› added 10 years ago

123

TIL that Japan still executes people by hanging, with those on death row only notified the morning before the execution and are kept in solitary confinement until execution day.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

VM10k TIL Jefferson’s first draft of the Declaration of Independence criticized King George III for enslaving Africans, and for over-ruling Virginia’s attempt to ban Slavery. In it, Jefferson called slavery a “cruel war against human nature.” The draft was struck down by the continental congress.
Mee9V Roll clouds are a type of arcus clouds are typically associated with thunderstorms. These rarities of nature occur when air temperatures invert and cause the warm air to be on top of the cool air. The wind then changes speed and direction and causes a rolling effect of these cylinder-type clouds.
Lv7Z TIL that in 1746, Jean-Antoine Nollet conducted an experiment in which 200 monks formed a circle (1.6 km in circumference) and were linked by iron wire. He then had electricity pass through them which shocked all the monks simultaneously. He concluded that the speed of electricity was very high.
a8wZL TIL that the Turia river in Valencia was permanently diverted after constant flooding causing damage to surrounding areas, the old riverbed is now a verdant sunken park.
5Y7ND TIL Kleptothermy (heat-stealing) is observed in some male Canadian red sided garter snakes that mimic females by producing female-like pheromones when they emerge from hibernation so that other males mistakenly attempt to mate with them, thus transferring heat to them.