Today I Learned (TIL)

r/todayilearned•36.1M subscribers•3.2K active
TIL a number of people, including a group of Swedish researchers, tried to replicate the experiment shown in the documentary Super Size Me(2004). None of them were able to get the same results as the documentary creator.
TIL a number of people, including a group of Swedish researchers, tried to replicate the experiment shown in the documentary Super Size Me(2004). None of them were able to get the same results as the documentary creator.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Size_Me

by Porchie12
27.5K
1.7K
9h
TIL there was a man who smashed a door of a cupcake store, sat there for 15 Minutes, cleaned up the mess he had done, stole 6 Cupcakes and left. After being recognized, he profusely apologized and the store owner didn’t press charges but rather made a signature cupcake of him.

www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6861481

by justAPersonOnGoogle2
24.1K
382
14h
TIL that Lucid dreaming is a learnable skill. There are specific techniques and tips, like learning to check your reality, that can increase chances of having a lucid dream.
TIL that Lucid dreaming is a learnable skill. There are specific techniques and tips, like learning to check your reality, that can increase chances of having a lucid dream.

www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/how-to-lucid-dream

by BumbleBChicken
3.9K
410
9h
TIL: Veterinarians who are women commit suicide at a rate 4x higher than male vets
TIL: Veterinarians who are women commit suicide at a rate 4x higher than male vets

www.houstonpress.com/news/surging-pet-adoptions-collide-with-longstanding-vet-shortages-15169212

by Madame_President_
2.9K
246
8h
TIL It's illegal to NOT own snow tires in Québec Canada.

saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/road-safety/modes-transportation/automobile/maintenance-safety/winter-preparation

by RoboChemist101
1.3K
196
4h
TIL That Megalodon teeth were once thought to be petrified human tongues that fell from the sky during lunar eclipses. It wasn't until the early 17th century that people realized there were ancient shark teeth
TIL That Megalodon teeth were once thought to be petrified human tongues that fell from the sky during lunar eclipses. It wasn't until the early 17th century that people realized there were ancient shark teeth

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalodon

by Misersoneof
2.2K
70
8h
TIL: In the Zhou dynasty, it is believed the ruling class had excess "de" and so needed a large number of female partners or else the "DE" turns into malevolent "gui". They have special court ladies, the "nu shi" to ensure they sleep with women in the right order and amount.
TIL: In the Zhou dynasty, it is believed the ruling class had excess "de" and so needed a large number of female partners or else the "DE" turns into malevolent "gui". They have special court ladies, the "nu shi" to ensure they sleep with women in the right order and amount.

giovanni-maciocia.com/sexuality-in-chinese-medicine/

by Flares117
6.3K
241
14h
TIL In 1864 during the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia, a Union and Confederate soldier got into a fistfight to settle their disagreement on who was the other's prisoner. The brawl made both armies pause the entire battle just so they could watch them fight.
TIL In 1864 during the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia, a Union and Confederate soldier got into a fistfight to settle their disagreement on who was the other's prisoner. The brawl made both armies pause the entire battle just so they could watch them fight.

sofrep.com/news/that-time-when-a-fistfight-over-a-gulley-stopped-the-civil-war/

by AutoChatGPT
1.0K
48
5h
TIL the San Diego-Coronado Bridge is the 2nd most used bridge for suicide in the US trailing only the Golden Gate Bridge.
TIL the San Diego-Coronado Bridge is the 2nd most used bridge for suicide in the US trailing only the Golden Gate Bridge.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego%E2%80%93Coronado_Bridge

by Upper-Life3860
4.2K
203
13h
TIL research across 160 cultures revealed that spousal infidelity is the most common reason for a breakup
TIL research across 160 cultures revealed that spousal infidelity is the most common reason for a breakup

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10002055/

by malarky-b
2.2K
161
10h
TIL about BonziBUDDY, a free virtual desktop assistant created in 1999. People called it spyware after it was found out to have collected user's personal information before serving them pop-up ads. Because of this, it had to pay $75k in fines, and was discontinued in 2004.
TIL about BonziBUDDY, a free virtual desktop assistant created in 1999. People called it spyware after it was found out to have collected user's personal information before serving them pop-up ads. Because of this, it had to pay $75k in fines, and was discontinued in 2004.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BonziBuddy

by TertioRationem3
1.3K
88
8h
TIL that, because of bleaching agents and hairspray, hairdressers are at very high risk of developing lung disease.
TIL that, because of bleaching agents and hairspray, hairdressers are at very high risk of developing lung disease.

occup-med.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12995-022-00351-5

by 48minus122
2.4K
38
12h
TIL that the first panty tree first took root in the late 1970s in Aspen, Colorado and started as a protest against the first female ski patroller that then spiraled out of control.

www.powder.com/the-bump/the-story-behind-the-original-panty-tree

by Majoodeh
2.0K
149
12h
TIL Germany was made the hosts of the 2006 FIFA worldcup after the editor-in-chief for the satire tabloid "Titanic" sent a fax to one of the representatives voting on the matter with promises of a gift basket worth ~20 USD if he voted for Germany.
TIL Germany was made the hosts of the 2006 FIFA worldcup after the editor-in-chief for the satire tabloid "Titanic" sent a fax to one of the representatives voting on the matter with promises of a gift basket worth ~20 USD if he voted for Germany.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic_(magazine)

by jimi15
5.2K
87
18h
TIL Jingle Bells is actually a thanksgiving song!
TIL Jingle Bells is actually a thanksgiving song!

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/jingle-bells-christmas-song-started-as-a-drinking-song-written-by-a-jerk-1.2874860

by Vitamin-A-
959
132
10h
TIL that increasing the wind speed by 2x increases the wind power available by 8x
TIL that increasing the wind speed by 2x increases the wind power available by 8x

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power

by bb-wa
719
61
9h
TIL the "Mother of Women's Judo" was a Jewish-American woman born in Brooklyn, New York. After being barred from competition in the states for being a woman and having to return medals she won posing as a man, she became the first woman to train with men at Kodokan- the Worldwide Judo Headquarters.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rena_Kanokogi

by TevyeMikhael
354
13
10h
TIL Occam's Razor, the principle which advocates for simplicity in explanations and theories (literally and specifically "Plurality must never be posited without necessity") is named after William of Ockham. The spelling variation "Occam" likely arose due to changes in transliteration over time.
TIL Occam's Razor, the principle which advocates for simplicity in explanations and theories (literally and specifically "Plurality must never be posited without necessity") is named after William of Ockham. The spelling variation "Occam" likely arose due to changes in transliteration over time.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor

by relevantusername2020
225
35
9h
TIL that Brandi Brandt, a Playboy centerfold who played the elevator operator at the beginning of Aerosmith's "Love in an Elevator" ("Going...down?") was jailed up to six years in Australia for being part of a cocaine smuggling ring

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandi_Brandt

by tamsui_tosspot
599
16
16h
TIL that there are approximately over 10,000 atomic bombs / nuclear warheads worldwide.

worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/nuclear-weapons-by-country

by BlakeSergin
-
16
52m
TIL that 70s / 80s music star Plastic Bertrand wasn’t actually the singer for his first 4 albums, and the public had no idea for 30 years. He only received .5% of the royalties for “his” international hit, ‘Ça Plane Pour Moi”, with the majority likely going to the songs actual singer, Lou Deprijck.
TIL that 70s / 80s music star Plastic Bertrand wasn’t actually the singer for his first 4 albums, and the public had no idea for 30 years. He only received .5% of the royalties for “his” international hit, ‘Ça Plane Pour Moi”, with the majority likely going to the songs actual singer, Lou Deprijck.

www.billboard.com/music/music-news/plastic-bertrand-admits-miming-1970s-pop-classic-1203073/

by mvd102000
391
36
14h
TIL that male Ohio residents have to pay out-of-state tuition fees at Ohio universities if they aren’t registered with Selective Service, and some states like Alabama and Tennessee won’t admit men into state colleges at all if they haven’t registered.
TIL that male Ohio residents have to pay out-of-state tuition fees at Ohio universities if they aren’t registered with Selective Service, and some states like Alabama and Tennessee won’t admit men into state colleges at all if they haven’t registered.

www.sss.gov/register/state-commonwealth-legislation/

by NiceTraining7671
18.9K
1.5K
1d
TIL that part of Batman's iconic look is partly inspired by the villain from the film The Bat Whispers (1930) According to Bob Kane on of the creators of Batman
TIL that part of Batman's iconic look is partly inspired by the villain from the film The Bat Whispers (1930) According to Bob Kane on of the creators of Batman

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bat_Whispers

by AdSpecialist6598
487
14
16h
TIL a three-way civil war between Chinese Muslim rebels, a Tajik warlord, and Qing forces commanded by general Zuo Zongtang (also called General Tso) in western China between 1862 and 1877 resulted in over 20 million deaths. It was concurrent with the more famous Taiping rebellion.
TIL a three-way civil war between Chinese Muslim rebels, a Tajik warlord, and Qing forces commanded by general Zuo Zongtang (also called General Tso) in western China between 1862 and 1877 resulted in over 20 million deaths. It was concurrent with the more famous Taiping rebellion.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungan_Revolt_(1862%E2%80%931877)

by zhuquanzhong
122
11
8h
TIL that in 1932, Fritz Gerlich, a German journalist, made fun of Hitler’s bigotry by publishing a satire article “proving” that Hitler was Mongolian. Later, Gerlich was taken to Dachau and murdered.
TIL that in 1932, Fritz Gerlich, a German journalist, made fun of Hitler’s bigotry by publishing a satire article “proving” that Hitler was Mongolian. Later, Gerlich was taken to Dachau and murdered.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Gerlich

by metapolitical_psycho
8.1K
131
1d