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Every single day is an opportunity to learn something new. But even if you’re not actively reading scientific studies or in-depth socio-economic analyses, you can still pick up a lot of new information just by spending time online.

And if you ever wanted to share all those interesting tidbits of knowledge with everyone else, well, the massively popular ‘Today I Learned’ online group might be the perfect place to do it. Its members post the most interesting and unusual facts about the world that they heard about just recently. We’ve collected some of the freshest ones to share with you, Pandas. Scroll down to check them out (and don’t forget to take notes so you can impress your friends later). 

Bored Panda wanted to get to grips with how we can all continue to stay curious about the world and how we can check the reliability of scientific claims. So, we reached out to N. Otre Le Vant, the author of ‘On Progress in Physics and Subjectivity Theory’ and the founder of Inisev. He kindly shared his insights with us. You'll find his thoughts below.

#1

‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) In 2001, a 13-year-old Boy Scout named Cody Clawson went missing for over 18 hours near Yellowstone Park. Clawson resorted to using his belt buckle to signal to planes overhead. Eventually, he got a pilot’s attention - and that pilot was none other than Harrison Ford - who rescued Clawson.

waitingforthesun92 , Maël BALLAND / Pexels Report

Scott Rackley
Community Member
1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dude straight up summoned the Millennium Falcon

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N. Otre Le Vant researches progress in science and uses a pseudonym on purpose because he thinks his name is irrelevant. In his book, 'On Progress in Physics and Subjectivity Theory,' he makes the point that it's the ideas that count, not the people who came up with them. "Just because someone is likable or not doesn't mean all their ideas are good or bad," he told Bored Panda via email. "We should separate the art from the artist."

According to the researcher, we're all born with the gift of curiosity, but some of us end up losing it as we grow older. From his perspective, one reason why we grow less curious about the world is that the social norms that surround us force us into a mindset of accepting things as they are, without question. This means that some people feel pressured to go with the flow of the crowd, switching off their minds.

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"We must resist this 'easy way' and keep the playful, challenging, and 'always asking why' approach that was the main reason we learned so many things when we were kids. If we can retain this mindset, we’ll naturally stay curious," N. Otre Le Vant told Bored Panda.

RELATED:
    #2

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) Despite not having played since 2018, MLB player Andrew Toles has remained under contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers so he can continue receiving mental health treatment for his schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

    harlsey , Arturo Pardavila III Report

    #3

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) In 2015, a woman's parachute failed to deploy while skydiving, surviving with life-threatening injuries. Days before, she survived a mysterious gas leak at her house. Both were later found to be intentional murder plots by her husband.

    sanandrios , Erik Scheel / Pexels Report

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    We asked the researcher for his thoughts on how the average person can determine whether the scientific claims they spot online are reliable or not. He was happy to shed some light on this.

    "The scientific method can be summarized as follows: a theory is conceived (supported by evidence) and then exposed to attacks by other scientists. Eventually, only the theories that are still standing after the avalanches of attacks are considered as 'truth'—not as ultimate truth, but only as long as no refutation is successful, or a better theory is found. This approach has proven to be very robust, and we owe almost all of our modern technology and standard of life to it," the author of 'On Progress in Physics and Subjectivity Theory' explained.

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    "Therefore, any theory that deviates from this scientific method should be regarded skeptically. Examples include theories that are so fuzzy they cannot be refuted, or those claimed to be true without having undergone a thorough scientific review."

    #4

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) In the 1960s, Washington D.C.'s poor areas were plagued by severe rat problems until Julius Hobson began catching them by trapping enormous rats, and attaching the cage to his car’s roof and drove to affluent districts where he warned of setting the rodents free, spurring rat control measures.

    Algrinder , David Bartus / Pexels Report

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    #5

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) On April 18 1930, the BBC's evening news report simply said "there is no news" and then played piano music for the entire segment.

    footballmaths49 , Juan Pablo Serrano / Pexels Report

    #6

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) In 2018, a K***er whale named Tahlequah, known to researchers as J35, grieved over her dead calf by carrying it across the ocean for 17 days and over 1,000 miles, refusing to let it sink.

    Algrinder , Pixabay / Pexels Report

    That being said, he stressed that we shouldn't ignore new ideas that haven't (yet) been peer-reviewed.

    "After all, that’s how all ideas start out. However, these ideas must never be claimed to be true, but regarded as ‘interesting hypotheses’ at best. Those who assert early-stage ideas as definitely true demonstrate a lack of understanding of how easy it is to be wrong and don’t exhibit the level of humility required for progress in science."

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    #7

    Muhammad Ali's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is on a wall instead of on the ground. This is because Ali, a devout Muslim, did not want people stepping on the name "Muhammad".

    wimpykidfan37 Report

    Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I can respect that. Glad whoever runs the Walk of fame these days makes these considerations.

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    #8

    Dr. Jessie Lazear, an American physician who studied yellow fever under the famous Dr. Walter Reed. He allowed himself to be bitten by an infected mosquito, and died of the disease himself 17 days later, confirming how the disease was spread. His sacrifice saved millions.

    Chemical-Elk-1299 Report

    G A
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Extreme way of proving a theorem, but the world thanks you for your sacrifice.

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    #9

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) Weather forecasters tend to exaggerate the chance of rain because if it rains when they said it wouldn't, people get angry, but if it doesn't rain when they said it would, they are happy. This is known as "wet bias."

    Lvexr , Kaique Rocha / Pexels Report

    Robert Trebor
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That 10% or 20% is to be able to say either, "I told you so," or "Well, it was only a 20% chance."

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    Many people fall prey to the illusory truth effect, a cognitive bias where the more often we’re exposed to information, the more plausible we think it is. In other words, repetition makes us believe something is (more likely to be) real, even if the information is thoroughly false. Even knowing about this effect doesn’t make us immune to it… but having more awareness is always a plus. 

    It would take too much time and effort to double-check every single claim, so it’s best to focus your energy on checking the reliability of the outlet. Reliable organizations always show the evidence behind the facts. They also tend to disclose any conflict of interest, use multiple sources to back up their claims, and are quick to update their information if they make a mistake. Even the best sources will make mistakes sometimes, and nobody is completely objective, but some outlets have a solid track record of reliability, while others peddle opinions as facts.

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    #10

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) There was a girls dance camp nearby when the atomic Trinity test occurred. The girls played in the falling white ash. 10 of the 12 girls died before 40.

    edfitz83 , pixabay Report

    Luis Hernandez Dauajare
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    First, that's horrifying. Second, now I want to know what happened to the other two...

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    #11

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) Aldgate Pump, a historic water pump held as marking the start of London’s East End. Long famed for its “sparkling, agreeable” water, it was later found that this rich mineral taste came from the flesh and bones of nearby cemeteries leeching into the water. The tainted water killed hundreds.

    Chemical-Elk-1299 , Matt Brown / Wikimedia Report

    David
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Waiter: "Would you like some mineral water to go with your soylent green?"

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    #12

    Viggo Mortensen wore his Russian gangster make up tattoos to a Russian restaurant while filming Eastern Promises. The Russian diners fell silent out of fear until Viggo identified himself and said the tattoos were for a movie. After that he removed the tattoos after every workday.

    shifty1032231 Report

    If you spend even a moderate amount of time on the internet and social media, it’s quite likely that you’ve stumbled across a post written by someone from the ‘Today I Learned,’ aka TIL, community.

    The subreddit is absolutely sprawling, currently boasting some 36 million members from all corners of the Earth. The common threads that unite them are a thirst for new knowledge as well as the entertainment factor folks get from reading what others have to share.

    #13

    The Boots Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness: poor people buy cheap products that need to be replaced repeatedly, proving more expensive in the long run than more expensive items.

    EtOHMartini Report

    Scott Rackley
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That would be Sam Vimes, please give credit to Sir Terry.

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    #14

    Octopuses deliberately throw shells at each other. Researchers found that 66% of throws were made by females, often in response to mating attempts. For a creature with no thumbs or rotator cuffs, they had a 17% hit rate.

    decafcovfefes Report

    G A
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Domestic abuse in the cephalopod community reaches epidemic proportions....

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    #15

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) Chief Baker of the Titanic, Charles Joughin, survived by getting smashed on Brandy and calmly paddling around until dawn when he was rescued by a lifeboat. He was also one of the last people off the ship, riding the stern rail into the sea like an elevator.

    SappyGilmore , rawpixel Report

    Luis Hernandez Dauajare
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He actually appears in the movie. He is the portly, moustachied man wearing white that is next to Rose and Jack when the ship takes the final plunge. You can even see him taking a swig of the bottle in the deleted scenes.

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    The TIL community is very strict when it comes to sharing facts. The moderators demand that their members only post facts that are accurate, verified, and supported by reputable sources. There’s no room here for personal opinions, political posts, or anecdotes.

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    What’s more, you’re not allowed to refer to sources that are more recent than two months. All of this helps ensure that the facts shared on r/todayilearned are as accurate as possible. That, along with the fun factor, is a huge draw for many internet users. It’s education and entertainment (aka edutainment) in one place.

    #16

    That 'Rocky' (1976) was inspired by the true story of Chuck Wepner, a local boxer from New Jersey who was set up for a dream fight with Muhammad Ali. Wepner quit his job to train full time, and against all odds, lasted 15 rounds with the champ. Stallone was in the audience.

    L8_2_PartE Report

    G A
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Didn't Wepner cameo in a Rocky movie?

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    #17

    A man survived two separate bear attacks in one day, After the first attack, where he was bitten on the head and arms, he played dead to make the bear lose interest. Despite the ordeal, he walked three miles to his truck, only to be attacked again by the same bear and miraculously survived.

    Algrinder Report

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    #18

    The reason why animal shelters are full of huskies, is because of the TV show Game of Thrones. Everyone wanted their own real life dire Wolf, but then abandoned them after they realize how much work they are.

    rtineo Report

    sturmwesen
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't know how often I had to tell people with no dog experience that working breeds need work. doesn't matter if a sled dog, herding dog or hunting dog.

    Mjskywalk
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My BIL said it best just yesterday: “a working dog needs a job and if they decide that pulling the stuffing out of your couch is their job, that’s on you.”

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    Thee8thsense
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I was fortunate to be mom to 2 Siberian Huskies, for 13 and 16 years. The one who lived to 13 was completely blind by 3 years, but so full of joy, and developed an additional sense, allowing him to be quite able to navigate through life. I, of course, didn't rearrange the furniture without guiding him through the changes. Amazing dogs, but not for anyone unwilling to be dedicated to them.

    Miss Tinker
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I believe a similar thing happened with dalmatians after “101 Dalmatians” ☹️

    Bookworm
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just saw a Girl With The Dogs video where she explained that part of the problem with Dalmatians is that the 'piebald' gene that makes them spotted also puts them at high risk for deafness. This risk is slowly being reduced through careful, responsible breeding, but if you try to churn out hundreds of them in a puppy mill, you're going to wind up with a lot of deaf dogs.

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    Pittsburgh rare
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I shudder when l see Alaskan malamutes in Barcelona, where winter is a joke and summers are unbearable.

    Bryn
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Actually, I'd be more concerned for short nosed breeds than double coated breeds. While it's not great, the double coat does help somewhat.

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    Mike F
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Beautiful dogs, but a nightmare to clean up after with that coat.

    JP Doyle
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I used to joke I could probably collect my husky's shed fur in the springtime and card, spin, and knit a sweater.

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    EmAdoresHerKats🇮🇪🇵🇸🇩🇿
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Every pet is hard work and some more than others. People are so cruel to do that. As much work and expense my pets are i would and could never part with them

    Annie
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Huskies are also very smart, and they love to "visit" which means they will get out of a fenced yard if they get the chance. My Husky used to get into my purse & pull a single stick of gum out of the pack, though he didn't know how to take off the wrapper.

    Thee8thsense
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They are smart! I came home one day to hear my neighbor calling over to me "Excuse me, but I watched Blue today turn on the faucet (outdoors), take a drink, and then shut it off!" He had bowls of water all around, but he preferred from the faucet.

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    Bryn
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is one of the reasons I love tiktok - I know there are certain lifestyles (animals, children, homestead..) that I can't live. So watching videos of people who do live those lifestyles is enough for me.

    NancyandCharlie Miller
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I was owned by a Husky for 9 years, and I've lost count of the number people I "educated" on the realities of owning such a high energy, intelligent, talkative and stubborn breed! People are drawn to their stunning looks, but forget about the responsibility of taking proper care of a working breed.

    Hey!
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same happened somewhere in Ottawa after the 101 Dalmatians movie came out.

    Anne Reid
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I was a park ranger in New York City. Every time a movie came out featuring a dog, that breed would be the most common one we rescued. People would abandon them in parks after the novelty wore off.

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    Agamemnon O'Neill
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Snoopy, Taco Bell chihuahua, Obama's dog, dire wolf, 101 Dalmatians, about the worst thing you can do for a dog breed is make one famous.

    Lee Henderson
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank God I have a collection of leisure based cats.

    Panda Bear
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sadly this is not an uncommon phenomenon. Look at all the people who got blue tangs after finding nemo

    Chantel Cummings
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They aren't full of huskies. They're full of what are labeled as pits and pit mixes even though most are neither.

    lawrence Andrew
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When we decided to get a dogs we did some research and chose low energy non-working dogs. Mostly senior dogs. They mostly nap.

    Amina Wijntje
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And they tend to be extremely vocal.

    Crissy Newbury
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My daughter has a husky mix. She says Never Again.

    JNDauterive
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Next it will be French Bulldogs, dad of the day.

    Joseph Hide
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I see inconsiderate LAZY people.

    Lawpanda
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I hate when people get dogs for that reason. Chihuahuas in the 90s. Taco bell commercials. I read an answer to a woman wanting to teach herself to speak English. Dog trainer explained special effects You get a dog because it's a dog that matches your lifestyle and you want to love a dog. Or cat.

    Sonia Ceacero
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Apart from being stupid, people who do this to such sensitive animals are also cruel.

    Meami
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Husky are incredibly high energy but lovable. They need an experienced dog owner.

    Vicki Perizzolo
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    same thing happened after Bev Hills Chihuahua and 101 Dalmations.

    Lena Flising
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm not a dog person, have never had a dog, and don't want to have a dog. I still know that working breeds NEED to work. A dog is a large, intelligent animal, that will be alive about a decade or more. People HAVE to do some research before they get an animal like this.

    Logicgrrl
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same thing happened with dalmatians after the live action 101 Dalmatians movie. Huge demand, people got them and thought they would be like in the movie, they weren't so dumped them into shelters afterwards.

    Poppy
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It was the same when 101 Dalmations was released

    JK
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This sadly also happened with Dalmatians after the live action remake of 101 Dalmatians

    Melody Shanahan-Kluth
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The film Snow Dogs was the first film responsible for the influx of Huskies and Malamutes in rescue :(

    H G
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Owning a pet should be like adopting a human. Through vigorous demands

    Jonathan Labelle
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    happen everytime a show or movie Is popular with a dog Dalmatian and st bernard comme to mind

    MargyB
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Pomeranians are very cute until they bark all day at the ghosts of dead birds lol

    Ladedah
    Community Member
    1 year ago

    This comment has been deleted.

    Der Kommissar
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Trophy dogs are bought when they are deemed trendy. Sharpeis were a thing for awhile, and more recently French Bulldogs

    Toni Ahlgren
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The same happened with the 101 Dalmatians. Dalmatians aren't good around children...

    Verena Fiori-Jambor
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same with poor owls after Harry Potter, kept in wardrobes

    Jodi
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same thing happened with Dalmatians after 101 Dalmatians

    Karen Bird
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    People are stupid! Them: I'm going to adopt this really high energy breed just because of how it looks. Also them: I want one that looks like this but who doesn't require specialised care.

    Sophie Earle
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They didn't even use Huskies for the show. They used a breed called the Northern Inuit Dog

    John Smith (he/him/xy/️)
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    People suck. I hope they never breed and realize children are even more work.

    G A
    Community Member
    1 year ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    They need to be exercised hard a couple of times a day, not given a gentle walk. They are not in any way bred as pets, they are hyper and can be vicious. Two drunks that rented in the building I live in bought one. That f****r was out of control, bit people, pissed everywhere. We forced the scum and their horrible dog out in the end.

    sturmwesen
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    shame the owner and breeder, not the dog

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    Which of these featured facts blew your mind the most, Pandas? Have you learned something interesting recently that you’d like to share with everyone else? How do you stay curious about the world when you've got so many responsibilities weighing on you? Tell us all about it in the comments. 

    #19

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) 287 years is the longest a library book was overdue. While writing a biography on Colonel Robert Walpole in 1956, Prof. John Plumb returned a history book to the Sidney Sussex College in Cambridge after Walpole had checked it out around the year 1667.

    SeizeOpportunity , Pixabay / Pexels Report

    Lene
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wonder how much the fine was....😬

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    #20

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) Cold temperatures weaken nasal immunity, making us more vulnerable to viruses. A mere 5°C drop in nasal tissue temperature reduces immune response by nearly half.

    textdot_net , Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels Report

    Peter Parker
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So my mum was right? I'll be damned..

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    #21

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) War pigs were used by the Romans because the squeals would scare war elephants into fleeing, and cause them to trample their own armies.

    notwormtongue , Pixabay / Pexels Report

    Luis Hernandez Dauajare
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, those squeals were not by training. The Romans covered the pigs in oil and set them on fire...

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    #22

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) in 1915 tipping was so unpopular that 6 states made it illegal to do so.

    zinky30 , Karolina Grabowska / Pexels Report

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    #23

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) While dogs may not pass the traditional mirror test, they do pass a "smell mirror" test, suggesting they understand the concept of 'self'.

    stan-k , Pixabay / Pexels Report

    Julia Ford
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Elephants pass the mirror test. It’s extremely interesting and also very sad that self-aware and intelligent beings were kept (and some still are) in little zoo enclosures for so long.

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    #24

    In 1992 Annette Herfkens was the sole survivor of a plane crash that included her fiancé & 28 others. Despite having 12 fractures in her hip, 2 in her leg, a broken jaw & a collapsed lung, she survived 8 days in a Vietnamese jungle on rainwater until a local officer came by & got help.

    tyrion2024 Report

    Mike F
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Good Lord, I've had a collapsed lung and it's no picnic by any stretch of the imagination. I can't imagine how miserable she would have been in her condition.

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    #25

    Korean serial killer Kim Sun-ja laced her friend's tea with cyanide, causing her to vomit. She told her friend that she would feel better if she drank more of the beverage, but her friend became suspicious and refused, becoming the only known survivor of 6 poisoning victims from 1986 to 1988.

    admiralturtleship Report

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    #26

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) The directors of Tangled held a “hot man meeting” and had all the women from the studio critique Hollywood men to create the character of Flynn Rider.

    Brendawg324 , Disney Report

    #27

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) The largest unfinished church in the world, the Sagrada Família, began construction in 1886. It is expected to be completed in 2026, nearly 150 years after it began construction.

    LivingRaccoon , böhringer friedrich / Wikipedia Report

    Jerome Lenovo
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Gaudi were really hard to accomplish (plus the periods when work stopped)

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    #28

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) in 1969 Ted Conrad embezzled $215,000 from a bank in Ohio & proceeded to evade capture for the remaining 51 years of his life. He became 'Thomas Randele' & settled in Massachusetts. Described by authorities as a deathbed confession, in 2021 he told his wife & daughter who he was & what he did.

    tyrion2024 , Jason Dent / Unsplash Report

    80 Van
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    $215,000 in 1969 is equivalent to roughly $1.8 million today (in USD).

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    #29

    Squirrels terminal velocity is so low they can fall from any height and survive.

    Aleniaflux Report

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    #30

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) Child voice actors for Bluey are kept secret.

    Defiant-Telephone-96 , abckids Report

    #31

    English scientist Henry Cavendish discovered physical laws like Ohm's, Dalton's, or Charles's law and few others as first but they were not named after him because he didn't publish his notes and didn't tell his fellow scientists, propably due to being asocial and shy.

    amelix34 Report

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    #32

    A mother named Kathleen Folbigg, who was imprisoned for 2 decades for murdering her 4 children. Later, she would be pardoned by the Governor after it was discovered that the deaths were instead due to an extremely rare genetic condition.

    ICEBeats Report

    Marie Clear
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    From Wikipedia: Genetic evidence published in November 2020 showed that at least two of the children had genetic mutations that predisposed them to sudden cardiac death.[33] The researchers concluded that the CALM2 mutation carried by Kathleen and her two girls altered their heart rhythm, predisposing them to sudden unexpected death possibly precipitated by their intercurrent infections (respiratory tract infection in Sarah; myocarditis in Laura) and/or by medications such as Laura's pseudoephedrine.[10] Mutations in CALM2 are observed at a very low frequency, occurring in approximately 1 out of every 35 million individuals. The CALM2 gene encodes a protein that plays a critical role in the regulation of heart rhythm.[34]. . .

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    #33

    2020 study found evidence that arrows fired from medieval longbows could cause injuries similar to modern gunshot wounds. One example is the analysis of a skull that revealed an arrow had left devastating entry and exit wounds that are similar to injuries caused by modern bullets.

    tyrion2024 Report

    River Daski
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    velocity (speed of a bullet) versus weight (sheer mass of an arrow itself); this checks out! ETA: mass!! not volume. XD thank you commenters!

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    #34

    Archaeologists working in a 2,500 y.o. Chinese cemetery unearthed charred incense burners and burnt stones that tested high for cannabinol, which is released when THC is burned. "Unlike many wild varieties, the cannabis smoked at the site [...] was pretty potent stuff."

    admiralturtleship Report

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    #35

    King Cobra is not a cobra. It is the sole species of its genus and happens to look a lot like a cobra.

    bnrshrnkr Report

    Surenu
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The legitimacy of its royal title is hotly debated, too.

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    #36

    LaMarcus Thompson, the father of the American roller coaster, invented the first coasters on Coney Island because he thought the world was too sinful and needed more moral entertainment.

    Just_Want_To_Write Report

    Lavern Defazio
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So I'm guessing he didn't invent the tunnel of love?

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    #37

    Infants under one year old should not be fed honey.

    archroot Report

    River Daski
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    this is because there is natural botulism in honey; it's not enough to make older people sick, but it's enough to overwhelm a baby's still-strengthening immune system

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    #38

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) creator of Wonder Woman was in a thruple that involved his first wife and his student. They were heavily into bondage which inspired early iterations of the super heroine. Thruple lasted 22 years all the way to his death

    HauntingArtichoke830 , Mark Anderson / FLickr Report

    glowworm2
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He only had one wife. “First” wife makes it sound like he divorced her later and married someone else which did not happen. After his death, the two women, Olive Byrne and Elizabeth Holloway Marston, continued to live together as a couple until Olive’s death in 1990 at age 86. Elizabeth died 3 years later at the age of 100.

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    #39

    Mocha Dick (the real life inspiration for Moby Dick) was ki***d in 1838 after appearing to come to the aid of a distrought cow whose calf was just slaughtered by whalers. He was known to be friendly until attacked, he survived 100 skirmishes before being slain.

    Runswithtoast Report

    #40

    many English words and phrases are loaned from Chinese merchants interacting with British sailors like "chop chop," "long time no see," "no pain no gain," "no can do," and "look see"

    chompotron Report

    G A
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Pidgin rather than pigeon, English. Very different to real English and a language in its own right across much of Asia.

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    #41

    in 1988 a U.S. Marine was abandoned and died in the Mojave Desert. Search only started when his weapon wasn't returned.

    new22003 Report

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    #42

    The final words of Terry Kath, founding guitarist for rock band Chicago, before dying from an accidental self inflicted gunshot wound were “What do you think I'm gonna do? Blow my brains out?"

    EndlessTrashposter Report

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    #43

    Babe Ruth constantly cheated on his wives during his baseball career. A detective that the New York Yankees hired to follow him one night in Chicago reported that Ruth had been with six women. Another player said that he was not Ruth's roommate while traveling; "I room with his suitcase".

    TMWNN Report

    #44

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) TIL the worst skydiving accident in US history took place over Lake Erie and resulted in 16 fatalities. Due to miscommunications, the skydivers jumped out over water rather than land, and subsequently drowned.

    EveryDollarVotes , Xuân Thống Trần / Pexels Report

    Skid Marks
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unless it was cloudy.... you would think you could see that there was water below.

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    #45

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) The temperature on the moon at the Apollo 11 landing site was 200ºF (93ºC).

    linear_majority , NASA Image and Video Library Report

    The Original Bruno
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    OK, so this is probably true, but misleading. Temperature is a measure of how much vibrational energy is stored in molecules: the higher the temperature, the more vibration PER MOLECULE [times the mass of the molecule]. The lower the air pressure, the less heat it takes to raise the temperature. This is why at a certain altiitude, the "temperature" of the atmosphere begins to rise like crazy.... the same amount of heat is spread over far fewer molecules. On the surface of the moon, the surface itself may be quite hot because it's directly in the sun without shedding heat only by re-radiation, not by convection. But with extremely little air (not actually quite exactly zero, the sun provides some molecules), you aren't being warmed at all when you're in shadow (except through the bottom of your boots).

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    #46

    Spelling Bees (competitions where competitors must correctly spell words until one is left standing) don't really exist outside of English, and within English, they're pretty much only an American thing.

    skrt_skrt666 Report

    Stardust she/her
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They’re also there in India. I was able to get through till state level but unfortunately my exams were on the same day as the competition

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    #47

    In 1671 a man attempted to steal the Crown Jewels, and when he was caught he was brought before King Charles II, who found him so amusing that not only did her pardon the man, but he also ended up giving him massive lands in Ireland and a pension of £500 a year (£92,000 today).

    volitaiee1233 Report

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    #48

    Super Bowl XXXIV (34) is known as the "Dot-Com Super Bowl" because it featured 14 ads from 14 different dot-com companies, each paying an average of $2.2 million per spot. Of these companies, four are still active, five were bought by other companies, and the remaining five are defunct.

    Majoodeh Report

    General Anaesthesia
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A little more context: Superbowl 34 was played on January 30, 2000. The stock market "dotcom bubble" burst in March, 2000. Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot-com_bubble

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    #49

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) That Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Tom Hanks have colonoscopy parties together.

    JackNotName , Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels Report

    glowworm2
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That’s one party I never want to attend.

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    #50

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) in 1944 the CIA created a manual on sabotaging organizations. Among other things, it suggests to "make speeches... at great length", "refer all matters to committees", "make committees as large as possible", "insist on perfect work in relatively unimportant products"

    SpaceWorldly5853 , Markus Winkler / Pexels Report

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    #51

    Sam White, a Virginia Civil War collector, was killed in 2008 when a 140 year old high explosive cannonball he was restoring detonated in his driveway. The explosion was powerful enough to send chunks of shrapnel up to 1/4 mile away. There were 18 more cannonballs in his driveway at the time.

    Chemical-Elk-1299 Report

    #52

    One of the biggest bottlenecks in road work is soil compaction. Soil can’t effectively be compacted more than around a foot (30 cm) at a time. Any road work that affects the soil foundation can take months because of this.

    UndyingCorn Report

    Verena
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is why "pre-compaction" is used, whenever possible. Heavy soil is stored for several months, sometimes years, where roads are to be constructed. The soil is then used to create other elements, like sound protection.

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    #53

    In 1993, James Scott purposely damaged a levee and caused a massive flood of the Mississippi River only to stall his wife from coming home so that he could party.

    burgerissues Report

    Stryker Tyger
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Took my Chevy to the levee but the levee was diverted by an a*****e

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    #54

    Not only does Elmo the muppet have a father, but he's also a soldier who served in Iraq.

    Doctor-Amazing Report

    #55

    While the Confederacy used the strongest cipher available during the Civil War, the Vigenère cipher, the Union consistently cracked it. This was because the Confederates only ever used three key phrases: "Manchester Bluff", "Complete Victory" and, as the war came to a close, "Come Retribution".

    UndyingCorn Report

    Mark
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is like the British breaking the enigma code because the Germans added 'heil Hitler' as a sign-off on every message

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    #56

    There’s a Criminal Defense of Necessity, where the defendant argues the crime was necessary to commit a greater harm from happening.

    sonofabutch Report

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    #57

    There is a roadside attraction in Plains, Georgia called the Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue. It depicts a large peanut with a big smile (modeled after Carter’s), and was built in 1976 to support his presidential election. Jimmy Carter himself hates it.

    cannibalism_is_vegan Report

    G A
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Billy probably endorsed it for a crate of suds...

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    #58

    Warren Buffett's (6th richest person in the world) son thought that his dad's job was checking security alarm systems; as a kid, had no idea what his dad did for a living and no clue that his dad was really, really rich

    NoDontClickOnThat Report

    Freya the Wanderer
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Probably a good thing to do - prevent the lad from growing up spoiled and entitled.

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    #59

    Mike Tyson went bankrupt in 2003. Despite having earned $400 million from boxing, examples of reckless spending included $6.3 million on luxury cars and $580K on his 30th birthday party. He has improved his financial situation and now receives $900K/month from his cannabis company, however.

    TMWNN Report

    David
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "I was gonna go bankrupt... but then I got high..."

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    #60

    Nobel Prize winning physicist Gerard 't Hooft had an asteroid named after him, he wrote a constitution for it's future inhabitants including articles that forbid use of imperial measurement units, outlaw the use of apostrophes, and limit the length of tax forms to one page.

    austacious Report

    #61

    in 2003 rapper Pusha T wrote the McDonald’s Jingle “I’m lovin’ it” but doesn’t own publishing rights for it. Learning from this mistake, he owns 40% from the next jingle he wrote: Arby's “we have the meats”.

    woolsprout Report

    Marie BellaDonna
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I work at McDonald's. I like to sing it as "Ba-da-ba-ba-ba, I'm over it!". Lol

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    #62

    ‘Today I Learned’: 50 People Share Fascinating Things They Didn't Learn At School (New Pics) That following the solar eclipse of August 11 1999, the BMJ reported only 14 cases of eye damage from improper viewing of the eclipse, a number lower than initially feared. In one of the most serious cases the patient had looked at the Sun without eye protection for 20 minutes.

    appalachian_hatachi , Luc Viatour / Wikipedia Report

    Sarah McManus
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sadly, we are yet to find a vaccine to cure stupid...

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    #63

    According to the International Olympic Committee, gold and silver medals are required to be at least 92.5% silver. The gold in gold medals is in the plating outside and consist of at least 6 grams of pure gold. Silver medals are made of pure silver, while bronze medals are 95% copper and 5% zinc.

    Majorpain2006 Report

    #64

    Police Academy franchise has produced not one, not two, but four movies with a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The final film, Mission to Moscow, only earned $126,247 against a $10 million budget.

    ATSTlover Report

    David
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm not sure I knew there were four of them but it is surprising to me anyone would greenlight four.

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    #65

    Ari Nagel aka "The Sperminator" has fathered over 100 children. He turns down no woman and doesn't charge for his services, although he pays child support for several of them. Three documentaries, including The Baby Daddy (2022) and Spermworld (2024), have featured his contributions.

    Torley_ Report

    G A
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He is like Piers Morgan. A wanker for a living.

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    #66

    There is a high school in China where students study from 6.20am to 11pm to prepare for college admission exam (gaokao).

    loneranger_26 Report

    Mark
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Maybe teach them good study habits and catch them up on modern neuroscience? You can't cram all that information

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    #67

    Jevons paradox, which states that increasing efficiency in resource usage causes higher demand - sometimes *increasing* usage instead of reducing it.

    JOWWLLL Report

    River Daski
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    see: when freeways have lanes added and they just congest worse than they were before

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    #68

    Arlington, TX is the largest city in the US without public transport. Despite having 390k population and major stadiums, it have no single bus or rail line.

    BadenBaden1981 Report

    Robert Trebor
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Basically true, but the Wikipedia article does show this: Arlington also offers Via Arlington, a public, on-demand, shared transportation service in partnership with the TransitTech company Via, which began in December 2017. Riders can request a pickup from a six-passenger van within a designated service area, which covers key destinations within Arlington as well as connecting to the Trinity Railway Express CentrePort Station. Beginning January 19, 2021, this service was expanded citywide. Arlington also partners with Via and autonomous vehicles provider May Mobility to operate Arlington RAPID, which provides on-demand autonomous vehicle rides in Downtown Arlington and on the University of Texas at Arlington's campus and is one of the first services of its kind in the United States.

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    #69

    "Borderline personality disorder" was named to describe patients who seemed on the borderline of psychosis.

    koibito4u Report

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    #70

    That John Quincy Adams partially blinded himself looking directly at an eclipse in 1791

    naberz09 Report

    David
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So we have had at least two US presidents who stared at a solar eclipse without proper eye protection?

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    #71

    At the Japanese Setsubun festival, everyone throws roasted soybeans to drive away evil spirits. The only exception are people/families named Watanabe.

    080087 Report

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    #72

    San Antonio's Riverwalk is drained every two years and popular items found at the bottom of the river include cellphones, laptops, and scooters, in addition to chairs, lights and even a stroller.

    ubcstaffer123 Report

    #73

    Thousands of "low head dams" (aka "killer dams" or "drowning machines") were built on US waterways in 1800s, are nearly invisible from upstream, have killed hundreds of people, often serve no modern purpose, and for all that, are largely unregulated.

    DramaGuy23 Report

    martin734
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We have many of these in the UK too but we call them Weirs. Here they have to be clearly signposted but they still kill a few people every year.

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    #74

    85,200 Swiss women lost their citizenships between 1848-1952 when marrying foreigners due to the "marriage rule".

    BezugssystemCH1903 Report

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    #75

    Starting in 2001, Dell Glover became the "world's leading leaker of pre-release music." He worked at a Universal CD pressing plant & was a member of a file-sharing group called Rabid Neurosis. Over an 11-year period, Rabid Neurosis was responsible for leaking over 20,000 albums.

    tyrion2024 Report

    #76

    USA has 4 of the world’s top 5 air forces- each branch of the military individually ranks in the global top 5.

    Odd_Bobcat_1354 Report

    #77

    Allais Effect refers to the allegedly unexpected behavior of pendulums which is observed to occur only during a solar eclipse.

    bnrshrnkr Report

    Marie Clear
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    LOL, ok flat earther. They've never been able to reproduce this "effect" in a controlled experiment. It's supposedly observed during a solar eclipse to "prove" the earth is not in motion. Any examples of this odd motion is most likely caused by mistakes made by the experimenters. So, everyone who believes there are literally 4 pillars holding up the stationary earth like a big blue pancake, get out your pendulums and sit tight for the next total eclipse! See you in a while!

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