› added 6 years ago

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TIL of The Barnum Effect: a common psychological phenomenon where people give high accuracy ratings to descriptions of their personality that seem tailored to them but are, in fact, vague and general enough to apply to a wide range of people. See astrology, fortune telling etc.

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Lk8QV TIL that before being transferred to Alcatraz, notorious mobster Al Capone's mind had begun failing due to complications with syphilis. He was frequently bullied by his fellow inmates in East State Penitentiary and his cellmate feared that Capone would have a mental breakdown.
rJke TIL there are at least 10 different types of Orca (Killer) Whales
Br1Bx TIL Fasting was used as a method of protesting injustice in pre-Christian Ireland, and had specific rules by which it could be used. It was often done on doorsteps, possibly because allowing a person to die at one’s doorstep, for a wrong of which one was accused, was considered a great dishonour.
5VDXQ TIL about mulled wine, a centuries-old tradition of heating red wine with spices and sometimes fruits. It dates back to ancient Rome, where spiced wine was used to preserve it during winter, and it remains a popular holiday drink in many European cultures.
Q7p TIL that Heroin was created in 1897 as a patent cough remedy.