Today I Learned 🎓

18 ноября 2024 14:49

TIL that in July 2018, Russian scientists collected and analysed 300 prehistoric worms from the permafrost and thawed them. 2 of the ancient worms revived and began to move and eat. One is dated at 32,000 years old, the other 41,700 years old. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

18 ноября 2024 12:49

TIL about the uniquly designed magic roundabout in Swindon, UK which has consistently ranked in the top four worst roundabouts in various survies and studies. It has an outer main circle that carries traffic clockwise and five mini-roundabouts connected to it that carry traffic anti-clockwise. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

18 ноября 2024 10:49

TIL Actor David Arquette was briefly made the world heavyweight champion of World Championship Wrestling to promote the movie Ready to Rumble; both the movie and the wrestling run were financial failures [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

18 ноября 2024 05:49

TIL of James Clyman, an American "Mountain Man" who wrote one of the accounts of Hugh Glass' bear mauling (subject of 'The Revenant' starring Leonardo Dicaprio) and advised the infamous Donner-Reed Party not to take their fatal shortcut along The Oregon Trail. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

18 ноября 2024 04:49

TIL of no burp syndrome, a condition where the cricopharyngeus muscle doesn’t relax preventing air from leaving the stomach. It leads to bloating and flatulence and can be treated with botox. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

18 ноября 2024 01:49

TIL the US Navy had no idea Cher would be wearing a racy outfit when they agreed to let her film “If I Could Turn Back Time” on the battleship *Missouri*. They didn’t see her now-iconic fishnet bodysuit until filming started. The crew’s crazy reaction is genuine. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 23:49

TIL that Norway has a custom of hanging portraits of the king and other members of the royal family in the bathroom [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 20:49

TIL Tama-chan, a male bearded seal spotted in 2002 in Tokyo’s Tama River. He was granted honorary residency registration because of his massive publicity and this sparked protests from foreign residents over the fact that such registration was only open to Japanese citizens. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 18:49

TIL of Butterball's turkey cooking hotline. Every year they receive 10,000+ (panicked?) calls around Thanksgiving from people looking for tips on how to cook their turkey [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 16:49

TIL that the power density in the Solar core is about 276.5watts/m3, less than the power density produced by the metabolism of an adult human. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 14:49

TIL about Frederick Valentich, an Australian pilot who disappeared during a flight in 1978 after reporting an unidentified object following him and saying, 'It's not an aircraft.' [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 11:49

TIL according to an Interview with Satoshi Tajiri, the creator of Pokemon, Rhydon was the first Pokemon ever created. It is also why Rhydon has a index number of #001. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 09:49

TIL that the number of US federal government employees has hovered between approx. 2.7Mil and 3Mil since 1967. Lowering the per capita ratio from 1.5 employees per 100 people to 0.9 employees per 100 people. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 04:49

TIL that when a moon has a moon, it's called a moonmoon. Theoretical candidates that could host a moonmoon are Earth's moon, Callisto, Titan, and Iapetus, though none have ever been detected [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 01:49

TIL that during World War 1, Belgian pilot Willy Coppens came under fire from an enemy observation ballon during an attack run. In response he landed his plane on top of the ballon and turned off his engine. When the ballon descended he slid off and flew away. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

18 ноября 2024 13:49

TIL That McDonald's was forced to discontinue the production, and distribution, of their spoon shaped coffee stirrers after it was discovered they had become popular among cocaine users. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

18 ноября 2024 12:49

TIL that orcas spend their entire lives with their mothers. Only one whale is known to have survived alone: Luna (or Tsux'iit) was young when separated and ended up in Nootka Sound. He was adored by locals for his interactive and playful demeanor, seeking socialization intensely without his pod. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

18 ноября 2024 07:49

TIL a study shows time passes 4 nanoseconds faster per day at the 450m-high Tokyo Skytree observation deck than at ground level. A University of Tokyo professor said clocks "will become tools for measuring time and space, such as differences in altitude, in line with the theory of relativity". [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

18 ноября 2024 05:49

TIL that Jordan Rice, a 13-year-old Australian boy, became a symbol of courage during devastating floods when he sacrificed his life to save his younger brother. Despite his fear of water, his selfless act continues to inspire as a story of true heroism. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

18 ноября 2024 02:49

TIL Buzz Lightyear was originally named Lunar Larry [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

18 ноября 2024 00:49

TIL: The US developed the chemical compound Cyanogen Chloride for use in WW2 against Japan. It is a highly toxic blood agent that could penetrate gas masks. Truman decided against using it and opted for the atom bomb. It is now listed in the Chemical Weapons Convention and has never been deployed. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 22:49

TIL the CIA struggled to recruit candidates who had visible tattoos because such markings made agents easier to identify. This rule has been relaxed, but it once limited their ability to hire otherwise qualified applicants. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 19:49

TIL that rattlesnakes can form "friendships", and being in the presence of their friend reduces their stress. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 17:49

TIL Joseph Smith once ran for president, and would've been the first assassinated unelected candidate if his run was taken seriously [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 15:49

TIL that after his passing, Fred Rogers’ wife revealed that behind the scenes he had a raunchy sense of humor and one of his favorite and funniest ways to break up monotony during a bland event was to look right at her, lift a butt cheek signaling that he was secretly farting, and give her a smile. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 12:49

TIL that during World War II, a hippo named Belle survived the Siege of Leningrad thanks to her caretaker, Yevdokia Dashina. With the city’s water cut off, Belle’s pool dried up, and Dashina carried 40 liters of water daily from the Neva River to keep the hippo alive. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 10:49

TIL that Canadian wheat flour from Manitoba is prized in Italy, and is preferred for Neapolitan Pizza. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 06:49

TIL in Qigong theory, sexual excitement is believed to redirect energy from many pathways to the sexual organs, with ejaculation expelling it completely, leading to masturbation being seen as "energy suicide". A related Chinese proverb states, "a drop of semen equals ten drops of blood". [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

17 ноября 2024 02:49

TIL: In Laos, as of last year, meth prices dropped to $0.25, making it cheaper than beer. Laos now joins Myanmar and Thailand as having the cheapest meth in the world. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

16 ноября 2024 23:49

TIL: That The Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim is the best selling single player (only) video game of all time at 60 million units sold. [Source]