› added 3 years ago

116

TIL that Japanese scientists hypothesized that zebras' stripes deter insects. So they painted black and white stripes on cows and striped cows had about 50% fewer biting flies land on them than unpainted cows.

Read more thesized.com

via reddit.com

WkAyA TIL in the Ainu community (Japan's indigenous people), when a man proposed to a woman, he visited her house, ate half a full bowl of rice handed to him by her, and returned the rest. If the woman ate the rest, she accepted his proposal. If she did not and put it beside her, she rejected his proposal
neo6W TIL Davy Crockett was not only an American pioneer, but a politician and a soldier: as a member of U.S. Congress he vehemently opposed Andrew Jackson and the Indian Removal Act (which led to the Trail of Tears) and eventually died in the Battle of the Alamo in 1836.
Xm6j TIL that the stereotype of African Americans loving fried chicken dates back to the Civil War, as chickens were generally the only animals slaves could raise on their own.
JYro4 TIL the shape of Spaghetti-Os is actually a real type of pasta. It's not just an American invention. Its true name is Anelli and it's a traditional pasta variety. It even has a holiday on December 11th called National Noodle Ring Day.
xp77 TIL In 2014 Californians consumed 46 billion gallons of water per day and less than 17% of that was consumed by the general public.