› added 11 years ago

200

TIL Egyptian female protesters underwent virginity checks.

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BK0L TIL J.R.R. Tolkien would begin his lecture series on Beowulf by loudly reciting the beginning lines of the poem…in the original Anglo-Saxon language.
JYnrk TIL a man robbed two bank after covering his face in lemon juice, which he believed would hide him from the cameras because it was "invisible ink". His case led psychologists to describe the Dunning-Kruger effect, where ignorance leads people to overestimate their knowledge.
rN4Mx TIL that a "Silent Man" in the UK repeatedly gets arrested for standing on a certain road to block traffic. He never speaks a word, not even to the court or his own lawyer. Everytime he is released, he repeats the crime and remains completely silent.
LkY1r TIL in 1913, a study was published on "the feeling of being stared at". It was found to be groundless, attributed to you being nervous about how you look when someone's looking at you.
ADQP7 TIL Margaret Dickson was hanged in 1724. She was later found still alive. Under Scots Law, since her punishment had been carried out, she could not be executed for a second time for the same crime. Only later were the words "until dead" added to the sentence of hanging.