There are hundreds of thousands of thoughts running through our minds every single minute. In such a busy world that we live in, we’re bombarded with information, whether from media or other people that we have to process somehow. And this is one hell of a task to do, yet it never ends.
So let’s all put a pause on whatever it is that our pacing minds and bodies are thinking and doing and sit back to enjoy the moment. While devouring so much content, voluntarily or not, we often forget to reflect on the things we see, read and hear.
This time we’re going to do just the opposite with our monthly collection of “Today I Learned” posts that spark the joys of curiosity and learning. Scroll down, upvote your favorite posts and let this break last longer with more TIL posts that we have prepared for you, here, here, and here.
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TIL Norway sends The UK a christmas tree every year to thank UK for saving Norway in WW2
TIL in the early 90s LL Cool J shared with his grandma that he couldn't survive as a rapper now that gangsta rap was popular. His grandma responded, "Oh baby, just knock them out!" which inspired him to write 'Mama Said Knock You Out' a grammy award winning certified platnum single.
TIL that the Magic Eraser has no chemical solvents in it. Instead it is a special foam with super sharp microscopic edges that basically scrapes off dirt.
Aye, it's effectively a soft sanding pad. They rub off paint and smear it.
With so much information bombarding us every day, it may be challenging to separate valuable information from things that do nothing but waste our time. So Bored Panda reached out to Alex Wong, the “Hijack” Copywriter, who has been on a mission to help small and corporate businesses “hijack” their clients’ minds and help them to grow their businesses and sales.
"When it comes to learning something new, I always try to stick with reputable sources. Well-respected sites, books, journals, and academic papers are better than blogs or sites focused on getting the most attention and clicks," Wong said.
He added that if he's not sure, he always asks others who are more familiar with the topic what they recommend. "Reddit and Quora are great resources to get feedback on a wide variety of topics," Wong added.
TIL Flowers exposed to the playback sound of a flying bee produce sweeter nectar within 3 minutes, with sugar concentration averaging 20% higher.
TIL that the "Perfect Aryan" poster child that was widely used in Nazi propaganda was actually Jewish. The photo was selected from a Nazi-held contest, where the photographer of the baby had submitted the photo as an ironic joke.
TIL The founder of Sony hired an outspoken critic of their products so they could make better products. 20 years later, he became the president of Sony.
It's no secret that when it comes to learning new things, many people don't know where to start or try to find excuses not to. Wong, however, believes that he's built differently than most people since he doesn't lack motivation.
"For me, once I found out that learning something is beneficial, even if I may not want to do it initially, I will still find a way to do it. For example, I’m currently learning how to run FB ads to market a book I published. Even though it would have been easier to hire someone to do it, I figured it would be beneficial for me to learn about the platform and how they work. That way, I will be able to run ads for any products in the future," he explained.
Wong argues that in the end, it all comes down to finding your "why". "Once you find a strong enough reason to do something, the next step is figuring out 'how' to do it. Most people don't want to put in the hard work to learn something new but still want the results," Wong concluded.
TIL that in 1845 79 people died in a bridge collapse that happened because a large crowd had gathered to watch a clown in a bathtub be pulled up a river by four geese.
TIL that Supai, AZ is the most remote community in the contiguous US. It is 8 miles from the nearest road and is only accessible by foot, mule, or helicopter. It is the only place in the United States where mail is still carried in and out by mules.
It's a tribal community Inside the Grand Canyon. They don't want a road, because they would be drastically over-run with tourists. Also, people who are willing to hike 8 miles are far quieter than hundreds of vehicles.
TIL in 1982, Byron Peiss wrote a book called the Secret. In it, there are clues to 12 treasure boxes hidden in various places all around the US and Canada. As of 2022, only 3 of the 12 boxes have ever been found. If a box is discovered, you can exchange it for bragging rights and a precious gem
Previously, we also spoke with Helen Marlo, a licensed clinical psychologist and Jungian psychoanalyst who provides psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, and consultation about how we can all become better at learning new things every day.
According to Marlo, “it helps to understand what messages we have internalized about curiosity as well as the responses received from others when we express curiosity.”
“For example, many internalize that being curious means they “do not know something” or are not intelligent. That inhibits curiosity and its negative effects are compounded because it limits further learning,” the professor explained.
TIL Ladybugs are extremely promiscuous, and as a result have rampant STD'S
I'm going to be thinking about this all day now.... A row of ladybirds lined up outside the clinic, not looking eachother in the face
TIL that the disability with the highest unemployment rate is actually schizophrenia, at 70-90%
TIL there's an unexplained global effect called "The Hum" only heard by about 2-4% of the world's population. The phenomenon was recorded as early as the 1970s, and its possible causes range from industrial environments, to neurological reasons, to tinnitus, to fish.
Research suggests that “individuals who feel secure in relationships are more likely to feel and express curiosity including feeling free and confident to explore others’ viewpoints; pursue a new hobby, or learn a new subject area,” Marlo noted.
Among many new things we can learn every day, language is one of the most beneficial ones. She explained that learning a new language has many benefits including improving cultural awareness and increasing empathy.
There has been an argument that learning languages have the ability to prevent diseases like dementia, but Helen warns that data on that is still unclear. “However, very generally speaking, there is a “use it or lose it” principle when it comes to our brain health. We are less likely to “lose it” when we “use it."
TIL A 2017 study found that the introduction of iodized salt in 1924 raised the IQ for the one-quarter of the population most deficient in iodine.
In France, in those days, there was a slur which said 'crétin des Alpes', basically mountain (Alps) idiot, because of the intellectual deficiency due to the lack of iodine in this area.
TIL that breast cancer used to be known as "Nun's disease" due to the higher prevalence amongst nuns, who were at increased risk due to their celibate lifestyle. An association between reproductive history and cancer risk wasn't proven for about 250 years after it was associated with nuns.
So they lived long enough to die of cancer, unlike their reproducing sisters
TIL Queen Sophie of the Netherlands’ marriage with King William was so turbulent that when she died, she was buried in her wedding dress because she viewed her life ended on the day she got married.
Turbulent? He raped her, abused her (physically), cheated on her with many women and was an unstable, sick man.
TIL In the 1990s Marvel released their financial reports in comic book form. The comics featured characters like Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk discussing revenue sources and future business plans.
TIL Certain types of fly larvae are ideal for treating gangrene because they feed on dead and infected tissue but leave healthy tissue alone. However, because of the nature of this type of treatment, many people are reluctant to try it.
Maggots clean wounds up beautifully! I treated a festering skin cancer infected with maggots & they had made the skin as clean as a whistle. Was amazing to see.
TIL The Xerox 914, the first commercially successful photocopier, came equipped with a 'scorch eliminator'. The scorch eliminator was actually just a fire extinguisher, which was required as the device commonly caught fire.
Ah yes, Xerox. The company that invented the computer business and then gave it away.
TIL Lucky Charms were invented by a General Mills employee who chopped Circus Peanut candies into a bowl of Cheerios.
TIL a Berlin-based artist tricked Google Maps into thinking that a completely empty street was bursting with traffic by filling a wagon with 99 smartphones, opening Maps navigation on all of them, and then slowly pulling the wagon along Berlin streets.
TIL there is a species of mushroom that infects and zombifies carpenter ants. The mushroom slowly takes control of the ant’s motor functions and leads them away from the colony to die in a place ideal for growing. Then the mushroom grows out of the ant’s head.
TIL Charles Darwin spent 6 months in South America looking for a lesser rhea (an ostrich-like bird) only to have one served to him for dinner. Halfway through the meal, Darwin realized what he was eating, gathered the parts and sent them to England for taxidermy and formal classification.
TIL of "Target Fixation": a phenomenon where an individual becomes so focused on an observed object (be it a target, or hazard to be avoided) that they inadvertently increase their risk of colliding with the object.
Learnt this when learning to ride a motorbike, "look where you want to go, not at what you want to avoid"
Similarly, when I was learning to ride a horse I was told, "Don't look at the ground, or that's where you'll end up."
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This why you tell kids what they need to do instead of not do - eg. riding a bike: don't hit the tree - instead, go around the tree.
No wonder George of the Jungle had so many problems smacking into trees...
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I was going to say. Look where you want to go, not at random shiz. When I first started, I had issues with cornering because I was looking at traffic, pedestrians etc.
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Reminds me of that story in 1895 when the only 2 cars in Ohio crashed in to each other!
Now that I did research, it's talking about the 2 cars thing being a hoax so now idk 😪
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Why people always drive into the only tree in the entire park during chases.
I feel like this is a well-known phenomenon amongst cyclists and white water paddlers/
That’s why my dad told me, “if you don’t want to hit it, stop looking at it” when teaching me to ride a bike (and drive a car)
Maybe that’s why, as a little child, I’d always hit parked cars but never a moving one. I don’t have kids but if I ever help one out, I’ll be using your father’s line, it’s one of those things that’s so logical once you kniw but overlooked when thinking of important info to give the one still learning
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There is an epsiode of Bob's Burgers where Bob lets Tina drive the car in a parking lot. There is one other parked car in the lot. She drives for like 2 minutes, getting more and more nervous because she is very slowly heading right for the parked car. She ends up bumping into it, despite Bob very calmly telling her to turn either right or left... and then more panicked, telling her to turn right or left.
This, of course, is the technical explanation for sand traps and water hazards on golf courses.
Didn’t know this thing had a name. Fascinating! I have dreams about this, or maybe I should rather name them nightmares but as nightmares go, it’s a very mild one, eventhough it is disturbingly real. Kinda pleasing to know it is a known thing that is not as weird (or rather, rare) as it would be if it didn’t have a name
Those signs that display "your speed" with the speed limit. I stare at the numbers and experiment with changing my speed. Oooops! Sorry, pedestrian!
I went through a stage of this in my childhood when I was to ride a bike or roller skating etc. I would be saying to myself "I must not hit that telegraph pole" over and over again and what do I do. Splat straight into it. lol.
When I was a photographer in the Air Force I once took pictures of a pilot who flew into a grove of trees as he was approaching a rocket target. Literally target fixation.
This is actually why flashing bicycle lights are illegal in much of Europe; intoxicated drivers are much more likely to fixate on flashing lights than steady ones.
Yep. I learned this during my brief career as a motorcycle safety instructor. When we instructors were taught this was high on the list of things to watch out for while teaching in the field!
You can do this while driving , so be careful , that wall /tree didn’t jump out at you
It’s one reason why police who have pulled over drivers are in such danger of being struck by traffic.
It's why people crash in times they lose control of their car like with ice. The key is to look where you want to go, not where you're going
We use that principle when teaching someone to use a walker after surgery. Do not look at the floor. Raise your head and look where your going. Look at the floor long enough, that’s where you end up.
I crashed my Mom's car into a telephone pole because of this when I was 16. Driving on a dark country road at night, and there was an unmarked hairpin turn, car went sliding off the road into an un-planted corn field and I managed to hit the only object (the aforementioned telephone pole) within 100 yards either direction while steering the skid back onto the road, because I was staring right at it the whole time. No injuries, and I was still able to drive home, but I learned a valuable lesson that night lol
Most motorcyclists are extremely aware of this phenomenon, not only because a bike has a habit of "going where you are looking", it also is a problem with oncoming cars turning left in front of traffic - the driver looks at their "target" across the street and doesn't realize there is oncoming traffic. Bikes are easier to ignore than cars due to size (the brain sometimes discounts a nearby motorcycle, thinking it's actually a car at a safe distance).
Whenever you see a video of a driver hitting a police car that's sitting on the side of the road with it's lights on.
I feel like that works out when you're hurt too. If you have an Injured body part and you attempt to avoid hitting it on something or bumping into it.. it always seems like....at least in my case.. that I do it more often because I'm trying so hard. It could be I just notice it more since it hurts so much more.
My mom learned this as a kid - if you stare hard at the tree, you run the bicycle into the tree.
Is this Tina from Bob's Burgers? Hitting the only car in the parking lot. Lol
TIL Michelangelo created a sleeping Cupid figure and treated it with acidic earth to appear ancient. He then sold it to a dealer who then sold it to Cardinal Riario of San Giorgio who later learned of the fraud and demanded his money back. Michelangelo was permitted to keep his share of the money.
TIL about the lia radiological accident, where three Georgians discovered two abandoned radioactive sources in the forest around which "there was no snow for about a 1 m (3.3 ft) radius, and the ground was steaming", they then decided to use them as heat sources for the night. One died.
TIL that nearly all mammals, from mice to giraffes, have exactly 7 cervical vertebrae in their necks; the only exceptions are sloths and manatees.
TIL: According to Guinness World Records, PATH, a mostly underground pedestrian walkway network in downtown Toronto, is the largest underground shopping complex in the world. PATH spans more than 30 kilometres of restaurants, shopping, services and entertainment.
TIL one of the moons of Mars (Phobos) orbits Mars much faster than Mars rotates, and completes an orbit in just 7 hours and 39 minutes. From the surface of Mars it appears to rise in the west, move across the sky in 4 hours and 15 minutes, and set in the east, twice each Martian day.
TIL about a Brazilian Con artist called Carlos Kaiser, who had a decade long career as a Football player, and managed to sign for multiple teams, without player even one regular game. The one time he almost had to play, he started a fight during, to get a Red Card, avoiding to actually play.
TIL Pope John Paul II forgave his attempted assassin Mehmet Ali Ağca who shot him four times in 1981. At the Pope's request, the Italian President pardoned Ağca of the crime and he was deported back to Turkey. Ağca requested to meet Pope Francis in 2014 but Francis chose to decline.
TIL of a plane who made a forced landing on a Greenland ice cap in Nov. 1942. In attempting their rescue, 6 more planes either also stranded or crashed and it would take the survivors 5 and a half months of sheltering on the glacier until they were all rescued.
TIL that a politician from the United Kingdom, John Bell, believed that he was a bird, stating that he could fly much better than a bird, because he kept his shoulders oiled. Despite his state of mind, he remained a Member of Parliament until his death in 1851.
TIL that consumption of the Australian aquatic fern called Nardoo can cause you to starve if improperly prepared. The plant contains vast quantities of an enzyme that obliterates thiamine (vitamin B1), making your body unable to unlock energy from food, even if eating a full nutritious diet.
TIL: Prior to the D-Day landings, men were covertly sent ashore from submarines to collect samples of the sand to see whether it could support the weight of the tanks, trucks and other vehicles.
Also, in preparation for the landings, the Allied forces ran practice landings on the Welsh coast. The boats carried no ammunition for their guns. Unfortunately, a German U-boat patrol spotted the exercise and sank many ships, killing a lot of servicemen at no risk to the German crews..
TIL about Narbacular Drop, a puzzle game made by students at DigiPen University of Technology, which emphasized the usage of portals to solve puzzles; the entire team was later hired by Valve Software and would go on to make Portal
And portal 2( plz don't tell me the end) Edit: I have now.
TIL it took around 3 billion years for the very first single-celled organisms to eventually evolve into basic animal life forms. For comparison, dinosaurs were around for about 165 million years, modern humans have been around for 300,000 years.
And still some people think that a cat not turning into a dog means evolution doesn't exist.
TIL the US Navy has a 'Fleet Admiral' rank which only four people have ever achieved. It includes the unique benefit of active duty pay for life.
TIL in 1981 Chicago mayor Jane Byrne moved into the crime ridden Cabrini–Green public housing project in an attempt to improve its reputation. Despite having bodyguards she left just a few weeks later, furthering the public perception of Cabrini–Green as the "worst of the worst" in the city.
TIL Throughout much of the 20th century, a majority of states once required a blood test (mostly for STIs) before issuing a couple a marriage license.
in my country it's still required (to prove couple isn't related and to inform them about rh factor compatibility)
TIL Some flying insects have biologic versions of gyroscopes. The haltere is a small bell like structure that vibrates and can account for changes in rotation using the Coriolis effect, so the insect knows its position and can make corrections.
Note: this post originally had 65 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
TIL Snoopy is a beagle. Saw it on a little boy tshirt at the doctors waiting room.
I used to have a beagle that slept on top of her dog house. I thought that was something Charles Schultz made up but I guess it's a beagle trait.
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TIL Snoopy is a beagle. Saw it on a little boy tshirt at the doctors waiting room.
I used to have a beagle that slept on top of her dog house. I thought that was something Charles Schultz made up but I guess it's a beagle trait.
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