worldschool
TIL there's a species of ants that abducts larvae of other colonies to use them as slaves. Their own "workers" do nothing but these raids.
Read More submitted by /u/rogallew [link] [comments]
worldschool
Today I learned scientists have been able to track the history of the AIDS virus. Through research they believe 'patient zero' lived Cameroon in Africa, and contracted the disease around 1908, after hunting a chimp and being infected with SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus)
Read More submitted by /u/Indiana-Cook [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL the skin of a honey badger is so thick that it can withstand multiple machete blows, arrows, and spears. The only sure way to kill one is via a club to the skull or gunshot.
Read More submitted by /u/124as [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL a Scottish teen's mother had been nagging him for weeks to clean his bedroom. When Ryan Kitching finally cleaned his room, he found 12 old lottery tickets in a drawer; one of them was a winner for £52,981.
Read More submitted by /u/Miskatonica [link] [comments]
worldschool
worldschool
TIL Jamie Foxx got the role of Django in Django unchained, in part, because he had his own horse already. The horse he rides in the film was Jamie's actual horse, IRL.
Read More submitted by /u/32eugop [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that the West African lungfish can survive up to 3.5 years without food or water. It has been around for 400 million years & their gills have evolved to obtain oxygen from the air as well as water. During estivation they get nutrients by digests its muscle tissue & can go on for years!
Read More submitted by /u/poleco1 [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL: In 2010 a man was sentenced to 2 years for stabbing a man who knifed him in Counter Strike. He spent 6 months tracking down his rival's real life location. The judge called him a "menace to society"
Read More submitted by /u/Kingflares [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that the Romans thought that eyelashes fell out from excessive sexual intercourse and so it was especially important for women to keep their eyelashes long to prove their chastity.
Read More submitted by /u/StypticParasite [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that when quirky theatrical producer David Merrick got bad reviews for his 1961 musical, he found 7 random denizens of New York with names identical to those of 7 top theatre critics. He asked the civilians to talk ecstatically of the musical, then published an ad with their praises and names.
Read More submitted by /u/BurtGummer1911 [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL Police Woman, a 1974-1978 NBC TV show starring Angie Dickinson about a female cop caused an avalanche of applications for employment from women to police departments around the United States & was President Ford's favorite show, cancelling a press conference in order to avoid delaying an episode
Read More submitted by /u/90skid91 [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL George Washington borrowed The Law of Nations from the New York Society Library and didn't return it. Mount Vernon estate returned the book in 2010 (221 years overdue) after the Head librarian joked they were "not actively pursuing the overdue fines," they would appreciate having it back.
Read More submitted by /u/Plazomicin [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL: Certain ant species commit suicide to protect their territory. As stinging wasn't effective against some predators, they evolved the ability to self-sacrifice to kill one or more enemies. They wrap themselves around an opponent & explodes, releasing sticky corrosive material killing both.
Read More submitted by /u/poleco1 [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL Led Zeppelin bought their private jet “The Starship” for part of their 1973 US tour for $30,000. Drummer John Bonham once flew the band from New York to LA even though he didn’t have a pilot’s license.
Read More submitted by /u/redmambo_no6 [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL North America's Lake Superior contains 10 percent of the world's surface freshwater and holds the remains of 6,000 shipwrecks
Read More submitted by /u/Took4ever [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote 23 sequels to Tarzan of the Apes. The ape-man discovers he is John Clayton, Lord of Greystoke, fights alongside Germans in WWI, finds a colony of Atlantis and the City of Gold, befriends a tribe of dog-sized humans, and has other bizarre adventures.
Read More submitted by /u/Iestwyn [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that Queen Elizabeth II has seen 13 different UK Prime Ministers come into power, with the first one being Winston Churchill.
Read More submitted by /u/qmzwnxo [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL of the Bone Wars. In the late 1800s, two rival paleontologists sought to disgrace each other, resorting to bribery, theft, attempts to cut off funding, and destruction of bones. Both paleontologists were ruined financially, but their efforts led to the discovery of 136 new species of dinosaurs.
Read More submitted by /u/derstherower [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that Morocco was the first independent nation to publicly recognize the United States
Read More submitted by /u/Ok-Difficulty [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL of a 1993 proposal to build a giant advertising billboard in outer space that would appear roughly the same size and brightness as the moon. The project didnt meet funding and inspired a bill to ban all advertisement in outer space.
Read More submitted by /u/shampoo_and_dick [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL killer whales use a hunting technique known as a "karate chop" against sharks. Using its tail it pushes the shark to the surface on a vortex, then raises its tail high in the air and slams it on the shark’s head. Then it flips the shark over causing tonic immobility, rendering it paralyzed.
Read More submitted by /u/f_GOD [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL a young female Arctic fox fitted with a tracking device trekked 2,175 miles from Norway to Canada in 76 days, settling on Ellesmere Island in Canada. She traveled an average of 28 miles/day with a maximum pace of 96 miles/day, outpacing a previously tracked adult male fox by 1.4 times.
Read More submitted by /u/Miskatonica [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL Fossil remains of an extinct colossus penguin was nearly 7 feet tall and weighed 250 pounds, unearthed in Antarctica
Read More submitted by /u/PhotoClock [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL US Marine SSgt Jonathan Turner’s remains were to be boxed up and mailed from CA to GA, but hundreds from motorcycle group "The Patriot Guard Riders" stepped up to create a dignified caravan to bring his remains home. Turner served 7 tours in Iraq & Afghanistan and died of combat wounds in CA.
Read More submitted by /u/Miskatonica [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL of Jeremiah Horrocks who died 23 years old, was the only person to predict the transit of Venus in front of the sun in 1639, and one of only two people in the world to witness it, ...the first two ever, and likely the first in 600+ years.
Read More submitted by /u/Traveledfarwestward [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL of the unofficial Russian book The Last Ringbearer which describes The Lord of the Rings trilogy from Sauron's point of view and portrays Mordor as the good guys
Read More submitted by /u/Skylacine [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that, in 1967, due an argument with their bishop everyone in a small Italian village renounced Catholicism and converted en masse to Greek Orthodox.
Read More submitted by /u/SilenceIsHardlyThat [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that decades after reunification, the former border between East and West Berlin is still visible from space at night due to differences between the streetlamps used by the two sides
Read More submitted by /u/zenits [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that Adolf Hitler believed that he was sexually attractive to women and wished to exploit this for political gain by remaining single, as he felt marriage would decrease his appeal. The German people were unaware of Hitler & Eva Braun's relationship until after the war
Read More submitted by /u/Slats7 [link] [comments]
worldschool
worldschool
TIL the band Cannibal Corpse appeared in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective because Jim Carrey was a fan and wanted them. They declined at first because of a tour but agreed after production rearranged their schedule to accommodate them and when they met Jim "he rattled off lyrics to 'Rancid Amputation'."
Read More submitted by /u/f_GOD [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL "Point Blank Range" is not necessarily a close shot, but the range at which a gun can shoot directly at a target without any elevation of the barrel.
Read More submitted by /u/SuperMcG [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that a man decided to deposit a check that he received from a junk mail ad just to see what would happen. to his surprise, they allowed him to deposit the $95,000 check. the bank tried to take the money back, but since he didn’t break any laws, there was nothing they could do.
Read More submitted by /u/skintight_tommy [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that when George Ruth Jr. was 19, the law stated he had to have a legal guardian to sign his baseball contract. Baltimore Orioles owner Jack Dunn became Ruth's guardian, leading teammates to jokingly call Ruth "Dunn's new babe." The joke stuck, and Ruth quickly earned the nickname "Babe" Ruth
Read More submitted by /u/Slats7 [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL in 2005, Dr. Phil offered to help find missing American teenager Natalee Holloway who went missing in Aruba. He released an undercover interview with one of the suspects in which he confessed participating in her murder. The video was proven to be heavily edited and completely misleading.
Read More submitted by /u/kevlarbuns [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL 29-yr-old Marine veteran Taylor Winston stole a truck to drive victims of the Las Vegas shooting to the hospital. He and his girlfriend made 2 trips having to pick only the most critically injured 10 - 15 people each time after helping boost others over a fence away from the shooter.
Read More submitted by /u/Miskatonica [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL in physics, rate of change in Acceleration is named 'Jerk'. Change in Jerk is called 'Snap', and further derivatives are named 'Crackle' & 'Pop'.
Read More submitted by /u/mochisushi [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL in 2012 a lifeguard named Tommy Lopez was fired for saving a drowning man who was outside the protected area
Read More submitted by /u/14dM24d [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL The World Mosquito Project scientists cultivate and release mosquitoes infected with a bacterium called Wolbachia. The bacterium is passed down to future generations. The bacterium appears to block mosquitos from transmitting arboviruses (dengue, chikungunya & yellow fever) & Zika
Read More submitted by /u/JLPwasHere [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL Modern body armor was created by a pizza delivery guy who was wounded in the head and leg after a pizza delivery turned into a shootout. Richard Davis, a former US Marine, developed the bulletproof vest using Kevlar. During testing, he shot himself in the chest 190 times.
Read More submitted by /u/Deanothedino [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that only 10% of wine 'experts' can consistently rate the wine from the same bottle in the same way, and they aren't consistent the next year. After analysing results across wine competitions in california, medals were found to be distributed at random.
Read More submitted by /u/iHyperVenom_YT [link] [comments]
worldschool
worldschool
TIL Dr. William Dove was able to produce unicorn (single-horn) rams, goats, and a bull in 1930 by moving the un-anchored horn buds of the animal and trimming them so that they fit together. Dove reported that his unicorn bull became the leader of its herd and was very rarely challenged by others.
Read More submitted by /u/oftquoted [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL In March 2006 a man purchased an authentic official copy of the Declaration of Independence, one of 200 “official copies” commissioned by John Quincy Adams in 1820, for $2.48 at a Nashville, TN thrift shop. It later sold for $477,650 at auction.
Read More submitted by /u/Deanothedino [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL the 1992 Rage Against the Machine track "Killing In The Name" was the 2009 UK Christmas #1 song thanks to a campaign set to prevent a song from "The X Factor" from accomplishing the feat for a 5th straight year. The band would then perform a free concert in London thanking fans for the campaign.
Read More submitted by /u/asl052 [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that when Mel Brooks was 16 years old, he worked for a theatrical producer who raised funds by sleeping with his investors, most of whom were elderly women. He also knew two showmen who created flop after flop, but still profited. They inspired him to make the 1967 film, “The Producers”.
Read More submitted by /u/Numerous-Lemon [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL Two homosexual lovers, Harmodius and Aristogeiton, assassinated the king of Athens, Hipparchus, and triggered events that would usher in democracy. They became known as the Tyrannicides, the preeminent symbol of democracy to ancient Athenians.
Read More submitted by /u/AdamATrain [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that Michael Crichton, after clashing with journalist Michael Crowley over a previous book, created a character in his book 'Next' that was a child molester with a 'small penis'. The character's name was Mick Crowley.
Read More submitted by /u/Al-Andalusia [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL the first "Made in " label was created in 1887 in England to discourage foreign goods and to encourage consumption of domestic-made goods; this ultimately backfired when Britons bought more goods made in Germany than domestic made ones
Read More " label was created in 1887 in England to discourage foreign goods …
worldschool
TIL of Ching Shih. Originally a prostitute who married a pirate, she ended up commanding a fleet of 20,000-40,000 pirates, battling the Portuguese empire, British empire, and Qing Dynasty at various stages. She married her adopted son, had two children with him and died a free woman at age 69.
Read More submitted by /u/dspm99 [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL when insects are electrocuted by bug zappers, it can spread a mist containing insect parts up to about 2 metres from the device. The air around the bug zapper can become contaminated by bacteria and viruses that can be inhaled by people or settle on food.
Read More submitted by /u/rwagner18 [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that the liquid from canned chickpeas (and only chickpeas, not other beans) is called aquafaba and can be whipped into a stiff, fluffy foam. Aquafaba can be used instead of egg whites in baking and can even be used to make egg-free merengue.
Read More submitted by /u/willowander [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL that the element Cobalt gets its name from a trickster goblin of German folklore, the kobold, because when medieval miners discovered it and tried to smelt it thinking it was silver, it released toxic gasses they believed to be the goblin playing a trick on them.
Read More submitted by /u/Yorkshire_Bjorn [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL in 1986 all game designers working for Konami were forbidden to attach their actual name to any project. Instead, they were required to create a fake name to be listed in the game’s credits. This was to prevent them from asking for raises, and keep rival companies from stealing their talent.
Read More submitted by /u/Falant [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL Mel Brooks was a producer on the movie The Elephant Man, but his name was intentionally uncredited as to not lead audiences to believe the film was a comedy
Read More submitted by /u/DonutSoda [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL Killer bees were created in an attempt to breed tamer and more manageable bees. This was done by crossing a European honey bee and an African bee, but instead the offspring became more aggressive and highly defensive bees that have escaped into the wild.
Read More submitted by /u/PissOnMe_BeatMe [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL Detroit holds the record for the city with the most rejected bids to host the Olympics.
Read More submitted by /u/truehalf [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL during the 1999 University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt one of the teams managed to build a working nuclear reactor from scratch.
Read More submitted by /u/YourOwnBiggestFan [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL a 16 year old survived a five hour flight inside the landing gear of a jumbo jet from San Jose, California to Maui, Hawaii. He blacked out on takeoff and the plane went to 38,000ft meaning temperatures of 75-80 below zero and a lack of oxygen probably leading to "a state of suspended animation."
Read More submitted by /u/f_GOD [link] [comments]
worldschool
TIL The Imperial War Museum has an exhibit which lets you listen to the moment guns fell silent, after the WW1 armistice went into effect. They used seismic data to recreate the effect.
Read More submitted by /u/amansaggu26 [link] [comments]
