› added 8 years ago

88

TIL: The Emperor of China who built the Great Wall suppressed intellectual thoughts and unified political opinion by burning books and burying scholars alive.

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8a7A8 TIL all Australian doctors who plan to stay in Antarctica during the winter must have their appendix removed in case of an unexpected rupture.
5YQQk TIL medieval and old stairwells go clockwise because an attacker would need to use their right hand to steady themselves and their left hand to hold a sword whereas a defender would hold a sword in their right and steady themselves on their left.
JYeP8 TIL that in 1897 the mayor of Seattle quit office to start a boat business and transport gold miners from San Fransisco to Canada
oRvM7 TIL that between 1998 and 2015, the Defense and Housing and Urban Development departments had reported $21 trillion in "unsupported adjustments". That is, $21 trillion missing in tax payer money; They cannot track it, nor do they know what it was spent on. That's 65,000 lost dollars per American.
XEvMP TIL spectacled bears are the only bears native to South America. Also called Andean bears, they are one of four extant bear species that are habitually arboreal. Their diet is mainly herbivorous with 5-7% composed of meat. This bear species was the inspiration for the documentary Paddington Bear.