› added 10 years ago

298

TIL in 1987, Mr. T angered the residents of Lake Forest, by cutting down more than a hundred oak trees on his estate. The incident was called The Lake Forest Chain Saw Massacre

Read more nytimes.com

via reddit.com

WkKAX TIL that Facebook conducted a study where they intentionally manipulated almost 700,000 users’ emotions without their knowledge or permission
XEQwX TIL: As human mammals we are phylogenetically classified as Deuterostomes, meaning that we evolved as embryos from our anus, outwards. The first step in Blastocyst evolution is Gastrulation; to create our own digestive system from anus to mouth.
6ZPQ TIL that a “get out of jail free card” was a real thing in 1567 England; a lottery to raise money for the navy promised winners “freedom from arrest” for all but the most serious crimes.
xmD TIL that Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” was written to make fun of the popular notion of taking the road less traveled, not support it.
eN8k TIL Splenda’s sweet taste was discovered when a scientist who was told “test this chemical” misheard it as “taste this chemical”.