› added 2 years ago

64

TIL that in the early 20th century, doctors used to prescribe cigarettes to patients as a treatment for a variety of ailments, including asthma, anxiety, and even sore throats. It wasn't until the 1960s that the link between smoking and lung cancer became widely known.

Read more cnn.com

via reddit.com

QJ709 TIL Human Evolution solves the same problem in different ways. Native Early peoples adapted to high altitudes differently: In the Andes, their hearts got stronger, in Tibet their blood carries oxygen more efficiently.
QJPnE TIL that the Tasmanian Devil will fly into a maniacal rage when threatened by a predator, fighting for a mate, or defending a meal. Early European settlers dubbed it a “devil” after witnessing such displays, which include teeth-baring, lunging, and an array of spine-chilling guttural growls.
X0VRR TIL William Grant Still's Symphony No. 1, Afro-American, performed in 1931 is considered the first symphony by a Black American composer to be performed by an established orchestra. It is a “blues symphony,” with blues theme in call-and-response with horns and woodwinds and ends with a spiritual
PY8Xw TIL of John Carpenter, the first person to win on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire". He didn't use any Lifelines until the final question when he called his dad only to say that he didn't actually need any help, and just wanted to tell him that he was about to win a million dollars.
4kEkb TIL About the Edgewood Arsenal human experiment project conducted by the US Army chemical corps from 1948-1975 during which 7,000 soldiers were exposed to various nerve agents to test their results.