What’s an interesting fact that seems fictional but is actually true?

There is a phenomenon known as the “Baader-Meinhof phenomenon,” or more commonly, “frequency illusion,” where once you learn about something new, you start seeing it everywhere. This might seem like a curious psychological trick or coincidence, but it’s a real effect studied in cognitive psychology. It happens because your brain is good at recognizing patterns and tends to pay more attention to new information, causing it to appear more often in your perception than it actually does. This effect is a combination of two processes: selective attention (your brain unconsciously takes note of things that are currently relevant or interesting) and confirmation bias (you tend to notice instances that confirm your new knowledge). So, while it feels like magic or a conspiracy, it’s just your brain doing what it does best: seeking patterns.