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Life's a never-ending rollercoaster of education, fun facts, and interesting trivia. And the ride's free if you're willing to stay curious all your life. One of the best places to expand your mind on a daily basis is the ‘Today I Learned' subreddit, boasting over 25.2 million members, over 12 years of service on Reddit, and a community that values curiosity and learning above all else.

We've collected some of the most interesting recent things that the TIL community shared for you to expand your minds with, dear Pandas, so go on and have a look below. And when you're done and if you're thirsting for more knowledge like a true Ravenclaw, you'll find our earlier posts about the TIL subreddit right over here, and here, as well as here.

Separating fact from fiction, however, isn't as easy as it might seem when scrolling through the TIL subreddit. Especially when different authority figures whom we trust say different things. I spoke about learning to separate the truth from falsehoods and how to diplomatically challenge people who might be wrong with Lenore Skenazy, the president of Let Grow and the founder of the Free-Range Kids movement. Read on for her full and in-depth interview with Bored Panda.

#1

Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

In World War 1, Nobel prize winning physicist Marie Curie developed mobile X-Ray stations to travel to the frontlines and assist army surgeons and preventing amputations when limbs were still intact. It's estimated that over a million wounded soldiers were x-rayed with her units.

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    #2

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Dave Thomas (the founder of Wendy's) was a high-school dropout. He was afraid his success would convince teens to drop out of school, so at age 60, he went back and got his GED.

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    #3

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Icelandic horses are not allowed to leave the country. If they do, they are banned from returning. This is because Iceland is an island so they have limited diseases, and this is another measure to prevent it.

    a_homosexual_carrot Report

    Learning something new and figuring out what's fact, what's fiction, and what's opinion is difficult to do with the flood of information that's easily available to us. However, that same vast store of information that we have access to can be our greatest boon if we learn to swim, dive, and sail through it all.

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    Finding out that something's actually (not) true even though the beloved authority figures in our lives have been stating differently can fire us up and make us want to confront them. However, if we're not diplomatic and merely want to rub it in their faces that they were wrong, we can end up losing an even greater learning opportunity.

    #4

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Danny DeVito did the dub for his role as the titular character in The Lorax (2012) in Russian, German, Italian, Catalan, and Castilian Spanish, despite not speaking any of those languages

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    #5

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Dogs and cats circle around before bedding down as a throwback to their wild ancestors. Their survival instincts provoked them to position themselves in the direction of the wind to pick up predator scents and choose the best angle for keeping an eye on the environment.

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    #6

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    A Japanese ice cream company created a commercial to publicly apologize about needing to raise the price of their ice cream bars for the first time in 25 years from 60 yen to 70 yen.

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    Lenore, the president of Let Grow, suggested that instead of being combative and turning opinionated authority figures away from you, people should try to learn something together with them.

    “The key is to discover things together. If something sounds strange or unlikely, respond with curiosity—ask the person to tell you more, and how they found this information out, and where you should go if you want to delve into it further,” the expert, who greatly supports childhood independence, suggested.

    “Then if the sources they give you seem dubious—well, probably so is whatever they gleaned from them. But if the sources seem legit, read them with an open mind. They may be right after all!” Lenore explained.

    #7

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Habsburg Emperor Joseph II tried to reform Austria into "ideal Enlightened state". He abolished serfdom, removed restrictions against Jews, gave religious freedom to Protestants and Orthodox and tried to weaken power of Catholic church. But as soon he died all his reforms were abolished

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    #8

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Walt Disney accidentally "kidnapped" Richard Nixon by dispatching his monorail train before the Secret Service could get on. The agents ran after the train and attempted to jump onboard but the doors had already closed. Monorail pilot Bob Gurr was terrified; Nixon got a kick out of it.

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    Jozie
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    LOL! Now that is something funny! I could imagine the laugh they got out of it! :). The agents were probably scared! Haha! 😂😂😂.

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    #9

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Not all people have an internal monologue and people with them typically have stronger mental visuals to accompany their verbal thoughts.

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    It's a fact of life that nobody is right all the time. And Lenore believes that because of this, it isn't "cruel or crazy" to think that someone else “may have their facts wrong.” However, you shouldn't be getting angry at someone who got something wrong, unless they were deliberately lying to you.

    “Ever since the Age of Enlightenment, humans have realized that the best way to get closer to the truth is by saying something out loud and seeing if it stands up to scrutiny. If not—hooray. We are one step closer to the truth because we've just jettisoned a misconception,” Lenore told Bored Panda.

    #10

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Bill Nye (of Science Guy fame) invented a hydraulic component used on the 747 airliners, and holds three patents for other inventions.

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    #11

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and hundreds more, started smoking at the age of 9, changed his last name from Blank to Blanc, survived a car accident resulting in a two week coma, recorded The Flintstones in a full body cast, and died only a year after recording Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

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    #12

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    There is a street that is split down the middle by the USA-Canadian border, aptly named Canusa street. People who live in houses on the south side of the street are in the USA, and the north side, in Canada. Crossing the street requires having to report to the border crossing office.

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    “If it turns out that you do find some information that contradicts what the other person—your teacher or boss or anyone—has stated as true, again, the best approach is not confrontation. It's assuming that the other person didn't mean to steer you wrong,” she pointed out that instead of being aggressive, we should be approaching the situation in a way that provides the biggest learning opportunity.

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    #13

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Elephants can hear through both their ears and feet. Through special fat pads called digital cushions, they can hear sounds other elephants vocalize below the range of human hearing from many miles away. This helps warn them of far off danger, incoming floods, and rival elephants.

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    #14

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Hall of Fame pitcher Lee Smith didn’t play baseball until he was a junior in high school, only tried out to win a $10 bet, and only started pitching after his team’s star pitcher was killed in a hunting accident. His first start was a no hitter.

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    #15

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Rod Serling, creator of The Twilight Zone, sold the series as a pure entertainment vehicle due to censorship he experienced with previous projects that would delve into controversial social/political issues. The Twilight Zone tackled the same issues but veiled in science fiction and fantasy

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    “So if you bring in information that contradicts the person, don't say, ‘SEE??? YOU WERE WRONG!' Say something more like, ‘I was so interested in what you were talking about that I did some research and now I'm a little confused. Can we look at this together?'" Lenore advocated going for the diplomatic route rather than seeking out a fight and wanting to prove your own correctness all the time.

    #16

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    ADHD doesn't always mean 'short attention span'. 'Hyperfocusing' on a task for hours on end is also a known symptom of ADHD, where the inability to stop is considered to be the problem.

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    Luther von Wolfen
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Attention-deficit and hyperactivity are the symptoms most noticeable to other people.

    Jenn C
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And your brain Will Not Shut Up when you are trying to sleep. Going 100 miles an hour, but often about random stuff. I used to stumble over my words sometimes because my brain was going faster than my mouth.

    Marika Miettinen
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    !! I always tell people that I stutter because my head is going faster than my mouth!

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    Nikki Sevven
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hyperfocusing is as huge a problem as short attention span for those of us with ADHD. This is why I can spend an entire day playing a video game and forget to eat.

    Marika Miettinen
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm in the process of trying to get diagnosed. 8,5 years ago I had a moment of clarity where puzzle pieces in my head went together when I read an article about ADHD in women. Had always wondered wtf is wrong with me. Got tests done 2 years ago, and somehow my score was lower that it should be when I look at the questionnaire, but I still got enough to get diagnosed, but the old psychiatrist was super against it and the new one actually said that hyperfocusing isn't a thing in ADHD when I saw her last time. Like, I've been learning about ADHD for 8,5 years now, I know so much about it and I see myself in all of that, and in the 2 ADHD support groups I'm in the others see themselves when I tell about my life and I see myself when they tell about their struggles. But ye, I said that I had completely accidentally played this new game I got for 10 hours and forgot to eat and do all the other things I was supposed to, and the psychiatrist said that that's not ADHD.

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    Harlow
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some other symptoms: time blindness, forgetfulness, rejection sensitivity, disobedience, impulsivity, mood swings, excitability, aggression, depression, and stimming.

    JCRocks
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wrote a novel in 11 days. It was published by the first publisher I sent it to. My second, much longer book (400 pgs and also published) took 17 days. The few people I've told were like, "HOW???" ADD my friend. ADD.

    Alphabet Soupy
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ahdh-ers unite!! Hope we don’t lose any of y’all at the meetings lol

    Cori
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And some people don't have symptoms of hyperactivity at all. I happen to be one of those people. As a result, mine went undiagnosed for a long time. My teachers and parents just thought I was lazy. 😕

    BonnyDK
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I had a student like that in my art classes. He would go into a special zone and put his walls up when he hyper focused. Would have been great at doing where's Waldo pictures. I just let him be until the whole class had moved on to another project and suggested he finish at home so he wouldn't get too far behind. I provided a desk behind a panel for kids that wanted to work alone without the distractions of the class. It was not a punishment and was available to whoever wanted to use it.

    Mz Phit
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's great that he has you in his corner! Yay Art teachers! I also find it helps to work with earplugs (but not music).

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    Maciej Zajaczkowski
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not to dismiss any suffering caused, hyperfocus can also be a superpower if applied in the correct way.

    lowercase
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Max Park, holder of many Rubik's Cube related records, has autism and hyperfocuses.

    AttButNotActually
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As a person with AD-HD, I can confirm! People think the H is for hyperactivity, those degenerates!

    Flisey
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hyperfocusing happens when they find something of interest. It's why some people don't believe kids have adhd because they can spend hours gaming.

    DC
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The inability to plan any of these is the problem. I thought, for years, that everyone has the same hard time focussing (and, rarely, defocussing) like me, and that most others just were more disciplined than I was. Later, as an adult, I was told I couldn't get ritalin (although I had some and they did help a lot), because I'm grown up. I don't get drugs because I'm too old. I'm 38, damned, not 83...

    Robyn Marsden
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's also an extremely common misdiagnosis for girls with autism, leading to wrong medication.

    Dracaena Storm
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Amen to this. If I get hyperfocused I forget to eat, I tune out sounds around me, go into almost a meditative state. I actually love this feeling. Way better than feeling overwhelmed by all the stimulus.

    Garrett Green
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hyperfocusing is not a diagnostic criteria for ADHD. People with ADHD show a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity–impulsivity. Hyperfocusing is related to mental functioning, not physical reactiveness. Just because someone is excited about doing an activity and they don't want to stop doesn't mean they have a mental disorder.

    I I
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    damn , i obsess over dumb things and read about them for days / weeks . hated reading about Trump but once i started couldn't stop , two weeks i spent most days reading about him , got to say i have no idea how so many voted for such a vile man

    Jenn Marriott
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wow, thanks for sharing all your stories ladies! As I keep reading the comments I feel seen! I suffer from both anxiety and depression and now I am extremely curious to look further into this!!

    Julia Atkinson
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Completely OT, but why do so many younger people hold their pens like the woman in this photo?

    Sarah
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "...the inability to stop is considered to be the problem." That's me on Bored Panda.

    Tabby_Sohee
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes, this is 100% true. I do have mild ADHD but it’s really strong in the hyperfocusing part... I’ll sit at my desk and put in earbuds, and write a book for hours. I’m talking, 6, 7 hours straight, just fingers flying over the keyboard lost in my own world. I often thought there was something wrong with me (lots of teens my age don’t like to write nearly as much as I do) before I found out I had ADHD.

    Demongrrrrl
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I hyper focus when reading, but otherwise cannot focus on one thing for more than a few seconds without my brain veering off in random directions. Part of that may be from my M.S

    KitKatss
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wow, I'm pretty sure I have ADHD as I find it very hard to remain focused and always have to fidget or move, but I also can't stop browsing or watching things on my mobile a lot of the time, I always thought it was just an addiction but who knows

    Meko
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's also different in males and females and most studys are done in boys, as a result girls are usually diagnosed later on in life. My brother was diagnosed when he was 8 and I was 12. And hyperfocus is definitely a problem for me, last night I was playing Zelda, and I looked up and it was 10:30 so I was like *i have time* and went back to playing, next time I look up it's 12:30 am and I didn't notice time go by and as a result I'm tired af

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    #17

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Disney uses a paint colour called "GO AWAY GREEN" to camouflage and hide objects and doors in their theme parks.

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    #18

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    People keep finding meticulously crafted hollow dodecahedrons throughout Europe dating back to the Roman Empire but historians have no idea what they're supposed to be used for as there's no historical record of them anywhere. Theories range from dice to knitting.

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    “Being accusatory only makes people defensive. So don't be rude, be engaged. This works in the classroom, in the office, and pretty much everywhere,” Lenore, the president of Let Grow, offered us some great advice on what to do if we overhear somebody potentially sharing misinformation.

    #19

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Every fall, Alaska’s Katmai National Park hosts “Fat Bear Week” and crowns the park’s fattest brown bear. The aim is to highlight the park and wildlife conservation.

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    #20

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Neanderthals, which were traditionally thought of as extremely primitive humans, are now believed to have been extremely intelligent, even comparable to the intelligence of modern humans. They used tools, had social structures, thrived in hostile environments, and lived long lives.

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    #21

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    During solar eclipses, tree leaves act as pinhole cameras, resulting in trees casting crescent-shaped shadows on the ground. This effect puzzled Aristotle in the 4th Century BC.

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    Joyce Melton
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It is insanely cool to see this effect, or the annular version where you see circles of light.

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    Which of the facts in this list caught your attention the most, dear Pandas? Do you have any interesting bits of trivia that you learned recently to share with us? What, in your opinion, is the best way to separate facts from fake news? Let us know what you think in the comment section. We always love hearing from you!

    #22

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    The plans for Winston Churchill's state funeral had to be revised several times because Churchill outlived several intended pallbearers.

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    #23

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Teeth are only able to experience one sensation, that being pain. When you eat or drink something too hot or too cold, or a dentist operates on your teeth, you will only experience pain because that is the only thing the nerves around your teeth respond to.

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    Jozie
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I mean what else r they supposed to feel itchy? idk the other sense lolz but i was still kind of surprised,

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    #24

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    The parents of “Simpsons” creator, Matt Groenig, were named Homer & Marge. He also had sisters named Lisa, Maggie, & Patty.

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    #25

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for happiness, can be toxic. When injected into skin it causes extreme pain and is a main ingredient of wasp venom

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    #26

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    When your immune system fights an infection, it cranks up the mutation rate during antibody production by a factor of 1,000,000, and then has them compete with each other. This natural selection process creates highly specific antibodies for the virus.

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    Dahamada Jamawas
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm quite happy to know, that the mutation rate of my immune system is not at an incredible level without any reason.

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    #27

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    the Driftless Area is a rugged area of Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and a minor part of Illinois that was completely missed by glaciers. It is roughly the size of West Virginia, and is home to huge bluffs, deep canyons, and rare species of plants found no where else.

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    sofacushionfort
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The farmers use square milk cans, because if round ones fall over they keep rolling for miles.

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    #28

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    In the 1950's the US airforce tried to design a cockpit to fit the average pilot's body. After measuring 4000 pilots they discovered that none of them came close to having an average body. This lead to introduction of adjustable seats.

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    #29

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    During WW2, Ernest Hemingway used his fishing boat named after his ex-wife (Pilar) to hunt German U-boats in the Caribbean armed only with Thomson machine guns and hand grenades. He was given unlimited gasoline by the US government.

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    #30

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    That Japan burns a portion of its garbage and uses the resulting ash in land reclamation. As of 2012 Japan has created over 250 square kilometers (96 square miles) of new land using this method.

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    Bumblebee
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    More about this. If you search on YouTube for: Exploring a Japanese Olympics and paralympics host town (channel name: Life where I am from) and go to time stamp 4.00, you can see how it works and hear it explained (FYI: if you just want to watch that part, it ends at 7.06)

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    #31

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Grasshoppers are older than grass, having evolved roughly 250 million years ago

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    #32

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Tchaikovsky hated to conduct by his own admission. He became obsessed with the fear that his head was going to fall off while he conducted. In 1868, when Tchaikovsky conducted his own Dances of the Hay Maidens, he held his head in place with his left hand while he conducted with his right.

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    #33

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    The sauna is such a deeply igrained part of the Finnish culture, that finns will even build them in war. Custom dictates no titles or hierarchies are allowed in the sauna, including military ranks in saunas built and used by soldiers.

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    #34

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Saffron, the world's costliest spice by weight, has been cultivated by humans for at least 3500 years and there are no known Saffron plants in the wild. Scientists still disagree about which part of the world the plant orginated. It takes 150,000 flowers to make 1 kg of Saffron spice.

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    J. Cole
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is why I'm afraid to order any... Where can I find real saffron?!

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    #35

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    There was an ape named Oliver who preferred walking upright. He was bald, freckled, showed sexual attraction towards humans and even liked to pour himself a cup of brandy every night while wearing a smoking jacket. Due to his human-like features and mannerisms he was once believed to be a "Humanzee".

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    Susan Green
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I feel sorry for this primate. I wonder if he was the result of some messed up experiment.

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    #36

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    French astronomer and mathematician Urbain le Verrier used observational data from Uranus to deduce the position of an unknown planet, which German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle used to find Neptune, within one hour of searching and within one degree of Verrier's prediction

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    #37

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Laminated safety glass was invented by chemist Édouard Bénédictus after a lab accident in 1903. A glass flask coated with the plastic cellulose nitrate was dropped, shattering but not breaking into pieces. In 1909 he filed a patent, after hearing of a car accident causing injury by glass debris.

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    #38

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Frank “Cannonball” Richards, a carnival entertainer is most famous for his act involved getting hit by a 104 lbs cannonball from close range; he performed the act twice a day because “more than that was too painful.”

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    #39

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Contrary to the publicized image of the upbeat patient joking with surgeons, Ronald Reagan lost half his blood and came within seconds of dying in 1981 when he was gunned down. His true condition was concealed from the public for nearly 30 years.

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    Dave P
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    but the doctors and nurses all did confirm the joking story.

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    #40

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    During his lifetime, George Washington owned almost every group of dog currently recognized by the American Kennel Club. Many of his dogs had interesting names too, such as: Madame Moose, Truelove, Tipsy, Mopesy, and Ragman.

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    #41

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Between 1978 and 1980, Michel Lotito ate an entire Cessna 150 airplane piece by piece. He is estimated to have eaten nine tons of metal over his lifetime, for which he was awarded a brass plaque by the Guinness Book of World Records. (He also ate the award.)

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    #42

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Catherine De Medici maintained 80 ladies-in-waiting, whom she allegedly used as tools to seduce courtiers for political ends. They were known as her "flying squadron". She also used them as a court attraction. In 1577, she threw a banquet at which the food was served by topless women.

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    Dave P
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Very few historians actuall consider this claim credible as it is only in the writings of her political enemies. Back then they would try to besmirch the reputation of powerful women sexual allegations. They did it to many women, like Catherine the Great, Elizabeth I, and others.

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    #43

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Courtroom sketches became popular in the earlier 20th century due to a general prohibition of cameras in the courtroom. Artists are able to sketch scenes in just minutes, often from memory. Despite most courtrooms now allowing cameras, sketch art is still in demand today.

    Rusty1799 Report

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    #44

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    A Roman day was always 12 hours long, regardless of the season. The time between sunrise and sunset was divided by 12 hours, same as with the time between sunset and sunrise. The hours where shorter in the winter and longer in the summer.

    Aquilax420 Report

    #45

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Yuri Kondratyuk, Soviet pioneer of astronautics, while working in Siberia, built an enormous wooden grain elevator with a capacity of 13 000 tons without using any nails. Due to using such an unusual construction, he was arrested in suspicion of sabotage. The elevator stood till the 90s.

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    #46

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    In State v. Linkhaw, the North Carolina Supreme Court reversed the conviction of a man who sang so badly in church that a jury had found him guilty of "disturbing a religious congregation."

    3-24-21 Report

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    Susan Green
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How rude can you get? He was initially convicted? This is why I never sing in public.

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    #47

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Footage is called footage because film used to be measured in feet.

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    #48

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Before he was caught, Charles Ponzi the namesake of the Ponzi scheme successfully sued a newspaper for libel and won $500,000 in damages after it suggested there was no way Ponzi could legally deliver such high returns in a short period of time.

    Fifth_Down Report

    #49

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    “Overmorrow” is the English word for “the day after tomorrow”. The common theory is that it sounded too ancient, even for 16th-century Middle English, and fell out of use.

    1saltymf Report

    #50

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    The most mass a planet can have is ~10-13x the mass of Jupiter. After this point, it's own sheer gravity begins to cause nuclear fusion and the body is classified as a brown dwarf (also called a failed star).

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    Joyce Melton
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Jupiter itself radiates more energy than it gets from the sun, just from gravitational compression. Its radiation is in infrared and longer waves so it isn't visible to the eye.

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    #51

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Growing almonds in California takes more than half of the commercial honeybees in the US, meaning they have to be temporarily shipped in from almost every other state.

    nerbovig Report

    #52

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    10.4% of the world’s population is either in a marriage/relationship with their second cousin or closer relative or is the result of such a union.

    grudginglyadmitted Report

    #53

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    In the 1930s, the US spent $300.000 ($5,5 million adjusted for inflation) to built massive car with the goal to cross Antarctica. Only to discover upon arrival that the tyres didn't work in the snow, and the whole thing was abandoned after 140 km (driven in reverse).

    ArcticBiologist Report

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    #54

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    The soundtrack for the 2019 miniseries Chernobyl (which concerns the 1986 nuclear disaster) was composed by Hildur Guðnadóttir, who incorporated field recordings from a real power plant in Lithuania, capturing the sounds of pumps, reactors and turbines.

    ShouldRlyBeLurking Report

    #55

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    In 2016, the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum in Hollywood paid $4.8 million for Marilyn Monroe's “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress that Monroe wore at JFK's 45th birthday celebration. The purchase cements it as one of the most expensive pieces of pop-culture memorabilia of all time.

    anonymous Report

    #56

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    The last B-52's are projected to continue service until some time in the 2050's, meaning the plane will have been in service for almost 100 years.

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    Dave P
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    you do know they update them every 5 years and do a overhaul every 20, it is why it carries 40% more bombs these days and has electronic warfare equipment. Just 6 years ago was the FTV overhaul, they gutted every single one to the shell and rebuilt it.

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    #57

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    A man was arrested in Japan for selling hacked Pokémon. The suspect had his computer seized by authorities and police believe the man made up to the equivalent of $10,000 selling illegal Pokémon.

    nint3njoe_2003 Report

    #58

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    The American Smarties candy received their namesake “Smarties” because the creator wanted to encourage people to pursue an education.

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    #59

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    In 1971, astronaut Alan Shepard hit 2 golf balls on the moon - he hit the first one into a crater, and claimed to have smashed the second one "miles and miles and miles". However, recent research has shown that the first ball travelled 24 yards (22 m), and the second ball only 40 yards (37 m)

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    Raynell
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Any golfers out there know how this compares to the typical distance a golf ball goes when hit?

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    #60

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    In 2018, the US hit a record high of never-married adults. 35% of Americans ages 25 to 50 had never been married, compared to 9% in 1970.

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    Ozacoter
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It would be interesting to see the % of single people, people in short relations and non married people in committed relations.

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    #61

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    A 2017 study by statistician Nathan Yau found the career divorce rates. Bartenders, flight attendants , massage therapists, and nurses had the highest at around 45-50%. Meanwhile, actuaries had the lowest at 17%, followed by software developers, engineers, scientists, and eye doctors.

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    juice
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    sorry, a bit confused. is it 45-50% of married bartenders (and other careers) get divorced, or 45-50% of divorcees were bartenders?

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    #62

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    The Brooklyn Dodgers name stems from a nickname given in the 1890s to people who, in a matter of life and death, had to evade railcars speeding down the streets. They were known as trolley dodgers.

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    Joyce Melton
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not mentioned is that Ebbett's Field where the Dodgers played was on the other side of the trolley yard from Manhattan, so Manhattanites walking to see a game literally had to dodge trolleys or go about 10 blocks to get around the tracks.

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    #63

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Phosphorus was discovered when alchemist Hennig Brand who was experimenting with urine attempted to create the fabled philosopher's stone through the distillation of some salts by evaporating urine, and in the process produced a white material that glowed in the dark and burned brilliantly.

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    F. H.
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A lot of early chemistry was discovered like that. We might laugh about alchemists today, but archeaological discoveries of the last decades have shown that they were often employed around mines. They most likely were there to experiment with new ways of extraction and develop new alloys and had to try making gold in their spare time. So they weren't all useless wizards. After all, the western recepie for porcelain was developed by an alchemist. He was in jail at time for claiming to know how to make gold.

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    #64

    Today-I-Learned-Til-Amazing-Facts

    Whales spouting water out of blowholes is a common error propagated in children's books and movies (the whale would be drowning if it did so). A 2016 scientific survey of children's books featuring whales and cetaceans revealed 74/116 had factual errors, including almost half of the non-fiction.

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    Ozacoter
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It’s a mistake but it isn’t that in accurate. They blow air from the hole (they couldn’t have water inside their lungs) but that air moves a lot of water. So it’s not that far off

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