TIL of Sylphium, an ancient plant the Romans considered worth its weight in silver. It was used as a seasoning, perfume, aphrodisiac, medicine, and contraceptive. The exact identity of the plant remains a topic of debate and mystery, with many believing it to be extinct.
https://ift.tt/3r54NUu
Submitted January 27, 2022 at 06:05PM by Polar_Reflection
via reddit https://ift.tt/3r6bVQF
https://ift.tt/3r54NUu
Submitted January 27, 2022 at 06:05PM by Polar_Reflection
via reddit https://ift.tt/3r6bVQF
Wikipedia
Silphium (antiquity)
extinct plant
TIL that a KGB agent and a CIA agent became friends while trying to recruit each other; they knew the other was a spy and just didn’t talk about it
https://ift.tt/3u1Qzpv
Submitted January 27, 2022 at 07:04PM by jq12ton
via reddit https://ift.tt/3u6Qq4g
https://ift.tt/3u1Qzpv
Submitted January 27, 2022 at 07:04PM by jq12ton
via reddit https://ift.tt/3u6Qq4g
Los Angeles Times
Neither U.S. Spy Nor KGB Foe Could Turn the Other
Cold War: Soviet quit the effort, but CIA agent persisted. And a remarkable, nearly fatal, friendship developed.
TIL Humans will walk in circles when lost unless there is some sort of external reference point.
https://ift.tt/3IZcZft
Submitted January 27, 2022 at 06:57PM by openletter8
via reddit https://ift.tt/3H27gEV
https://ift.tt/3IZcZft
Submitted January 27, 2022 at 06:57PM by openletter8
via reddit https://ift.tt/3H27gEV
www.science.org
Why We Walk in Circles
Confirming a common belief, researchers find that people really do walk in circles when lost
TIL South Park song "Blame Canada" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 72nd Academy Awards. This created controversy because all nominated songs are traditionally performed during the Oscar broadcast, but because the song contained the word fuck, which the FCC prohibits
https://ift.tt/3IHUzzE
Submitted January 27, 2022 at 09:48PM by Movie_Advance_101
via reddit https://ift.tt/3H8uZU1
https://ift.tt/3IHUzzE
Submitted January 27, 2022 at 09:48PM by Movie_Advance_101
via reddit https://ift.tt/3H8uZU1
Wikipedia
Blame Canada
"Blame Canada" is a satirical song from the 1999 animated film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, written by Trey Parker & Marc Shaiman. In the song, the parents of the fictional South Park, led by Sheila Broflovski (Mary Kay Bergman), decided to blame Canada…
TIL South Park song "Blame Canada" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 72nd Academy Awards. This created controversy because all nominated songs are traditionally performed during the Oscar broadcast, but because the song contained the word fuck, which the FCC prohibits
https://ift.tt/3IHUzzE
Submitted January 27, 2022 at 09:48PM by Movie_Advance_101
via reddit https://ift.tt/3H8uZU1
https://ift.tt/3IHUzzE
Submitted January 27, 2022 at 09:48PM by Movie_Advance_101
via reddit https://ift.tt/3H8uZU1
Wikipedia
Blame Canada
"Blame Canada" is a satirical song from the 1999 animated film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, written by Trey Parker & Marc Shaiman. In the song, the parents of the fictional South Park, led by Sheila Broflovski (Mary Kay Bergman), decided to blame Canada…
TIL in 2012 a librarian at a high school in Tupelo Mississippi discovered a library card in the back of an old book signed in 1948 by a then 13 year old Elvis Presley. It is the oldest known autograph by Elvis.
https://ift.tt/33PBpsV
Submitted January 27, 2022 at 10:30PM by big_macaroons
via reddit https://ift.tt/3AEAXtf
https://ift.tt/33PBpsV
Submitted January 27, 2022 at 10:30PM by big_macaroons
via reddit https://ift.tt/3AEAXtf
Elvis Presley News
Elvis Autograph Oldest Known Elvis Presley Signature
Elvis Autograph Oldest Known Elvis Presley SignatureOldest Know Elvis Presley Signature Elvis Presley Signature on Library Card Elvis
TIL that in 2016, Mozart CDs outsold Beyonce, Drake, and Adele CDs.
https://ift.tt/2uZCXyR
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 12:38AM by afeeney
via reddit https://ift.tt/3AF9iIT
https://ift.tt/2uZCXyR
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 12:38AM by afeeney
via reddit https://ift.tt/3AF9iIT
reddit
TIL that in 2016, Mozart CDs outsold Beyonce, Drake, and Adele CDs.
Posted in r/todayilearned by u/afeeney • 312 points and 41 comments
TIL - That artist James Barry had a niece who lived as a man in order to be a surgeon, only being discovered to be female after her death. Born Margaret Bulkley, She used the name James Barry, climbed the ranks of the army to Inspector General, and performed the first successful C-Section in Africa.
https://ift.tt/3pHNc2G
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 01:24AM by MafiaCub
via reddit https://ift.tt/3G75IrZ
https://ift.tt/3pHNc2G
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 01:24AM by MafiaCub
via reddit https://ift.tt/3G75IrZ
Wikipedia
James Barry (surgeon)
19th century British surgeon known for medical reforms and personal life
TIL Rich people used to hire peasants to be living “garden gnomes” in their yard
https://ift.tt/3dWlURC
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 01:48AM by on_surfaces
via reddit https://ift.tt/3IMWnXR
https://ift.tt/3dWlURC
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 01:48AM by on_surfaces
via reddit https://ift.tt/3IMWnXR
Atlas Obscura
Before the Garden Gnome, the Ornamental Hermit: A Real Person Paid to Dress like a Druid
While some gardeners might now throw in a gnome statue among their flowers and shrubberies, back in the 18th century wealthy estate owners were hiring real...
TIL laws restricting Chinese people to merchant visas made many Chinese restaurants in the U.S. These visas were only for fancy shops and the person had to run it for a year. Some groups used all their cash to open a nice restaurant and then switch who ran it each year so that they'd all get visas.
https://ift.tt/2Lp6cze
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 03:04AM by dilettantedebrah
via reddit https://ift.tt/35vi8xg
https://ift.tt/2Lp6cze
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 03:04AM by dilettantedebrah
via reddit https://ift.tt/35vi8xg
reddit
TIL laws restricting Chinese people to merchant visas made many...
Posted in r/todayilearned by u/dilettantedebrah • 136 points and 15 comments
TIL in Italy, Donald Duck has had for 50 years a superpowered alter-ego who started off with grappling hooks and is now an intergalactic warrior with a rocket-shield-glove that houses the digital consciousness of his mentor.
https://ift.tt/3IGSns7
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 02:22AM by lion_OBrian
via reddit https://ift.tt/3KSlz1e
https://ift.tt/3IGSns7
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 02:22AM by lion_OBrian
via reddit https://ift.tt/3KSlz1e
Wikipedia
Donald Duck in comics
Donald Duck, a cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company, is today the star of dozens of comic-book and comic-strip stories published each month (in certain parts of the world, each week) around the world. In many European countries, Donald is…
TIL Pterodactyls are not dinosaurs. They are extinct reptiles.
https://ift.tt/3r9qmnb
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 02:55AM by milesperson83
via reddit https://ift.tt/3o0ryar
https://ift.tt/3r9qmnb
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 02:55AM by milesperson83
via reddit https://ift.tt/3o0ryar
Wikipedia
Pterodactylus
The Pterodactyl (Pterodactylus from Greek pterodáktylos (πτεροδάκτυλος) meaning 'winged finger') is an extinct genus of pterosaurs. It is thought to contain only a single species, Pterodactylus antiquus, which was the first pterosaur to be named and identified…
TIL in 1989 a Thai worker stole 91kg of rare jewelry and valuable gems from a Saudi prince in Saudi Arabia. He fled the country and most of the valuables were never found. Four Saudi men who travelled to Thailand to investigate were killed. The countries have had no diplomatic ties since then.
https://ift.tt/3r6JbXW
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 09:30AM by dustofoblivion123
via reddit https://ift.tt/34h8VYx
https://ift.tt/3r6JbXW
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 09:30AM by dustofoblivion123
via reddit https://ift.tt/34h8VYx
Thomson Reuters Foundation News
The curse of the blue diamond
The curse of the blue diamond has struck Thailand once again
TIL although Nobel Prizes are not awarded posthumously, the 2011 Prize in Physiology and Medicine for Ralph M. Steinman still stands because the committee was unaware he had died three days before the announcement.
https://ift.tt/3IN0Ae6
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 07:08AM by A-dab
via reddit https://ift.tt/3KPBHQY
https://ift.tt/3IN0Ae6
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 07:08AM by A-dab
via reddit https://ift.tt/3KPBHQY
Wikipedia
Ralph M. Steinman
Canadian immunologist and cell biologist
TIL that "bull," meaning falsehood or nonsense, predates "bullshit" by centuries, and has no etymological connection to the word for male cattle.
https://ift.tt/3ILmqPq
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 08:42AM by SerialStateLineXer
via reddit https://ift.tt/3AEuoXw
https://ift.tt/3ILmqPq
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 08:42AM by SerialStateLineXer
via reddit https://ift.tt/3AEuoXw
Wikipedia
Bullshit
slang profanity term
TIL of the ‘Window Tax’, where people were taxed based on the number of windows they had on their houses. This was used in the 18th century as a simple method to calculate tax obligations. However, many people bricked up their windows, leading to health problems.
https://ift.tt/3r6RiDN
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 02:30PM by komodothrowaway
via reddit https://ift.tt/3IIc6Yr
https://ift.tt/3r6RiDN
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 02:30PM by komodothrowaway
via reddit https://ift.tt/3IIc6Yr
Wikipedia
Window tax
property tax based on the number of windows in a house
TIL that the banana ketchup is made by a filipino war hero Maria Orosa, who invented 700 recipes,one of which were products invention of processing of canned goods for guerillar warfare. These inventions saved thousands of Filipino and American people trapped in japanese world war II intern camps.
https://ift.tt/3HbE9iC
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 12:19PM by xalxary2
via reddit https://ift.tt/3o6Jyjo
https://ift.tt/3HbE9iC
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 12:19PM by xalxary2
via reddit https://ift.tt/3o6Jyjo
Wikipedia
María Orosa
Filipino chemist (1893-1945)
TIL of the killer whales of Eden, Australia. In the 1800s they would cooperate with human whalers to hunt larger whales. Both parties would share the carcass.
https://ift.tt/2QteuYt
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 03:26PM by Torgan
via reddit https://ift.tt/3u4YulW
https://ift.tt/2QteuYt
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 03:26PM by Torgan
via reddit https://ift.tt/3u4YulW
Wikipedia
Killer whales of Eden, New South Wales
The killers of Eden or Twofold Bay killers were a group of killer whales (Orcinus orca) known for their co-operation with human hunters of cetacean species. They were seen near the port of Eden in southeastern Australia between 1840 and 1930. A pod of killer…
TIL that the late actor Robert Forster, perhaps best known from "Jackie Brown" and "Breaking Bad," was a member of the "Triple Nine Society," which is reserved for people whose IQ is in at least the 99.9th percentile (which equates to a score of 146 or above on the widely-used Wechsler tests).
https://ift.tt/3rYUNLV
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 04:23PM by fotogneric
via reddit https://ift.tt/3KPkOG1
https://ift.tt/3rYUNLV
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 04:23PM by fotogneric
via reddit https://ift.tt/3KPkOG1
Wikipedia
Robert Forster
American actor (1941-2019)
TIL Scottish fold cats are banned in Scotland.
https://ift.tt/2QN0BGH
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 04:29PM by MrTenenbaum7
via reddit https://ift.tt/32IrRiK
https://ift.tt/2QN0BGH
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 04:29PM by MrTenenbaum7
via reddit https://ift.tt/32IrRiK
The Scotsman
Scottish fold cats: why the adorable breed is banned in Scotland but is huge in the US and Japan
Cat lovers are being urged to avoid choosing Scottish fold cats as pets because of health concerns associated with the adorable breed.
TIL The song Walk Like an Egyptian was inspired when Liam Sternberg was on a ferry crossing the English Channel. When it hit choppy water, passengers stepped carefully and moved their arms awkwardly to maintain their balance, which reminded him of human figures in ancient Egyptian tomb paintings.
https://ift.tt/3ANQozy
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 04:55PM by haddock420
via reddit https://ift.tt/33RPrKB
https://ift.tt/3ANQozy
Submitted January 28, 2022 at 04:55PM by haddock420
via reddit https://ift.tt/33RPrKB
Wikipedia
Walk Like an Egyptian
"Walk Like an Egyptian" is a song recorded by the American band the Bangles. It was released in 1986 as the third single from the album Different Light. It was the band's first number one single, being certified gold by the RIAA, and became Billboard's number…