› added 4 years ago

111

TIL Physicist Brian Schmidt made a bet with his colleague Sean Carroll, betting that we wouldn’t know the value of the cosmological density parameter within 20 years. Brian lost the bet by figuring it out himself, which earned him a Nobel prize.

Read more preposterousuniverse.com

via reddit.com

Ed0P TIL that the actress who voiced Snow White in the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was forbidden to appear in any other film, television or media after the film was released until her death. Disney didn’t want to “Ruin the illusion of Snow White.”
WkZkL TIL that in 1950 US Navy sprayed thought to be harmless bacteria over the SF Bay Area, as an experiment on potential biological attack. It was followed by spikes in cases of very rare urinary infections and pneumonia. Between 1949 and 1969 open-air tests of biological agents were conducted 239 times
l7GWV TIL that the founder of audio electronics manufacturer Bose donated most of his shares to his alma mater, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT is now the company’s majority shareholder.
AD6oa TIL Al Matthews (actor), who portrayed GySgt Apone in Aliens, was an actual U.S. Marine with 13 combat awards including 2 Purple Hearts. Matthews, who was also the inspiration for Sgm Johnson in the Halo series, was one of the first African American Marines in Vietnam to be promoted to Sergeant.
wQkJ TIL China’s only monogamous emperor made the decision to promote monogamy because one of his father’s women murdered his mom. He was hidden because the consort killed the emperor’s heirs in an attempt to gain power. When it was discovered that one had survived, she killed his mom instead.