Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 00:49

TIL: Butt plugs were invented in the 1890s to cure insanity. Dr. Young's Ideal Rectal Dilators came in sets of four varying in diameter from half an inch to 4 inches. Dr. Young admitted that some patients panicked at the sight of the devices. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 22:49

TIL that in Sparta, Ancient Greece, they had “shouting elections”. Candidates would take turns walking into assembly rooms, and judges would compare the volume of the crowd’s shouts and cheers of approval to determine the winner. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 21:49

TIL that Ocean Spray, the cranberry company, is a cooperative owned by the farmers [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 19:49

TIL that in ancient Scythian society, when a king died, his servants, cooks, and horses were buried with him, reflecting beliefs about service in the afterlife and the brutal reality of social hierarchies, where a king’s death could lead to the death of many innocent individuals. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 18:50

TIL your anus can be too small and prevent you from pooping properly. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 16:49

TIL there are multiple philosophical razors beyond Occam’s Razor, such as Hanlon’s Razor, which suggests “never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity,” and Hitchens’ Razor, which claims “what can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.” [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 13:49

TIL letting your dog sniff on walks is like giving them a mental workout, helping them relax and absorb information about their surroundings. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 08:49

TIL New Zealand trialled anonymous testicle checks, which involved booths with a glory hole style hole for a doctor to stick his hand through and feel your testicles. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 04:49

TIL the Beatles (John, Paul, George, Ringo) were only together for 7 years and 7 months [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 03:49

TIL Beau Brummell revolutionised British men's fashion in the Regency era and was known for taking 5 hours to dress each day, including polishing his boots with champagne! [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 01:49

TIL there is a Catholic saint named Lucifer. Lucifer of Cagliari is revered as a saint on the island of Sardinia [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 00:49

TIL a U.S. presidential candidate can win the Electoral College with only 23% of the popular vote. It’s unlikely but possible and it’s time to abolish the EC. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

02 Nov 2024 23:49

TIL that the Match Group owns most every dating app (Tinder, OKCupid, POF, Hinge and more listed below), and is being sued for putting profits over matching users. Boycott them. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

02 Nov 2024 21:49

TIL Nikola Tesla originally expected to live to 150 years, but later changed this estimate to 135 years after he gave up alcohol due to prohibition. He regularly charged his body to high voltages to help aid longevity. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

02 Nov 2024 19:49

TIL that when Jim Hendrix first performed in front of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and members of the Beatles and Rolling Stones, comments included “shit”, “Jesus”, and “damn” [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 23:49

TIL the manchineel tree, one of the deadliest plants on Earth, produces a sweet, apple-like fruit that’s highly toxic. Native to the Caribbean and Florida, its sap causes severe burns and blistering on contact, and even a taste of the fruit or inhaling smoke from its wood can be fatal. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 21:49

TIL Punch drinks originated from India, and the word punch is a loanword from Hindi पाँच (pāñch), meaning "five", as the drink was frequently made with five ingredients: alcohol, sugar, juice from either a lime or a lemon, water, and spices. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 20:49

TIL that Chinese forces caused a flood as a defensive scorched earth tactic, during the Sino-Japanese War. It was tactically successful, but came at a great cost to civilians. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 19:49

TIL After a heart attack, the body increases sleep time in order to limit heart inflammation and damage [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 17:49

TIL an 1858 heatwave caused the River Thames to reek unbearably due to raw sewage dumping. The stench was so intense that Parliament ended sessions early, and curtains were soaked in chloride to mask the smell. This was the tipping point that finally pushed London to build a modern sewer system. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 16:49

TIL that a Chinese man, years after being dumped by girlfriend, bought every ticket at several IMAX screenings of her favourite movie ‘Transformers’ to demonstrate his affluence. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 11:49

TIL there is a Japanese word, tsundoku, which means buying a book but letting it pile up and never reading it. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 06:49

TIL that during the 19th Century, "&" was taught as the 27th letter of the alphabet. The alphabet ended with "X, Y, Z, and per se and", but this became slurred over time until it just became "ampersand". [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 04:49

TIL of “fan death” - a belief in South Korea that sleeping in a closed room with a fan on can be fatal. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 03:49

TIL: The biggest company to ever exist was East India Company, at its peak it account for half of the world's trade. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

03 Nov 2024 01:49

TIL a teenager who is blind has been able to play quarterback for a California high school football team by memorizing each play and by communications from his father on the sideline who is able to narrate the visuals to him using a walkie talkie. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

02 Nov 2024 23:49

TIL: Only members of the genus Homo can touch the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

02 Nov 2024 22:49

TIL in 2014, a 5 year old kid found a critical vulnerability in Xbox Live and other digital services [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

02 Nov 2024 20:49

TIL There's an active US Coast Guard vessel that originally belonged to Nazi Germany. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

02 Nov 2024 18:49

TIL about Julie d'Aubigny, a 17th century sword-fighting, bisexual opera singer who lived a colorful & storied life. She once wounded a man in a duel & after nursing him back to health took him as a lover. Another time she set a fire in a convent to fake the death of a nun who she had an affair with [Source]