TIL of the Gombe Chimpanzee War, wherein two communities of chimps engaged in organized warfare for 4 years; only one survived
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gombe_Chimpanzee_War
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1hw5v63/til_of_the_gombe_chimpanzee_war_wherein_two/
TIL due to decreased air pressure on airplane cabins you are more prone to fart on an airplane
#til #todayilearned
TIL about the Lavon Affair, a Mossad covert operation in Egypt where agents planted bombs in places frequented by American and British citizens, intending to frame Muslims and strain Egypt’s relations with Western powers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavon_Affair
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1hq25q3/til_about_the_lavon_affair_a_mossad_covert/
TIL It only took humans 11 years to start a World War following the invention of the airplane.
https://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/world-war-i
#til #todayilearned
TIL Bing Crosby was at the heart of introducing recordable master tape, revolutionizing radio, studio recording, & later TV/video production. In 1947, he funded the first commercial tape recorder with $50k, leading to the first radio show recorded on magnetic tape and changing broadcasting forever.
https://theaudiophileman.com/bing-crosby-tape-revolution/
#til #todayilearned
TIL Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Mexico and Chile do not punish prisoners for attempting to or successfully escaping prison as long as they don't break other laws while doing so.
https://www.unilad.com/news/world-news/legal-break-out-of-prison-various-countries-977124-20241107
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1hnbled/til_belgium_germany_the_netherlands_sweden/
TIL that if you fart during surgery, it can cause an explosion
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19918262/farting-during-surgery/
#til #todayilearned
TIL of shell cordovan, a rare "leather" that isn't made from animal skin, but connective tissue from a horse's buttocks. Shoes made from them are waterproof, don't crease, don't require polishing, and can last indefinitely. Only two major tanneries make them.
https://stridewise.com/why-is-cordovan-leather-so-expensive/
#til #todayilearned
TIL about "Project Iceworm", a top-secret 1958 $2.7 billion U.S. plan to convert part of the Arctic into a launchpad for nuclear missiles, including a nuclear reactor. Due to shifting Greenland ice sheets, the plan was scrapped in 1967, & the massive underground structure thereafter collapsed
https://www.historynet.com/project-iceworm-army-attempted-to-build-nuclear-lair-g…
#til #todayilearned
TIL-That humans have the largest butts (portionally) in the animal kingdom.
https://massivesci.com/articles/butts-shape-big-anthropologist-evolution-how-why-explainer/
#til #todayilearned
TIL about Bjúgnakrækir –The Sausage Swiper, an Icelandic troll that hides in rafters and steals smoked sausages.
https://icelandicyulelads.com/bjugnakraekir-sausage-swiper/
#til #todayilearned
TIL that the barber pole became the universal symbol for barbers as it resembles the bloody bandages of “barber-surgeons” of the past, who practiced bloodletting.
https://www.pallmallbarbers.com/mens-grooming/history-barbers-pole/
#til #todayilearned
TIL A classic thought experiment in probability theory suggests that if you have a million monkeys typing away on a million typewriters (or even just a few), given enough time, they will randomly produce the complete works of Shakespeare (or Dickens, or even the entire British Library).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_monkey_theorem
#til #todayilearned
TIL there is such thing as T-Bills. Is it smart to buy them?
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/treasurybill.asp
#til #todayilearned
TIL a team of researchers at UC Irvine found that the average attention span in 2004 was 150 seconds. In 2012 it was found to be 75 seconds, and recently was found to be 47 seconds.
https://thesciencesurvey.com/editorial/2024/02/12/the-problem-with-your-attention-span
#til #todayilearned
TIL fart lighting, the intentional ignition of flammable gases in flatulence like methane and hydrogen, can produce blue, yellow, or orange flames. A novelty practice among young men for decades, it’s risky and often performed in group settings despite its potential for serious injury.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fart_lighting
#til #todayilearned
TIL in 1807, Ohio tax law required every military-age male to kill at least 100 squirrels per year
https://southeastohiohistory.org/tom-talks-history-blog/squirrel-invasion/
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1h9xjb0/til_in_1807_ohio_tax_law_required_every/
TIL female frogs play dead to avoid mating with males
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/oct/11/female-frogs-fake-death-unwanted-advances-study
#til #todayilearned
TIL: That Mark Chapman, killer of John Lennon, has been allowed regular conjugal visits since he accepted solitary confinement in 2014. He is allowed to spend 44 hours alone with his wife in a specially built prison home. He also gets occasional visits from his sister, clergy, and a few friends.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_David_Chapman
#til #todayilearned
TIL that even though Winston Churchill's mother was a United States citizen, Churchill could not claim US citizenship because before 1934 you could not claim citizenship through your mother.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthright_citizenship_in_the_United_States
#til #todayilearned
