› added 5 years ago

81

TIL The term 'Slapstick' arises from a device developed for use in a physical comedy style in 16th-century Italy. The "slap stick" consists of two thin slats of wood, which make a "slap" when striking another actor.

nWJjG TIL the Woodstock 1999 festival was so ill-prepared for the crowd size that portable toilets overflowed and there was no shade from the heat. Attendees started playing in mud to cool off unaware it was contaminated by waste leaking from toilets leading to many cases of trench mouth and trench foot.
wL66W TIL - There was a guy in 1917 who flipped a urinal sideways, signed it with a pseudonym and called it art ("The Fountain"). Now other artists try to competitively pee into it in museums. "The Fountain" was voted most important work of 20th century art by 500 art professionals; surpassing Picasso.
l754B TIL about a barbershop which promoted reading. Children got a discount if they read aloud during a haircut.
PA7e TIL that a Lyme vaccine conferring immunity 76% of adults and 100% of children was removed from the market after an outcry by patient advocacy groups; despite no scientific evidence suggesting the vaccine was unsafe.
KYr4Q TIL the 1953 Miller experiment simulated early Earth’s conditions- exposing a mixture of water, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen to electric sparks. It showed organic compounds like amino acids form from simple molecules, offering insights into how life could have originated from non-living matter.