› added 1 month ago

5

TIL of Mary Somerville, a Scottish writer, polymath and the world's first ever scientist, the person for whom the word 'scientist' was invented. She studied mathematics and astronomy, and was admitted as one of the first female members of the Royal Astronomical Society

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loZxr TIL To portray baby Jesus as all knowing, in renaissance paintings he was given a man face
wLBpP TIL "broken heart" syndrome is called Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) because the condition transforms the heart into a shape resembling a Japanese octopus trap. Scientists have proved that the brain is involved in the development of this heart condition.
b9rAZ TIL: The "Canadian beer is stronger" idea is a misnomer. The U.S.A. used to use ABW (weight), whereas Canada used ABV (volume). This lead to a difference in labeled alcohol content despite the two being fundamentally the same.
Me6p0 TIL Lake Baikal contains ~23% out of the whole of Earth's fresh surface water
6EnoX TIL When a whale dies and sinks to the ocean floor, it support a complex ecosystem around the corpse that can last for up to 50 years, drawing life from the otherwise lifeless depths.