› added 4 days ago

TIL about Dr. Mike Bingham, a conservationist who was fired for reporting an 80% penguin decline. He was harassed by the government, sued them for human rights abuses, and won in the Supreme Court.

oB108 TIL: The miniskirt is named after the Mini Cooper and not the skirt's size. The designer, Mary Quant loved Mini Cooper cars and named the garment after them, saying that car and skirt were both "optimistic, exuberant, young, flirty," and complemented each other.
e0vwJ TIL that the term “starboard” comes from old boats where their “board” for “steering” was on the right. This meant they always docked on the left, or “port” side. Aviation borrows from maritime; so this is why you almost always board an airplane from the left side doors.
BrJrL TIL MMA fighter Ronda Rousey is of English, Polish, Trinidadian & Venezuelan descent. Her Trinidadian great-grandfather was one of the first black doctors in Canada & her English-American mother holds a PhD & won the World Judo Championship in 1984.
e05Xg TIL the music video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was re-edited by Kurt Cobain; among other things, he almost completely removed shots of a dorky teacher and an angry principal from the director's cut. (The teacher appears briefly at the end.)
wLDy6 TIL that science, medicine and technology has finally joined forces to create actual human mind driven Cyborgs. This exoskeletal robotic suit give movement back to those who have suffered physical paralysis.