Join the Fun!

#2

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL US Airways kicked a blind and and his dog off a plane in 2013 after the Dog repositioned itself during a two hour delay. They cancelled the flight after passengers disembarked in protest saying the flight attendant responsible be kicked off instead of the man and his service dog.

therealpetejm , \Amanda Fultz Report

Final score:

553points

POST

Clearly sunny 3 years ago

That flight attendant is a massive jerk.

243points

#3

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL In 1802, Napoleon added a Polish legion to fight off the slave rebellion in Haiti. However, the Polish army joined the Haitian slaves in the fight for independence. Haiti's first head of state called Polish people "the White Negroes of Europe", which was then regarded as a great honour.

redwhiterosemoon , Bettyreategui Report

Final score:

483points

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Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago

Ha! Best historical plot twist ever.

125points

sylviette_pancakes , Wikimedia Commons Report

#4

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that during WW1, the MI5 used Girl Guides to deliver secret messages. They used Girl Guides instead of Boy Scouts because they found out that Boy Scouts weren't efficient enough, boisterous and talkative.

Final score:

468points

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Clearly sunny 3 years ago

Girls rule, Boys drool

176points

#5

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL of Bessie Coleman, the first African American and Native American female pilot who would only perform if the crowds were desegregated and entered thru the same gates.

sundog925 , George Rinhart Report

Final score:

434points

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James016 3 years ago

Good

68points

#6

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that Fermilab used to clean its particle accelerators with a ferret named Felicia, who would run through the tubes with cleaning supplies attached and be rewarded with hamburger meat

HeyoGuys , christels Report

Final score:

418points

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Alex the awful German 3 years ago

That sounds a cool job! Where can I apply?

94points

malalatargaryen , Dick Thomas Johnson Report

#7

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that at the age of 17, Steven Spielberg directed a sci-fi film called "Firelight". The budget was $500, and it was shown at a local cinema, with 500 people coming, and tickets costing a dollar each. However, one person paid $2, so the movie made $1, making it Spielberg's first commercial success

Final score:

415points

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kennedy1209 3 years ago

Probably his mom. Mine would do that.

141points

#8

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL In 1911 The Rigby family included their cat Tom in their census form. 'Tom Cat' was listed as being an 8-year old, married Mouse-Catcher, Soloist and Thief with 16 children. His birthplace was listed as Cheshire and he was described as being 'speechless' in the infirmity section of the form.

Szabo84 , Joshua Scott Report

Final score:

366points

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AnnaBanana 3 years ago

I'm definitely doing this in our next census!!

66points

#9

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL Japanese doctor Tetsu Nakamura devoted his life revitalising deserts in Afghanistan, making forests and wheat farmland and contributing to peace. Nakamura was decorated with the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun and Afghan National Medal.

BoyVault , Wikipedia Report

Final score:

366points

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Emma Byrne 3 years ago

Well done that man! Bravo!

50points

#10

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that Mesopotamians figured out that the Earth orbited the sun about 1,700 years before Copernicus and Newton. They also figured out that the moon causes the tides and that the Earth rotates around its axis.

I_am_1E27 , mzmatuszewski0 Report

Final score:

359points

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Eslamala 3 years ago

And yet, in 2021 we have flat-earthers and many other types of morons...

357points

DesertedAntarctic , Matheus Bertelli Report

#11

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that anatomically dogs have two arms and two legs - not four legs; the front legs (arms) have wrist joints and are connected to the skeleton by muscle and the back legs have hip joints and knee caps.

Final score:

355points

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Brendan 3 years ago

High five, dogs!

61points

kenwood-breadmaker , ThinkGeoEnergy Report

#12

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that in 2009 Icelandic engineers accidentally drilled into a magma chamber with temperatures up to 1000C (1832F). Instead of abandoning the well like a previous project in Hawaii, they decided to pump water down and became the most powerful geothermal well ever created.

Final score:

331points

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John C 3 years ago (edited)

When life gives you magma, make steam! (That play on "lemons to lemonade" sounded better in my head, but I'm still going with it)

67points

Str33twise84 , Paramount Pictures Report

#13

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL although Wayne’s World (1992) was released after Freddie Mercury died, he got to see the car headbanging scene featuring Bohemian Rhapsody shortly before he passed away on November 24, 1991. He loved it and foresaw how the use of the song would ignite a comeback for Queen in the United States.

Final score:

319points

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Friday 3 years ago

That’s such a great scene, so happy Freddie got to see it too

135points

#14

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL The Godfather's famous cat-in-lap scene was entirely unscripted. A stray cat randomly wandered onto the set, so Coppola grabbed it and put it in Marlin Brando's lap without a word.

foogama , Paramount Pictures Report

Final score:

308points

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Samuel 3 years ago

A marlin named Brando with a cat, it's cute :)

55points

#15

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL early-20th-century actress, Maude Adams, wanted to do a film version of Peter Pan, but was against doing it in black-and-white. She began working with experts on those obstacles, i.e. lack of color film and inadequate lighting. She earned several electric-light patents in the 1930s.

4blockhead , Wikimedia Commons Report

Final score:

304points

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Monty Is Fiennes 3 years ago

Those eyes....

124points

#16

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL in 1977, Ben Cohen was a struggling potter & Jerry Greenfield was getting rejected by medical schools. The pair decided to open a bagel shop, but the cost of bagel machines was too high. As a result, they enrolled in a $5 ice cream making course instead. A year later, they created Ben & Jerry's

suzukigun4life , Opacitatic Report

Final score:

298points

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troufaki13 3 years ago

It's very overrated in my opinion. There are ice-creams way better than Ben & Jerry's.

28points

#17

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL of the Grand Hotel in Scarborough, England, which had 365 rooms for each day of the year, 52 chimneys for the weeks, 12 floors for months of the year, and was shaped in a V to represent Queen Victoria

DC4840 , alh1 Report

Final score:

298points

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achilles get down from there 3 years ago

How much to rent the whole thing and play tag for 48 hours straight

120points

#18

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL, the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea is a wildlife haven. While most natural wildlife and rare plants have been killed off in the South, the DMZ hasn’t been touched in over 60 years, which resulted in unique species of flora and fauna to flourish in this area.

vaish7848 , Johannes Barre Report

Final score:

293points

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BorPand8 3 years ago

That's really cool!

39points

#19

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL when giraffes are born, they fall six feet on their head, but it's the fall that gets them to start breathing

paste42 , Ralph Daily Report

Final score:

292points

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Alex the awful German 3 years ago

according to my Mom that is pretty much what happened when I was born. (I am not a giraffe)

295points

available-for-sale , Peter Griffin Report

#20

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL Certain oak tree populations will synchronize to produce almost no acorns, only to rain them down excessively the following year, known as a "mast" year. The year preceding the mast year is thought to starve off the mammal populations feeding on the acorns.

Final score:

271points

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Jo Johannsen 3 years ago

Plants strategizing...? TRIFFIDS!!

121points

Stephanie IV 3 years ago

Man, I dread the day the true extent of our horrific hubris will be unveiled to us. Sometimes I wonder if all other life is more sentient than we are and is indulging us, nudging us along on our way to understanding.

24points

Paizleypie 3 years ago

TIL what a triffid is!

3points

Tom Hardeveld 3 years ago

my favorite SF book

0points

selioraxemaia 3 years ago

Plants recognize their offspring, can call for help when being attacked by insects and trees will actually feed their young! I am not making this up. See if you can find a Nature documentary called 'What Plants Talk About'. It's jaw dropping.

15points

alwaysMispelled 3 years ago

I recommend a book called The Secret Life of Trees

7points

Rick 3 years ago (edited)

The smell of freshly cut grass, whilst pleasant to most humans, is said to be a signal of stress and anguish for the grass. Other plants and vegetables are also known to scream when being uprooted from the ground, but inaudible to our ears.

2points

Miss Cris 3 years ago

Read or watch anything about Steffano Mancuso.

1point

Karen Grace 3 years ago

They also warn others of their kind that danger is approaching, or is here. That smell of fresh cut grass so many people love is essentially the grass screaming and sending a warning to the rest of the grass.

1point

denzoren 3 years ago

Plants are so cool.

9points

T Simmons 3 years ago

Not just oak, most hardwood trees with edible seeds do this. Foresters (like myself) try to time harvesting activities to co-incident with mast years to increase the chance of natural regeneration

8points

Jerry Mathers 3 years ago

I always thought that having the mammals eat the acorn was a way to spread the seeds. As a Forester, do you have any insight on that?

0points

littlesaresare 3 years ago

Having everyone in a population breed at once is a common strategy. Flood the place with more offspring than there are predators to keep up. Ensures that some survive.

6points

kasa alex 3 years ago

Like turtles and fish

0points

yesyes? 3 years ago

Oak trees in my yard do this. Nothing last year and massive amounts this year.

2points

Vicki Perizzolo 3 years ago

plants have always been way more amazing than we've given them credit for...

2points

A Random Panda 3 years ago

Our lychee tree is like this.

2points

Vicky Z 3 years ago

Are you ready??? SHOOT!

1point

Aprl Fair 3 years ago

I once watched a documentary about how plants live, and it was astounding all the things plant life does without a recognizable brain.

1point

Louise Melliza 3 years ago

Oh no, SQUIRREL!

1point

Lee F. 3 years ago

Trees talk with each other through root systems. So cool.

1point

*me* 3 years ago

It always makes me confused that plants are...plants... but they are somewhat intelligent.

1point

Klas Klättermus 3 years ago

But do they know that it isn't just poor weather one year that makes less acorns, and then the next year they have built up a higher potential for more acorns because they didn't exhaust themselves the previous year?

0points

Norah Reilly 3 years ago

To what purpose?

0points

Walter Brameld 3 years ago

So that there will be fewer animals around this year to eat the acorns, therefore more acorns will get a chance to sprout.

5points

Cori 3 years ago (edited)

I feel like maple trees might do this too. I have one in my front yard and that sucker produced an absolute ton of those little twirly wing seeds. Now I'm murdering tiny maple trees left and right because they're in my veggie and flower gardens. I also see them popping up all over the lawn. I don't remember them being nearly this abundant in past years.

0points

Zaptagious , Министерство обороны СССР Report

#21

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL as a young boy Yuri Gagarin (first man in space) had his village occupied by nazis, his family forced to work while living in a 3 by 3 meter mud hut for 21 months, saw his little brother being hanged (but saved by his parents) and his two older siblings deported for slave labor (who escaped).

Final score:

265points

POST

Xottel 3 years ago

I fully understand why one would like to escape this planet.

229points

#22

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that the Amazon River was named after the conquistador Francisco de Orellana was defeated by a few tribes of women, thus naming it after the warrior women of Greek legend.

NovaStar56 , CIAT Report

Final score:

261points

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Laurie 3 years ago

Yes indeed

23points

#23

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL In 2007, a local Japanese railway station “hired” a cat named Tama as an official, helping the local economy bring in over 1 billion yen during her service. When she died 8 years later, thousands of people came to her funeral.

redmambo_no6 , Sanpei Report

Final score:

250points

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Jayne Kyra 3 years ago

Tama (died at the age of 16) has a shrine and her successor is called Nitama, and current stationmaster.

127points

#24

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL Caffeine is the coffee plant's natural defense mechanism. It leaches into the surrounding soil as leaves from the plant drop and are decomposed into the soil. Since caffeine is toxic to other plants, it prevents other plants from growing around the coffee plant and competing for sunlight.

Black_Eyed_PeePees , jayartin Report

Final score:

243points

POST

Auntriarch 3 years ago

Also toxic to slugs

50points

johnlen1n , Cancillería del Ecuador Report

#25

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that in 2019, Pope Francis received a bottle of Oban malt whiskey while visiting Scottish priests, and declared it to be 'the real holy water'. The BBC captured the footage for a documentary, which was censored by the Vatican.

Final score:

240points

POST

Wistiti 3 years ago

Then Oban, the the town, must be a real piece of heaven. The distillery in town gives the place a real whiff!

35points

#26

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL - Mozart has a pet starling (bird) which could sing part of his piano concerto in G Major. He had bought it from a shop after hearing it sing a phrase from a work he wrote six weeks previously, which had not yet been performed in public

LunacyNow , GAIMARD Report

Final score:

234points

POST

Aski Markup 3 years ago

Had*

64points

#27

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL during the Golden Age of Piracy, women sometimes became pirates by disguising themselves as men in an effort to take advantage of freedom and rights that men could only enjoy. Anne and Mary were two famous female pirates of that time who fell in love with each others' disguised manly appearance!

quackycoder , Wikimedia Commons Report

Final score:

231points

POST

Ozacoter 3 years ago

Some didnt even dress as a man. The biggest pirate army in asia was under the control of a female pirate. Zheng Yi Sao

148points

divestfromfossilfuel , Sconosciuto Report

#28

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that a breed of wool dogs existed on the pacific northwest coast. Indigenous people would keep the dogs isolated on small islands to prevent inter breeding with hunting dogs. The wool dogs were cared for and feed a rich diet of seafood to produce strong yarn to make blankets from.

Final score:

219points

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Gin. No tonic 3 years ago

Dog wool is called chiengora, and it's up to 80% warmer than sheep's wool.

102points

#29

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL “The road not taken” by Robert Frost, was actually written to mock an indecisive friend and intended to inspire no one.

shaynaf , Fred Palumbo Report

Final score:

215points

POST

H Edwards 3 years ago

I like it much better now that I know this.

73points

#30

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL when Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs first opened in 1916, the owner hired people to dress as doctors and eat hot dogs outside his shop, to convince people his hot dogs were healthy.

02K30C1 , joeymanley Report

Final score:

204points

POST

Jo Johannsen 3 years ago

Marketing genius! No falsities uttered or printed.

67points

#31

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL measles gives your immune system 'amnesia.' Exposure to measles leaves the victim with a strong response to the measles virus, but an increased vulnerability to all other pathogens.

Dinklecorn , Dave Haygarth Report

Final score:

202points

POST

H Edwards 3 years ago

That's interesting. I had measles as a child but I have not been ill that much over the course of my life otherwise.

48points

#32

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL the eye sockets of the Moai statues in Easter Island used to have eyes made of coral

NirgalFromMars , Aurbina Report

Final score:

201points

POST

*me* 3 years ago

Ngl, the eyes would make them pretty creepy

66points

#33

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL:During a SAS special operation against Nazi forces in Italy, using a force including Italians, a Scottish bagpiper volunteered to join the attack so that the Nazi's would think it was solely a British operation and not attack the locals

z3dster , Matteo Incerti Report

Final score:

200points

POST

*me* 3 years ago

Smart

36points

ohdearitsrichardiii , Augusto Stahl Report

#34

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that Brazil was a monarchy until Crown Princess Isabel signed a law emancipating all slaves in Brazil in 1888. This was unpopular among the rich plantation owners and the imperial family was deposed in a military coup

Final score:

199points

POST

James016 3 years ago

Worth it.

92points

#35

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL Louis Vuitton burn any excess stock at the end of each year to main exclusivity, theft and avoid discount prices

jewfishcartel , Penabeckie Report

Final score:

193points

POST

Sonya Jersey 3 years ago

waste at it's best

293points

#36

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL Texas didn’t have safety regulations on natural gas until after a school blew up and killed hundreds of children. Nobody was held accountable, but they passed strict regulations afterwards. It was so bad that even Hitler sent a letter of condolence.

Over_Shock_2610 , QuesterMark Report

Final score:

187points

POST

Láďa Durchánek 3 years ago

You know you really messed up with gas when Hitler sends his condolences.

319points

#37

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that monkeys in Japan learned to wash sweet potatoes in fresh water to clean them. They later switched to washing sweet potatoes in salt water. It is theorized that this is because they like the salty taste more than plain potatoes.

I_am_1E27 , shankar s. Report

Final score:

187points

POST

K Witmer 3 years ago

Monkeys like seasoning too

77points

#38

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL That in 1948 the Idaho Department of Fish and Game used surplus parachutes from WWII to drop threatened beavers into a nearby protected area. After some careful calibrations, 76 beavers made the skydive and all but one survived the drop.

DystopianAdvocate , Steve Report

Final score:

183points

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Alex the awful German 3 years ago

"Drop the beavers! now!now!now!"

81points

#39

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that beer bottles are brown as it blocks out the sun's rays and helps preserve the taste. A shortage of brown glass after the Second World War meant higher quality beer makers chose green to distinguish themselves from the companies using clear glass.

johnlen1n , cottonbro Report

Final score:

177points

POST

Eslamala 3 years ago

Same thing with wine bottles that are used to contain any type of red wine.

26points

#40

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL there are 23 floating-year-round boat schools in Bangladesh due to constant flooding in the country. Starting in 2002, these schools ensure year-round education in a country where heavy monsoon rains can submerge 70% of the land mass under water.

The_Internet_Author , Marufish Report

Final score:

176points

POST

Cain Hargreaves 3 years ago

This is so important. Bangladesh is so impoverished. I hope that education and aid can help the people there. Ironically the people there have little access to *clean* water. The surface water is often polluted or carries water-borne illnesses and a lot of the tube wells dug in the 1970s and 1980s hit arsenic-rich bedrock. If they're stuck with lots of undrinkable water, at least they can float a school on it.

65points

FutureRobotWordplay , socialkarma1 Report

#41

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL a man built the world's largest treehouse after claiming God told him to do so. It was 97 feet tall. It took 12 years to build and burned down in 15 minutes in 2019.

Final score:

170points

POST

sofacushionfort 3 years ago

That was God telling him he should have built it to code.

75points

#42

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that in 2006, a woman farted on a plane and tried to cover up the smell by lighting matches, causing an emergency landing and an FBI investigation. Although she was not charged in the incident, she was also not allowed back on the plane.

reddit , Rob Simmonds Report

Final score:

168points

POST

troufaki13 3 years ago

During my first (and only) transatlantic trip to the US, the people sitting in the front row from me were farting the entire flight! It was a gas chamber for 6 hours!!

75points

#43

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL In 1443, King Sejong single-handedly created Hangul, the Korean alphabet, in response to the immense difficulty that common people faced learning Chinese characters. The publication date of the document revealed in 1446 detailing the new alphabet is now a national holiday in both Koreas.

soyfox , Kbarends Report

Final score:

165points

POST

Dave Jones 3 years ago

Wasn't the real reason because they wanted to create their own language and culture? Still, many words have very similar sounds to Mandarin.

11points

snowsnothing , DreamWorks Animation Report

#44

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL In 2008, a man altered an old story he had written to resemble Kung Fu Panda, then sued DreamWorks for $12 million. After the court found out he was lying, he was sentenced to 2 years in prison.

Final score:

163points

POST

Clearly sunny 3 years ago

Idiot.

73points

#45

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL It would take 375,000 Lego bricks stacked one on top of another to destroy the bottom brick. The tower would be nearly 12,000 feet tall.

sniperwolf21 , Matt Mets Report

Final score:

162points

POST

Saurin Apriliawan 3 years ago

No wonder it hurts so badly when you step on it

101points

#46

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL a 1000 year old bronze buckle from East Asia was discovered in Alaska, showing that indigenous people in North America might have been interacting with the Old World earlier than previously thought

KindaAwkwardGuy , Jeremy Foin Report

Final score:

160points

POST

$fracarr avatar$

François Carré 3 years ago

Siberian people had crossed the Bering land bridge during the ice age, it's probable even after it became a strait they managed to go to Alaska from time to time, when it was covered by pack ice.

25points

#47

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that Einstein's support for pacifist, civil rights and left-wing causes in Europe had drawn suspicion from J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI, and after his arrival to America, the Bureau launched what would eventually become a 22-year surveillance campaign since the FBI believed Einstein was a Soviet spy.

KimCureAll , Wikimedia Commons Report

Final score:

158points

POST

Jo Johannsen 3 years ago

Supporting civil rights?!? I am aghast!

98points

superweirdooctopus , Patrick Nouhailler Report

#48

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that flowers are physically growing with darker coloured petals nowadays due to their rapid adaptation to combat the suns radiation from the thinning ozone layer.

Final score:

158points

POST

John Juan 3 years ago

The ozone layer is actually healing. https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/09/1046452

52points

#49

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL Lafayette’s grave in Paris is filled with dirt from Massachusetts as he wished to be buried in American soil. Additionally, I learned the flag remained in place during WW2 because the Nazis never looked behind the private cemetery’s walls.

brianbo402 , Delatude Report

Final score:

155points

POST

BorPand8 3 years ago

That would be Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, who paid his own way to the US to fight in their revolution against the British.

60points

U_Wish_U_Dated_Me , Wikimedia Commons Report

#50

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL : During the Salem witch trials, the accused witches weren’t actually burned at the stake. The majority were jailed, and some were hanged. But none of the 2,000 people accused ever got burned alive.

Final score:

134points

POST

Chich 3 years ago

And one man, Giles Corey, was "pressed". Crushed by rocks because he refused to confess.

77points

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#51

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL the insulin pumps used by at least 350K Americans with diabetes (couldn't find the global number) were invented as a direct result of some of the earliest NASA technology from the Apollo program.

MaryADraper , continent. Report

Final score:

48points

POST

Bodine - Dutchy Designer 3 years ago

Cool! I have one one and didn't know this =D

16points

#52

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL During the Second Opium War (1860), French and British troops reached the Imperial Palace in Peking, China. The troops *looted* everything in sight—including five Pekingese dogs. The dogs were taken back to England and one of the dogs was given to Queen Victoria. She named the dog “Looty"

malus545 , heroindra Report

Final score:

45points

POST

Shelp 3 years ago

Pretty ironic considering that one of the reasons for that war was that they didn't wanted to be called "Barbarians" anymore by the Chinese diplomats

25points

#53

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that sea snakes can die of thirst and rely on rainwater to make pools on the ocean surface in order to survive.

thunderup_14 , Aloaiza Report

Final score:

44points

POST

Lauren Caswell 3 years ago

TIL also that rainwater can pool on sea water!! Different surface tensions maybe, as the rain first settles?

50points

The_Internet_Author , Wikimedia Commons Report

#54

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL Christopher Columbus' efforts to obtain support for his voyages were hampered not by belief in a flat Earth but by valid worries that the East Indies were farther than he realized. In fact, Columbus grossly underestimated the Earth's circumference and caused he and his crew's near starvation.

Final score:

43points

POST

achilles get down from there 3 years ago

Funny how knowledge is found, lost, found again - didn’t we know the circumference of the earth in Ancient Greece?

36points

#55

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that Mexico has a Ley Seca (no alcohol) tradition during elections to promote peace and order and holds elections on Sunday allowing the most voters to participate without worry of missing school or work.

oneeye2 , [-_-] JORGE Report

Final score:

42points

POST

BorPand8 3 years ago

Over here in the Philippines election days are national holidays.

16points

#56

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL: Brazil forbids anyone to visit the island "Ilha da Queimada Grande" without a special permit. It's crawling with the endangered Golden Lancehead Vipers and its venom is so strong it can melt human flesh. Poachers visit the island because specimens can fetch $10-30K on the black market.

OvidPerl , Nayeryouakim Report

Final score:

40points

POST

J. F. 3 years ago (edited)

The island was connected to the main land 10.000 years ago but was cut of by rising water levels - the snakes there evolved to have stronger venom to catch sea birds

27points

#57

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL there's a material called FOGBANK that's used by the US Department of Energy that's so top secret and compartmentalized, that the government once actually "forgot" how to make it due to a lack of actual records and dwindling institutional knowledge

LifterPuller , JSquish Report

Final score:

39points

POST

Jo Johannsen 3 years ago (edited)

But what is it or what's it for?

21points

#58

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL water is not colorless. The pure water has a slight blue color that becomes a deeper green as the thickness of the observed sample increases. The blue hue of the water is an intrinsic property and is caused by selective absorption and scattering of white light.

qasqaldag , Daria Shevtsova Report

Final score:

38points

POST

troufaki13 3 years ago

In Greece you can find every shade of green and blue in the seas 😊 😊 😊

35points

#59

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that glassblowers in Alexandria, Egypt were the first to produce clear glass around 100 AD through the introduction of manganese dioxide into the glass making process. Thereafter, the Romans began to use clear glass for architectural purposes.

KimCureAll , NadineDoerle Report

Final score:

37points

POST

Yettichild 3 years ago

Glassblowing is fun as hell, if you ever get the chance to try it you won't be disappointed.

19points

#60

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL The 'Mona Lisa' painting was created and 'tweaked' over a period of sixteen years (1503 - 1519). Da Vinci never relinquished ownership until his death and instead carried it on the backs of mules as he travelled from Florence to Milan to Rome and finally France.

BrautanGud , Wikimedia Commons Report

Final score:

37points

POST

Kenny Kulbiski 3 years ago

Never understood the fascination with this not too attractive woman/ painting.

17points

#61

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL about the "London Necropolis Railway", a railway line opened in 1854 just to carry corpses (and mourners) to a cemetery (at the time the largest in the world) 37km away from the city. There were even two stations in the cemetery, one for the Anglicans and one for non-Anglicans.

kaerbannogbunny , iridescent Report

Final score:

37points

POST

AnnaBanana 3 years ago

We have a Mortuary Station in Sydney. It's been turned into a function venue!

4points

#62

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL, shortly after the Korean War, there were few refrigerators or protein-dense foods in South Korea. Koreans would barter with American troops for Spam (canned pork). As South Korea continued to develop, Spam turned into a staple food and it is often a common gift given during Korean Thanksgiving.

vaish7848 , freezelight Report

Final score:

36points

POST

Eslamala 3 years ago

During Allende's presidency in Chile, there was shortage of food, and they started importing Spam. It was commonly given to people after hours of queueing in order to get government approved food. This was years before I was born, but my grandparents always talk about how awful that period was, and it tends to be overlooked because of the "dictatorship" that followed as a consequence of said disaster.

13points

#63

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL For the movie Star Wars, the sound designer for the Stormtrooper's blasters came up with the sound of the blaster during a family backpacking trip. He hit the guy-wire of an AM radio transmitter tower with a hammer and recorded the sound with a microphone close to the impact.

greatminds1 , big-ashb Report

Final score:

36points

POST

Emma Byrne 3 years ago

Pew! Pew!

6points

#64

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL That silver miners in the 1800s would discard their old work jeans in the mines. These jeans now can be sold for prices over $30,000, Levis going for the most! Many people have started hobbies going into the silver mines in hopes of finding them.

CaptainMorganFTW , oldmanalan_ Report

Final score:

34points

POST

BorPand8 3 years ago

So they just stripped off their jeans and left the mine in their underwear? Or brought new jeans, put them on, and then dumped the old ones in the mine? Wore the new jeans and brought the old ones along the dump in the mine? So many questions...

39points

#65

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL: in 2001, Pizza Hut become the first company in the world to deliver its food to outer space, they paid a million dollars to send a salami pizza to the International Space Station (ISS).

ledgendary Report

Final score:

33points

POST

Oerff On Tour 3 years ago

The astronauts didn't have to pay for it, because delivery took more than half an hour

19points

#66

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL Dr. John Snow discovered cholera is spread through water and not air. He discovered this during an outbreak in London in 1854 in which hundreds of people became infected and died. The only ones not infected were those who only drank beer, not water

sewn_of_a_gun , Jamzze Report

Final score:

32points

POST

Bill Anderson 3 years ago

Nope. He traced people who drank from aspe pric well and showed that they contracted cholera even tho they were living in another area: the well had a special taste so people would get bottles of it's water sent to them and thus caught cholera. The taste came from the source being contaminated ated with sewage and dead bodies of animals carelessly disposed of in the feeder pool.

67points

MarineKingPrime_ , Lucian Bert Truesdale Report

#67

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL author H.P. Lovecraft was never able to support himself from his earnings as an author. His book "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", written one year before his death, sold a meagre 200 copies. He died in poverty at age 46.

Final score:

31points

POST

BorPand8 3 years ago

And he was married to a Jewish lady named Sonia, also a writer, who supported them for a while with her hat-making business. He always thought he was too good to work for a living though, and they divorced after 2 years. I was so surprised to learn that someone married him.

31points

operatingsys2016 , Tinh tế Photo Report

#68

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL Apple purchased the iPhone.org domain name in 1999, eight years before the official introduction of the iPhone.

Final score:

30points

POST

TmKhr 3 years ago

They were planning well ahead

18points

#69

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that chocolate was classified as “candy” under the Revenue Acts of 1918 and 1921, and so it was taxed as such. Hershey’s sued to recover about $8,000,000 in taxes by arguing it was “food”, and so had been wrongly taxed. The Supreme Court ruled it was “candy”.

Mad_Chemist_ , Sparrow881 Report

Final score:

29points

POST

John C 3 years ago

Subway had a similar fight in europe, which they lost. Their bread has so much sugar in it it's taxed as cake/dessert instead of bread.

11points

#70

50 New ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That Prove It’s Never Too Late To Learn Something New TIL that Queen Elizabeth II has a body double, Ella Slack, who takes her place during all rehearsals. She is, however, not allowed to sit on the throne at the House of the Lords during the rehearsals. She has never accepted payment for her services, describing it as a "pleasure and an honour."

reddit , annasenkara Report

Final score:

16points

POST

Justin Mills 3 years ago

FYI, I don't want to be that guy as I've noticed a few of these TIL's being questioned for their validity and most deserve no response. However, the top search for "Ella Slack" will generate links to royalcentral.co.uk, the BBC, Marie Claire, and Hello Magazine (I didn't want to put the daily mail anywhere as the US edition is something I'd use to find the fib in 2 Truths & A Lie). While the comment, "Don't believe everything you read online" is absolutely true, I'd also suggest don't believe someone just because they say "I have......".

19points