What are some commonly known facts that are too bizarre for you to believe to be true?

zirzedolta@lemm.ee to Asklemmy@lemmy.ml – 380 points –

For me it is the fact that our blood contains iron. I earlier used to believe the word stood for some 'organic element' since I couldn't accept we had metal flowing through our supposed carbon-based bodies, till I realized that is where the taste and smell of blood comes from.

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Don't know if it's bizarre but I was shocked when I found out I'd been lied to my whole life... a leap year isn't every 4 years.

So leap years happen when the year is divisible by 4, but not when the year is divisible by 100 but then they do again when the year is divisible by 400.

So the year 2000 is a perfect example of the exception to the exception. Divisible by 100 so no leap year, but divisible by 400 so leap year back on..

No one (!) alive today experienced a year divisible by 4 that was not a leap year. The oldest living person was born in 1907.

Also when the leap years were introduced, the priests (who were to take care of the calendar) didn't understand what dis "every four years" mean, and used to put a leap year every three years.

And the Lord spake, saying, "First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then shalt thou count to four, no more, no less. Four shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be four. Five shalt thou not count, neither count thou three, excepting that thou then proceed to four. Six is right out. Once the number four, being the fourth number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it."

But basic math means that those are the exact same thing. Divisible by 4 means multiples of 4 means every 4 years, right? It seems more likely that they "happen when the year is divisible by 4" came about after they said "let's do it every four years, but we have to phrase it more officially when we write it down."

Not really. 1896 was a leap year, but 1900 was not.

The leap year after 2096 will be 2104.

Edit: an interesting way to put this is, 2000 was the only year in 4 centuries where the year starting the century was a leap year. Next such occurrence will be in 2400

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