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102

TIL: You can actually die from a broken heart

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a86lL TIL dunce caps were originally a sign of high intelligence and wisdom. Philosopher and theologian John Duns Scotus was a proponent of pointy hats as a way to funnel knowledge to the mind and his followers, called Dunsmen, wore them. By the 1500s the Dunsmen fell out of favor as “behind the times”.
N79n6 TIL the US provided Laos with funds and concrete to expand an airport which could serve as a base for US fighter jets during the Vietnam War. But as the funds and concrete arrived before any contract was signed, Laos decided instead to build a memorial to soldiers who died in World War II.
j6VVR TIL that priest Father Damien worked in Hawaii for 16 years, providing comfort to the lepers. He built homes and he treated lepers with his medical expertise. He prayed and comforted the dying. He later contracted leprosy but continued to give to the people and helped improve an orphanage.
KokR TIL Keanu Reeves donated $80 million of his $114 million earnings of the Matrix sequels to the special effects and makeup staff, stating “Money is the last thing I think about.”
Ogne TIL that in Russia’s Kronotsky Nature Reserve. There is a bear population that huffs jet fuel from old barrels until they pass out.