of traveling through time? Would you go to the future or to the past? Rudolf Fentz didn't choose the time, he simply found himself in Times Square, hardly recognizing anything: people in unusual clothes, strange noisy machines he'd never seen before, lights everywhere. What happened?

It was in the summer of 1951. At about 11:15, passers-by in Times Square noticed a young man in his twenties. He was dressed in the fashion of the late 19th century. He looked lost and clueless, and obviously had no idea how he’d gotten to the crossroad. Where did he come from? Nobody saw it, he just appeared in that spot as if out of thin air...

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Have you ever tried to sell something online? And did you succeed at it? Or maybe you had a hard time selling the watch grandma gave you for the graduation that you put on sale because of a “personal financial crisis”? Don’t worry, you’ll be much better at e-commerce once you know the secrets of the trade.

For example, there's a trick that marketers have long used to sell products that aren’t exactly the most popular. A free gift or a bonus increases the value of the purchase in the eyes of the buyer. For example, when you’re selling a laptop, offer a flash drive or headphones as a gift. And be sure to mention the bonus in the beginning of your ad!

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Are you worried about giving your fingerprints when you get a new passport, for example? This procedure gives your unique info to the authorities, that’s true. But did you know there are many other parts of your body that can give your identity away as surely as your fingertips?

Did you ever think, for example, that your toe prints are unique, too?. Some scientists even think that toe printing is a better way to collect biometric data about an individual because toe patterns are less likely to be erased. So, guys, those of you in the Witness Protection Program will really want to watch this. And the rest of you can also check it out.

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If you’re scared of spiders, you’re not alone. In fact, in the US, 1 in 10 people are affected by a phobia, and 40% of those phobias are related to bugs. If one of those people is you, here’s the bad news – there are nearly 40,000 different types of spiders in the world, and almost all of them are venomous.

Of course, very few of those venomous spiders produce a poison toxic enough to cause harm to humans at all. And since the use of antivenom became commonplace in the 1950’s, the instances of people falling victim to seriously dangerous spiders are practically non-existent. Which isn’t to say you shouldn’t be careful if you come across any of those known to be toxic to humans. So, what should you do the next time you see one?

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In childhood, it seemed to us that when we grow up, we will get an opportunity to do what we really want. However, in reality, it turns out that everyone around us has an interest in our life — parents demand we have grandchildren, friends give advice on opening your own business, while the manufacturers of various goods want you to buy things that you don't need. And every other person is ready to tell us how we’re supposed to live because “it’s important” or “everybody does it.” In reality, many desires that adults have are dictated by the stereotypes and false values of the society we live in. And almost all of us get trapped in these psychological tricks at least once. As a result, we start to think along these patterns that were intrusively placed into our heads...

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There are many things that we think are the same, but they’re actually 2 different things. For example, when someone says, “I’m going to America,” they probably mean the US. Would you like to have a mug of coffee or a cup of coffee? Have you brought a mushroom or a toadstool from the forest? Did you have a macaron or a macaroon with lunch yesterday?

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While most of us will probably never get a chance to meet the Queen, it couldn’t hurt to brush up on your court etiquette, just in case. No one wants to wind up being thrown out of Her Majesty’s dinner party, so you should remember the rules if you want to avoid making a royal fool of yourself. By the way, let’s just assume right here that burping or some other release of gas is forbidden, so we’ll stick to the main ones.

Did you know, for example, that using French words is considered impolite when speaking with the Queen, or any member of the royal family? Of course, breaking the rules of etiquette probably won’t get you thrown into the Tower of London in chains, or even out on the street, you should be on your best behavior if you want your royal rendezvous to go smoothly.

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