What creatures have eight legs, nine brains, and dozens of fun and fascinating facts about them? Octopuses, of course. (Wait, is octopuses or octopi? Octopodes, perhaps?) However interesting we think our suction-cupped, cephalopodic friends are, we’re probably selling them short. That’s the contention of Sarah, a comedic content creator on TikTok who’s been sharing everything she’s learned about octopuses, because they’re far more bizarre than we might think. “However impressed or fascinated you are by octopuses, it’s honestly probably not enough,” she says. “We are severely underreacting to octopuses collectively.” Once you see her video, it’s clear she’s not wrong. @sarahmakesmelaugh Octopuses are fascinating and I DO want to hold a tiny guy if possible just putting that out in to the universe ??#creatorsearchinsights #octopus #weirdanimals #animalfacts #didyouknow ♬ Quirky Sneaky Pizzicato for Inide Comedies(1192187) – Kenji Ueda What she actually covers in the video With a hilariously understated sense of humor, Sarah shares facts like the idea that octopuses don’t have tentacles, as many of us have been led to believe, but arms instead. Tentacles have suckers only at the end, while an octopus’s arms have them from top to bottom. “They decorate their front yards with shells and other shiny things they find in the ocean,” Sarah says, adding, “I wonder if they judge other octopuses for how they decorate their front yard. Like, is there an octopus HOA?” Sarah points out that The Beatles’ song “Octopus’s Garden” was inspired by this delightful fact. I’d like to be, under the sea…Listen as 'Octopus’s Garden' evolves — from the rehearsal to the final master  pic.twitter.com/qJItnY6PIY— The Beatles (@thebeatles) November 11, 2025 Many of us know that octopuses are smart, but we may not know that they have a brain in each arm in addition to the brain in their heads, which is shaped like a donut. They can solve mazes and complete tricky tasks. And if their beak can fit through a hole, so can their whole body. “So a fully grown giant Pacific octopus, which can literally be 30 feet long, can fit through a hole the size of a lemon,” says Sarah. “And I don’t care for that, particularly. I would never say that to an octopus’s face because, evidently, they can recognize us, which I find unsettling. Note to self: Do not be mean to an octopus.” Because each arm has its own brain, it can operate independently, complete with its own sensory system. Each of those arms has its own brain? Photo credit: Canva “I feel like they’re smarter than us,” Sarah says. “Are we confident they’re not smarter than us? For instance, they will prank their prey. You know the joke where like old men will tap you on one shoulder, but surprise, they’re at the other shoulder? Octopus do that. If they’re hunting a shrimp, they’ll tap it on the faraway shoulder so the shrimp runs directly into them. Like, ‘gotcha!’ I don’t want octopus to do gotcha.” On a positive note, Sarah shows some examples of exquisitely colorful octopuses, though some of the most “fancy and beautiful” ones are also highly venomous. It turns out there’s even more That may have been the end of Sarah’s video, but she wasn’t finished. There’s a part two that features blanket octopuses, the female superheroes of the sea. And that’s not even the wildest part: @sarahmakesmelaugh Replying to @LalainID did yall know about the blanket octopus and didn’t tell me? Except those of you who did thank you ? #octopus #animalfacts #science #learnontiktok #learnwithme ♬ L.Boccherini, Minuet from String Quartet No.5 in F major – AllMusicGallery   A male blanket octopus is basically an inch tall and the female can grow to over six feet. The males can fit inside the pupil of the female’s eye. What?! Basically, their only job is to produce sperm, which just raises way too many questions. Sarah also talks about the mimic octopus, which she calls “the Jafar of the ocean” because it’s basically a sorcerer (and one of them genuinely looks like Jafar from Aladdin). And then came part three That wasn’t all. Even after the second video, she still wasn’t done. Part three was every bit as fascinating, terrifying, wonderful, and chuckle-worthy as the first two (and also slightly NSFW in the most PG way possible): @sarahmakesmelaugh More Octopus species, this could go on forever y’all ? #octopus #weirdanimals #learnwithme #funfacts #creatorsearchinsights ♬ Gymnopedie No. 1, Slowly, image of wave(1180783) – Dai Hentai Fujishima The blob octopus? Who even knew? The eighth-arm situation is too much. Sarah was 100% right. We are, collectively, not reacting to octopuses nearly as strongly as we should be. You can follow Sarah (@SarahMakesMeLaugh) on TikTok. This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated. The post Woman says we are ‘severely underreacting’ to octopuses, then proves she’s not wrong appeared first on Upworthy.

Sometimes, people just want to sing. They imagine themselves belting out their favorite tunes to whomever will listen. But for many, anxiety overtakes their fantasy. The thought of messing up or sounding bad is just too terrifying, and they end up keeping their songs to themselves. Luckily for a 79-year-old man named Colin in Barnsley in the UK, the opportunity to turn this fantasy into a reality presented itself. Singer/songwriter Ruth Lisgo had begun recording karaoke on the street, occasionally handing out a microphone to those who wanted to join in on harmonizing or singing a verse or two. He’d already gone viral once before Colin first went viral after singing “Words” by the Bee Gees. Lisgo states on an Instagram post that “over one million have now viewed that video.” @ruthlisgomusic Replying to @Sir Nick the Naughty I absolutely agree Nick. So often when I’m busking I come across people who have so many stories to tell and often in life it just takes a few minutes to really make a difference with someone by listening ? Colin has many stories I’m sure #words #beegees #busking #takethetime ♬ original sound – Ruth Lisgo ? ? Well, Colin has returned a few times, most recently to belt out “Mandy” by Barry Manilow. An added bonus is that he dedicated his rendition to none other than his dental hygienist. In a chyron over the clip, Lisgo explains, “This man asked if he could sing on my mic. He told me he only sang karaoke at home when he was younger, but always loved singing and music. But he was afraid of forgetting words and being on a stage. He came back today to sing this for his dental hygienist who had seen the video of him singing ‘Words’ by the Bee Gees, and she requested him to sing this ahead of her going to a Barry Manilow concert in 2026.” View this post on Instagram What happened when he grabbed the mic Clad in a warm coat and beanie, Colin grasps the microphone. His hands seem to shiver in the cold, but what comes out of his voice is pure warmth and perfection. He begins, “I’m standing on the edge of time. I’ve walked away when love was mine.” For a moment, he blanks on the following lyric, “Caught up in a world of uphill climbing, the tears are in my mind and nothing is rhyming.” But Lisgo steps in to help him find his way. Now for the chorus and a key change: “Oh Mandy! Well, you came and you gave without taking, but I sent you away. Oh Mandy! Well, you kissed me and stopped me from shaking. And I need you today. Oh Mandy!” The clip jump cuts to both Colin and Lisgo caught up in the moment. You can clearly feel the pride, smiles, and applause as Lisgo flips the camera to reveal a small crowd has formed. Lisgo asks commenters under her Instagram post to please share where they live so Colin can feel love from all over the world. The world showed up for him Over 5,500 people (and counting) did just that. Chiming in from Canada to Turkey to Finland to Sweden, compliments poured in by the hour. “Wonderful moment for him and for us,” one Instagrammer writes. Another addresses their comment directly to Lisgo, praising her for bringing so much joy. “I don’t know you, but I actually watched your reaction to him singing and it was beautiful. I could see the heart and kindness in your face.” Lisgo replies sharing how moved she was, writing, “I was brought to tears and I was feeling so much in this moment. It really was special and magic – thank you!” Another commenter shares what so many of us believe: “Barry Manilow will be proud.” Why videos like this keep going viral There’s no trick to why this one works. Colin isn’t a trained singer. He blanks on a lyric partway through and needs a little help finding his way back. He’s wearing a beanie in the cold and his hands are shaking. And none of that matters even slightly, because what the camera catches is a person doing something they love in front of strangers who are genuinely glad he showed up. That’s it. That’s the whole thing. And apparently, five thousand people from Canada to Turkey to Finland felt exactly the same way. This article originally appeared in January. It has been updated. The post 79-year-old man publicly sings Barry Manilow’s ‘Mandy’ to his dental hygienist and nails it appeared first on Upworthy.

No matter how much cat owners love their furry felines, they all have one complaint in common: the cat box. No one loves managing a litter box. Unless you stay right on top of them, they get messy and smelly, the litter and/or dust from litter gets everywhere, and it’s just generally a gross thing you have to deal with in order to enjoy the benefits of having a cat. Companies have tried making litter boxes better, of course. Now we have extra deep boxes for the “flingers,” covered litter boxes (which are great if your cat doesn’t refuse to use them), and fancy self-cleaning litter boxes (which are also great if your cat doesn’t refuse to use them). And regardless of the kind you use, there’s still the problem of where to keep the unsightly poop receptacle in your home. Finding a suitable place for the cat box can be tricly. Photo credit: Canva So a couple in Japan built a solution That’s where an innovative design from a couple living in Japan comes in. Rachel and Jun have three cats and a knack for designing cool things, and their custom “Japanese Poop House” is a next-level litter box solution. “Litter boxes inevitably come with problems–cats kicking out litter, smells, where do you even put them in your home, and the list goes on and on,” Rachel wrote on YouTube. “I have been working on designing the ultimate litter box that solves every one of these problems for the past two years. I spent six months building it. AND IT WORKED. Behold: the Poop Abode.” Rachel and Jun are fortunate to have a small space in their home that they can dedicate to cats (they call it “the cat room”) where they can keep their litter boxes. Rachel said they’ve tried various litter box configurations and litters and that the wood pellet litter works best for them. However, it does result in a lot of sawdust, which gets all over everything. That was one of the problems they wanted to solve. The six rules the design had to meet In coming up with the perfect custom litter box, Rachel said they had six criteria that needed to be met: 1) It needed to be big enough for their large Maine Coon cat, Haku. 2) It needed tall walls because their cat Nagi “likes to pee horizontally.” 3) It needed to be easy and comfortable for the cats to use. 4) It needed to trap litter and dust from escaping. 5) It needed to be easy to clean. And 6) It needed to look good. Rachel came up with a bunch of designs, and the winner ended up looking too much like a dumpster, so she made the design a little bit more complicated so that it would look more like a house. Mission accomplished. Watch to see how she did it and the final result: So how did it turn out? The “Japanese Poop House” really does look like a beautifully designed house, and even with the clear walls, it doesn’t really look like a litter box. The lid that opens and closes for ease of scooping is great, and the cats seem to enjoy going through their little custom “hallway” to get to their litter box. People in the comments are loving it: “Rachel, you could seriously market this design professionally!!! This is absolutely genius.” “Nothing says ‘I love my cats’ than Rachel building them a poop house that actually looks like a modern home. It is so extra! Amazing work Rachel x.” “I can’t believe I watched 25 minutes of designing a Japanese-Modernistic ‘poop house’ with better architecture than any apartment I’ve ever lived in.” “The magnet disassembly of the whole frame is so smart!!! I love seeing people go the extra mile for their pets like this.” “Rachel, you don’t just deserve a high five, you deserve a patent! This is amazing!” Can you actually buy one of these? Many people wanted to know if the cat box would be available to purchase. “Thank you to everyone who has shown interest!” wrote Jun. “We’re in the process of gaining design rights for this litter house and other cat projects my wife made such as her cat food station. We’re trying to figure out how to make these available for those who’re interested in buying.” Not everyone can or is interested in making this kind of litter box “poop home” themselves, but Rachel did provide the step-by-step example of how to do so right there in the video. Might be worth a shot. You can follow Rachel and Jun on YouTube. The post Couple in Japan invents a nearly perfect cat litter box that solves many common problems appeared first on Upworthy.

Naming your baby is a really special experience that can help shape who they become, honor the legacy of close friends and family members, and carry personal meaning through symbolism. It’s a hard process to get just right, and unfortunately, there are a lot of horrible ways it can go wrong. One couple with a rather unfortunate last name recently took to social media to playfully mourn all the names they “absolutely can’t” use for their impending baby. Quince and Zach have built a following of more than three million people across Instagram and TikTok, where they share relatable, funny content about life as young parents to a two-year-old daughter, with another baby on the way. There’s just one problem for Quince and Zach, and it’s their last name: Cox. There’s nothing wrong with Cox on the surface; it’s a perfectly normal and respectable last name. It wasn’t until the couple started brainstorming names for their soon-to-be baby girl that they realized Cox was, let’s say, problematic. In a hilarious post on Instagram, the couple recently shared a lengthy, exhaustive list of names they immediately knew would be a no-go: Holden Cox Anita Cox Harry Cox Sawyer Cox Sharon Cox Check out the fantastic, tongue-in-cheek post here: View this post on Instagram People had their own close calls to share More than 400,000 people interacted with the viral post, including thousands of comments from people eager to share their own close calls with unfortunate baby names. “Maiden name was Dix. I’m now a Cox. I wish I was joking,” wrote Shenai Cox. “My maiden last name is cox. Definitely couldn’t hyphenate with my husband. His last name is Oancea (pronounced want-cha) want-cha cox? No thank you,” another user wrote. “My last name is Muncher soooo…” wrote Amber Muncher. There were even a few people who could only wish their parents had shown the same foresight as Quince and Zach. Harry Wang, a commenter, wrote, “Wish my parents thought like that,” before adding, “It’s a part of me now, gotta wear it with pride.” In any case, the public service announcement was much appreciated by all: “As a former cox (maiden name) more people need to be this aware some Cox’s are shockingly blase out here about what they are naming their kids,” someone wrote. Then she came back with part two In part two of the post, Quince added more names to the cross-off list and revealed why she couldn’t hyphenate her last name after getting married. “I mean we could always hyphenate my maiden name ‘Pullen'” she joked in the caption before officially eliminating Hugh Cox, Olive Cox, and Ophelia Cox. You may laugh, but variations of Olive are some of the most popular names in America. View this post on Instagram A few labor and delivery nurses even chimed in on Quince’s post to voice their support, saying they wished more parents would be mindful of names that could one day humiliate their children. It’s not just about the obvious ones There are more ways a name can go wrong than just having phallic undertones. There could be easy rhymes, embarrassing abbreviations, or even an unfortunate “first initial, last name” combination that makes emailing an unpleasant experience for a child one day. Nurses who meet babies all day, every day have seen some horror stories: @issabelvictoria_ Baby names are so fun? #nicunurse #neonatalnurse #nursesoftiktok #newgradnurse #newgradnurses #nursetok #nursingschool #nursetiktok #nursing #fyp #nurse ♬ original sound – issabel While there are only a handful of names that are strictly illegal in the United States, depending on the state, you may have trouble naming your baby Hitler, Santa Claus, or King, parents are urged to take precautions against names that could make life difficult for their child. Some helpful methods include saying the name out loud (both the full and shortened versions), spelling it out, checking the initials, and watching for embarrassing nicknames, to start. This article originally appeared in January. It has been updated. The post Couple with unfortunate last name hilariously mourns the baby names they couldn’t use appeared first on Upworthy.

A representative for America’s favorite showgirl said that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have made donations totaling $26 million to over a dozen nonprofit organizations and charities. Though it’s not entirely clear when and where the couple will have their wedding, some sleuthing from the Guardian suggests it might be soon, and it might be […] The post Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Donate $26 Million to Charities Ahead of Blockbuster Wedding appeared first on Good News Network.