Educational reformer John Holt once wrote that, “Children learn from anything and everything they see. They learn wherever they are, not just in special learning places.” But sadly, many of us lose this child-like curiosity as we get older. We finish school or university and seem to forget that there is infinite information out in the world just waiting to be discovered, researched and shared with others!
So today, we hope you’re in the mood to channel your inner child and learn something new. That’s right, pandas, we’ve gathered another list of fascinating facts from the Today I Learned subreddit down below, so once you're finished reading, you can feel proud of yourself for learning something new. Be sure to upvote the tidbits of information you plan to pass along to a friend or family member later today, and feel free to share any more fun facts that you’ve recently learned in the comments section. Then, if your brain is hungry for even more knowledge, you can check out some of Bored Panda’s previous Today I Learned articles right here, here and here!
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TIL cats were a common wedding gift among Vikings due to their association with the goddess of luck, Freyja. Men favored women who loved cats, believing that it increased the likelihood of a happy marriage.
In my experience, a person who loves animals does make for a better partner...
TIL Steve Jobs responded to an autograph request with a signed letter stating he doesn't write autographs.
TIL Ancient Greece wasn't full of pure white marble everything. The statues and ruins we see today were actually painted in all kinds of vivid colors that were just stripped bare back to their original white marble by time.
The past was far more colorful than we think. I'm reminded of a joke from a Marx Bros. movie about a red dress. "But technicolor is sooooo expensive..."
As we all know, there are a wide variety of things we can do to take care of ourselves. Eat a diet rich with fruits and vegetables to make sure you get all of your nutrients in. Exercise daily to get those endorphins pumping and to build your strength. Spend time outdoors to connect with nature and breathe in some fresh air. Journal frequently to sort through your thoughts and feelings, and maintain relationships with loved ones to have a community and support system you can rely on. And never stop learning to keep your brain active.
Depending on what you do for a living and how you spend your days, you might not learn something new every single day without trying. But why shouldn’t you? A fun fact a day gives you one more thing to start conversation about with friends or family members, and constantly learning keeps our lives from becoming mundane and predictable. That’s why we love the Today I Learned subreddit here at Bored Panda. This community with over 29 million members can teach you more about millions of things you never even knew you wanted to learn about. So strap in, and enjoy this list! These small, digestible bits of information might even inspire you to further research a huge range of topics that you never even knew would captivate you.
TIL that the first recorded labour strike took place in Ancient Egypt, in 1170 BCE, by tomb workers. After the grain supply was repeatedly late, workers stopped working and demanded prompt pay. Because it was the first of its kind, management did not know how to react, and largely caved to demands.
TIL of Hatuey, a Taíno chieftain who, while tied to the stake by Spaniards and waiting to be burned alive, chose not to convert to Christianity in order to avoid meeting his Spanish oppressors in heaven.
TIL that Japan is working on wooden satellites that can cleanly burn up without leaving debris when they re-enter the atmosphere.
Sounds good, but how do they manage to protect the satellites against extreme heat, extreme cold and radiation without using metals?
It’s no secret that being a lifelong learner can be beneficial to various aspects of your life. So to gain some insight on why a commitment to learning is so great and how to keep up a healthy appetite for knowledge, we consulted an article that Madeline Buiano wrote for MarthaStewart.com. Madeline spoke to wellness coach, co-founder of Modern Nirvana Conference, and co-author of the Modern Nirvana Oracle Deck, Frank Elaridi, to hear why it’s so important to exercise the mind.
"Learning something new helps build new brain cells and can strengthen connections between the cells," Elaridi says. It’s a great way to keep our brains sharp and improve our concentration, memory, problem solving and lower our chances of developing dementia in the future. “We don't want our brains to become lazy, because a lazy brain can often have trouble recalling words and ideas,” Elaridi explains.
TIL that the popular belief in the United States that Daylight Savings Time was enacted FOR the benefit of farmers is wrong; farmers were actually some of the strongest opponents of its implementation.
TIL during his bachelor's degree, Robert Andrews Millikan was asked to teach elementary physics course although he was studying classics. He accepts the offer, studies a physics book during a summer vacation and after 34 years he wins the Nobel Prize for Physics.
People like this make me feel humble. I remember reading that Sir Isaac Newton was working on a physics theory, and did not have the proper mathematical framework to express it, so he invented calculus. He didn't bother to mention it to anyone until about 20 years later.
TIL in 1989, many major airlines showed edited versions of the film Rain Man, omitting a scene involving a character's refusal to fly (while mentioning several prominent airliner crashes). However, the scene was shown intact on Qantas—the only airline mentioned as having planes that "never crashed."
According to Alexis Haselberger, productivity expert and creator of Alexis Haselberger Coaching and Consulting, Inc., learning new information also fulfills an innate desire that humans have. “Humans crave novelty and growth. Learning something new daily allows you to meet those needs,” she told MarthaStewart.com. When fed, this hunger for learning can help us increase our overall sense of well being, as we feel more competent and confident when we acquire new information. It’s exciting and exhilarating to learn new things. So if you’re in a slump and feeling a bit aimless, start by taking small steps like reading a new book or listening to an informative podcast. Learning about something new will get your brain stimulated, your creativity juices flowing and will likely give you the desire to be more social, as you'll want to share your new knowledge with others.
TIL that potato plants are poisonous. The part that we eat is the only edible part of the whole plant. It's also a member of the nightshade family.
TIL that mushrooms are more closely related to humans than to plants.
TIL that in 1518, in the small French town of Strasbourg, a young woman named Frau Troffea started dancing uncontrollably in the street. Her dancing continued for days & on the 3rd day, her shoes were soaked with blood. She attracted 30+ people to join her, which catalyzed the Dancing Plague of 1518.
Fact check: it totally checks out! Interesting!! 2020 dance pandemic would have been better.
While it’s great to learn anything and everything we can, you’re not likely to find all topics equally interesting. For example, I can watch countless hours of documentaries about true crime events, serial killers, animal agriculture, climate change and interviews with convicted felons. But if you sit me down and ask me to watch a one-hour special on archeology, I’ll likely be asleep in the first 15 minutes. Frank Elaridi recommends that we all find topics we’re actually interested in to commit time to learning about, to ensure we’re not feeling bored or losing motivation. If we view learning as an obligation or a chore, we’re not likely to get too far. But when we find subjects that “light us up”, as Frank says, it’s amazing how much our brains can retain.
TIL that when a massive star goes supernova, it produces a flash of light so bright that can equal the combined light of every other star in the galaxy. One such event happened in 1054, it was so bright the light was visible during the day for a month and was still visible for 2 years afterwards.
TIL British Airways Flight 9 flew through a cloud of volcanic ash causing all four engines to stop. Captain Eric Moody told the passengers that, “We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are all doing our damnedest to get them going again. I trust you are not in too much distress.”
TIL About 7000 years ago, bananas were not the seedless, fleshy fruits we know today. The flesh was pitted with black seeds and nearly inedible.
Wonder if cherimoyas are related? They always taste banana-y to me and the seeds look similar
If you’re looking to add some more learning into your daily routine, Elaridi also notes that it can be helpful to determine your preferred learning style. "Some people enjoy reading while others, like myself, learn best from experience," he explains. He also recommends trying various methods, such as listening to podcasts, reading books, watching videos, etc. to determine what you enjoy the most. “When one starts to feel monotonous, switch it up for a day then go back to your preferred method.” You can also switch up which method you choose based on the subject you’re learning about. For example, if you want to learn how to play an instrument, watching videos can only help you so much. You will need to have tangible practice if you ever want to play a song.
TIL we've had electric cars since the late 1800s. Some early electric cars could go as fast as 25mph and lasted 50 miles without needing a recharge.
Such a shame we didn't go down the route of perfecting electric vehicles back then instead of throwing everything into oil. Imagine what electric cars would be like now...
TIL 27% of Americans 18 and older have cut off contact with a family member.
My grandfather went full MAGA. The whole family had to cut him off. He passed sad and alone.
Another reason to wish He-Who-Can't-Be-Shamed a first class ticket to the very bad place.
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I was hunted by my mother when I disappeared from her abusive clutches. I vanished in the middle of the night two weeks after my 18th birthday because she had me pulled out of school for a year and a half, took the door away from my bedroom, took away all of my books and music, took away all of my note and sketch books, and forbid me from seeing or talking to my friends. Whenever she left the house, she took me with. She screwed my bedroom window shut. (Great idea in the event of a fire.) Why? Because I didn't love her enough. I was a good kid. I didn't drink or do drugs; I wasn't having sex; I had decent grades (until she locked me up)... I distinctly recall her demanding me to punch her in the face if it would make me feel better, and I refused and tried to leave so she put me in a chokehold... So I bit her hard and ran like Hell outside and climbed a tree to evade her because she was going to kill me but was too drunk to climb. Not sad to sever a toxic and abusive relationship.
I'm so sorry that this happened to you! Great job getting out 💜 Wish you all the best...
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I'm not sure they do. Their viewpoint gets lots of media reinforcement.
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And, as learned above, one of those close members might have been a mushroom.
When MAGA politics met Christian conspiracies, that was it for me.
Same. Haven't spoken to my mom or her entire family in 4 years.
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It is extremely hard and incredibly brave to cut family members out of your life. How long is one expected to be lied to, lied about, stabbed in the back, stolen from...It has to end somewhere so that your life can be lived. We can't pick our Family~Please pick your friends well.
I cut off all contact with my whole family for two years, twice. Edit for context: there was a lot of abuse growing up. When I got old enough I moved out. Cutting ties took a little longer. Most of my family ignores that the abuse ever happened and doesn’t talk about it. I’d rather we talk about it, work it out, and heal. So when I got sick of them denying we we’re all abused heavily I dropped off the radar. Over time I matured and learned to stop holding it against them, though I still 100% believe we should sit down and work it out.
I'm part of that 27%. Family drama. Sorry mom, aunt, I have a life of my own now. The only time they called is when they needed something. I called and made contact many times. After the greeting, they were always...what do you need or want? Well I'm sorry for calling and see how yall were doing...
My mom is convinced my cousin "cancelled" her. I have to repeatedly tell her that unfriending someone on FB is not "cancelling." Plus, my mom hates my cousin and has complained about her my whole life, and she would fight my cousin under her FB posts on her page. My cousin did my mom a favor, imo.
If that's a recent study, then I will suggest that the problem is political differences and/or bonkers beliefs in lizard people.
Qanon and MAGA is why I haven't spoken to my mom or her family for 4 years.
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Initially that’s pretty sad….but really it’s very healthy and brave to cut off contact with a toxic family member.
Not if the family member is a class A beyotch more interested in their personal fantasies instead of truth. Or they find joy in seducing a sibling's spouse.
If you wouldn't be friends with them otherwise, I see nothing wrong with this
Perhaps it's not as many families as you think. If one ostracized person has two siblings and two parents, that's five people that have cut off contact with a family member.
A shame your grandfather died sad and alone because his beliefs didn't match yours. Makes the rest of the family reather closed minded don't you think???
Yep. We are not in contact with my husband's family. A terribly toxic crew.
Wellp, my mental health, emotional wellbeing, and psychological security comes before any sense of obligation to feed into my parents’ unhealthy attachment style and their staunch refusal to address their soul-crushing toxic behaviors. So, yup. Snippy snip snip, with a smile, a refreshing deep breath, and no regrets.
I had to cut off my Mom. When I was younger she would ask me for money. Mom is an enabler. The money I sent her went to the addicts in our family. My mom kills people. I don't get it. I will never get it.
My sister cut me off in 2004, vowing never to speak to me again. She died recently, I was asked if I wanted to speak to her one last time, I said "No". Who was I to deny her her last wish?
I'm a member of this group. Whole side of my dads family. My brother and I are the "black sheep"; he and I both went to college and graduated (I graduated first, then he he did). We both own our own homes, have great families, great jobs (I'm in the medical field and he's a sheriffs deputy). I had kids first, so my sons are in college (first of the grandkids to go to college, too). My nephews have quite a few years left of primary school. I still don't know why they didn't want us. We tried to do everything "right", but still, we weren't accepted. So, I left our home state first, then my brother did. Now, I live only 20 min from him and my mother moved near us as well. It's their loss. At least, that's what I tell myself and my sons. I'm so happy that my ex husband is a fantastic father and his dad is an amazing grandfather.
I'm 34 and no longer talk to my horrible horrible family!!!😠😠😠 assholes
I'm honestly surprised this number isn't higher but I'm one of the 27% so maybe I have a skewed perception.
Not American but I've cut contact with my half sister. If we happen to be in the same place at the same time we both pretend the other isn't there. Strangely doesn't stop me interacting with her kid and she with mine. Oh well.
well, just because they are "family" doesn't mean they are the right people for you.
All this happened in the town of South Park. You a monster, your family are bad people. Trump would've never abandoned a grandfather for going full woke or trans. You nasty
Yup I have a cousin who had 7 kids by the age of 30. She lost custody of her oldest to my mother because she was homeless and pregnant. My mom took amazing care of that boy and when he turned 16 he decided to run away because he was tired of my mom and stepdads rules. He went back to his mother. About 6 months later she met a guy on the internet and took off to go live in Alabama (we live in Ohio). The problem is she only took her youngest 5 kids with her. She abandoned the two oldest who are 17 and 16. The oldest is in juvenile detention until he's 18 and the 16 year old lives with his friend. She's been hitting up everyone in the family for money because she wants a car. We are all done with her selfish antics.
I have always wondered what prompts anyone to make these studies... and who pays for them? I'm not saying they're not interesting, it's just there are so many different fields and subjects to study.
Yup. Cut off 2 cousins and their spouse/children. They decided not to come to my sister's wedding because it was child-free. Even though we went to so many of their events, they never came to ours and decided not to give my sister an explanation or text/call about it. you only have 3 cousins. from not going to 1, you have gotten yourself uninvited to the other 2 (:
It's a good idea in certain substances, but family can help in others. Very depending on circumstances tho.
TIL about Shizo Kanakuri, a Japanese marathon runner. During the 1912 Olympics, he disappeared during the marathon race (he pulled out midway and silently returned to Japan). In 1967, he was offered the opportunity to complete his run. He accepted and completed it with a time of 54y8m6d5h32'20".
If you just don’t feel like there’s enough time in the day to learn something new, don’t fret. It can be overwhelming to try to add a new skill or hobby onto your 40-hour work week when you still want to have a social life, get a healthy amount of sleep, and exercise. But don’t underestimate how often you can multitask. If you’re doing chores like doing laundry, mopping, cooking or washing dishes, you can always have a podcast, Ted Talk or a language course playing in the background. When you drive to work, you can listen to audiobooks. This can teach your brain how much fun learning can be too, as you won’t associate it with sitting at a desk, but rather with hiking, running on the treadmill, taking a bike ride or any other activity you like.
TIL A 50yr old inmate named James Washington confessed to murdering a Nashville woman 17 yrs ago while on his deathbed, presumably thinking he was about to die. He ended up surviving & was convicted for his confession, which he later tried to recant.
TIL that Alan Turing, the mathematician renowned for his contributions to computer science and codebreaking, converted his savings into silver during WW2 and buried it, fearing German invasion. However, he was unable to break his own code describing where it was hidden, and never recovered it.
He was also gay and was forced to undergo "chemical castration" because at the time homosexuality was illegal in Britain. This man is the father of modern computer theory and they abused him until he took his own life because he was gay. None of this (points to the entire internet) would be possible without Alan Turing.
TIL a Dunkin' Donuts marketing campaign in South Korea released coffee aromas while their commercials played on buses and increased sales by 29%.
Have you learned something new today already? We sure hope you’re enjoying this list and that you’ll sound like a wealth of information when you go chat with your friends and family members later today. Keep upvoting the fun facts you think all of your fellow pandas would appreciate learning, and feel free to share some more fun facts in the comments section! We’re never too old, or too intelligent, to learn a few new things, so let’s share our knowledge! After all, the more we understand about the world and each other, the greater we will be able to care for one another.
TIL China has just one timezone (Beijing time) that covers the whole country. In the westernmost provinces, the sun may not rise until 10am or set until midnight. The border with Afghanistan is the greatest border time change in the world.
TIL some triathletes pee while riding their bike to minimize wasted time.
Just like Batman expelled oil behind the Batmobile to shake off those chasing him ... if you have a big enough bladder you could shake off your competitors
TIL about millionaire Wellington Burt, who died in 1919 and deliberately held back his enormous fortune. His will denied any inheritance until 21 years after the death of his last surviving grandchild. The money sat in a trust for 92 years, until 12 descendants finally shared $110 million in 2011.
TIL when Stalin mispronounced a word while giving a speech, all subsequent speakers felt obliged to repeat the mistaken pronunciation in order to avoid the perception that they were correcting him.
Fun trivia: After Stalin gave a speech, people would keep applauding for many minutes (sometimes up to 10), simply because everyone was afraid to be the first to stop clapping (drawing Stalin's attention to yourself could be very bad for your health!). They eventually had to install electric bells to signal people when to stop applauding.
TIL newborn babies shouldn’t drink plain water because it can lead to brain swelling and even death.
Yes, very dangerous if people are forced to save forumla by adding water, caused many deaths in poor countries whem Nestle tricks them to start, milk vanish, free sample formula runs out have to buy expensive formula. Nestle are killers.
TIL about William Sitgreaves Cox a junior officer aboard the USS Chesapeake who was court martialed for leaving his command when he assisted his wounded captain below decks. Since all other senior officers were wounded, he had become the commanding officer by default, unbeknownst to him.
That is fascinating...just read his Wikipedia page. Glad he was discharged and not shot!
TIL Brad Pitt, while starring as Achilles in the movie Troy, ruptured his Achilles tendon on set.
TIL that the state of Massachusetts tried to nullify the Vietnam War by passing a law that its citizens could not be conscripted in an undeclared war. The Supreme Court declined to hear their case.
TIL that 81% of people say that email is still their primary form of communication at work.
TIL since 1850, more than 5,000 people have gone over Niagara Falls, either intentionally (as stunts or suicide attempts) or accidentally but only 17 are known to have survived.
TIL no child has been harmed or ki***d by poisoned or dangerous Halloween candy.
TIL that in 1996 a 7-year-old Californian girl tried to fly an airplane across the US and crashed in a thunderstorm, killing her. This resulted in a law banning children from flying.
TIL That the most famous pirate in history: Blackbeard, was only active for 2 years. 1716-1718.
It's almost like a life of crime and piracy in the 18th century isn't very healthy.
TIL that after his legendary Motown Awards performance, in which he moonwalked for the first time and launched his career into mega-stardom, Michael Jackson was so disappointed in his performance that he went backstage and cried.
TIL, 14-year-old Caleb Rebh accidentally choked himself to death while working as a scare actor after he had tied a noose around his neck to appear more scarier. While Caleb was struggling to untie the rope from his neck, no one helped him because they thought he was acting.
TIL that the mortality rate of BBL's (Brazillian Butt Lifts) is 10 to 20 times higher than the average cosmetic procedure, and it has the highest death rate of any cosmetic procedure.
I have thought that applying lead or radium face paint would be up there. or are they just talking about surgery
TIL that most non-human primate infants actively use their hands to help themselves out of the birth canal. Human infants do not, but their grip strength is much higher during the hours immediately after they are born.
Uh oh this one is mildly disturbing. Imagine your baby crawling outside...
TIL A study in the UK found that the number of CEOs of top companies with red hair was four times higher than the percentage of persons with red hair in the general population.
TIL Eric Clapton grew up thinking his mother was his sister, his grandmother was his mother, and his step-grandfather was his father.
Note: this post originally had 54 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
I have to say that the TIL posts are one of my favourites. I wish someone would do a good news post, Lord knows we need it.
I'm glad to hear there's two of us that think that way!
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TIL that I am an ABSOLUTE GENIUS because I keep solving all of the 'Internet IQ tests' in under 9-11 seconds!! YAY FOR ME!!!
I have to say that the TIL posts are one of my favourites. I wish someone would do a good news post, Lord knows we need it.
I'm glad to hear there's two of us that think that way!
Load More Replies... TIL that I am an ABSOLUTE GENIUS because I keep solving all of the 'Internet IQ tests' in under 9-11 seconds!! YAY FOR ME!!!
