› added 6 years ago

744

TIL of Caligula, an emperor of the Roman Empire. His short 4 year long reign consisted of him trying to make his horse a consul, calling himself a god, committing incest, and declaring war on the sea, having his men collect shells from the English Channel and return to Rome to celebrate victory.

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gZn7 TIL that according to Welsh folklore, Corgis were the preferred mount of fairy warriors.
E14A0 TIL that poisonous food substances are the reason we find bitter taste unpleasant. Our taste buds evolved associating bitter taste to poison because most of the poisonous wild fruits are bitter & nutritious ones, sweet. The feature which protected us for centuries is now causing major health-risks.
Z8D9Y TIL that the Shakers, a celibacy-focused sect similar to the Quakers, has only 2 members left worldwide.
9YmpD TIL that the arcade game Pac-man was originally named Puck-man in Japan, but the name was changed for English-speaking countries because of concerns that the letter “P” would always be vandalized into an “F.”
AD9Lx TIL of the Semmelweis reflex, a tendency to reject evidence that contradicts existing beliefs. Documented when doctors refused to wash their hands from autopsies to delivery rooms despite evidence this decreases mortality.