17 Little Things That Should Be Common Knowledge But Aren't

This involves pizza. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

1. If you're losing a lot of weight for no reason, go see a doctor ASAP.

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Not to be all Web MD, but an unexplained weight loss of 10 pounds or more is often the first sign of cancer. Unexplained weight loss can also be an indicator of diabetes or an autoimmune disease.

2. The tops of most stoves lift for easy cleaning.

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3. The average color of the universe is this shade of beige, which astronomers have dubbed "Cosmic Latte."

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That's right, the average shade of all the light in the universe, as studied by Johns Hopkins University astronomers, can be summed up in hexadecimal code FFF8E7. It's kind of like if Monday were a color.

4. The sun is actually WHITE.

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We think of the sun as yellow, but it's actually every color mixed together, which appears as white to our eyes. You can see this in photos of the sun from space. Eyewitnesses have confirmed that the sun has recently been spotted complaining at Whole Foods about the organic kale supply.

5. When meeting new people, you can use the FORD acronym to come up with things to talk about.

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F = Family (Talk about their spouse, kids, and in-laws)

O = Occupation (Ask what they do, and/or how they got there)

R = Recreation (What do you do for fun? or When was the last time you...?)

D = Dreams (What have you always wanted to do? Where have you wanted to go?)

Awkwardness foiled!

6. Don't clean with ammonia and bleach at the same time.

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Mixing the two common cleaning chemicals forms poisonous gases called chloramines, which can be harmful to your health at best and create explosions at worst.

7. You can type any doctor's name into this database and see what types of kickbacks or payments they've received from drug companies.

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For example, if your doctor is very pushy about you trying Lipitor over other statins, and you see that he or she has received a large payment or gift from Pfizer, you might want to inquire further on their reasoning.

8. The abbreviation "Xmas" doesn't originate from a plan to "take Christ out of Christmas."

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In Greek, Christ is spelled Χριστός. The X in "Xmas" represents the first letter of the term — the Greek chi — and serves as an abbreviation for Christ.

9. It's not healthy for your cat to eat or drink dairy products.

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Cats, like many animals, have some degree of lactose intolerance and can get sick from large quantities of milk.

10. This is what all those laundry symbols mean on your clothing tags.

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11. One 18" pizza is more pizza than two 12" pizzas.

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You literally use pi to solve this. Here's the math. Always order the larger pizza!!

12. Light roast coffee actually has more caffeine per bean than dark roast.

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13. If you're buying a used car, the orange "check engine" light, and all warning lights, should temporarily come on when you start the vehicle.

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If it doesn't, the dash may have been tampered with to hide a potential issue.

14. Bales of hay can spontaneously combust due to moisture.

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Excessive moisture builds up inside a hay bale, attracting bacteria, which contributes to internal heat that can eventually cause the hay to smolder on the inside.

15. Fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to give up her bus seat nine months before Rosa Parks did.

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Colvin refused a bus driver's orders to relinquish her seat. Two police officers arrested her. She says that civil rights leaders didn't think a teen, especially one with a very dark complexion, would be a good poster child for their movement. Read more of her story here.

16. The proper contraction for "could have" is "could've," not "could of."

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Please pass this on! Thanks. —The Universe

17. Cinco de Mayo isn't Mexico's independence day. It's the celebration of the Mexican army's victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

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