› added 9 years ago

455

TIL that corn (maize) is a human invention and does not exist in the wild.

Read more nytimes.com

via reddit.com

m1YPY TIL that during the filming of 'Titanic' someone slipped PCP into a bowl of catered clam chowder causing dozens of crew members to behave erratically and experience hallucinations. James Cameron narrowly avoided hospitalization by making himself throw up in time.
OGala TIL although "The Art of War" is popular among businessmen, the actual Chinese classic for business is "The Book of Swindles." Written by a travelling merchant in 1617 and using actual court cases as examples, it mainly discussed how to avoid swindles AND how to commit it vs. your business rivals.
lEx5 TIL sailors had crossed the Equator by 425BC and reported they’d seen the Sun switch sides in the heavens. Writers like Herodotus thought they were making it up
WkwQ9 TIL Henry VI may have had a "sex coach", evidence suggests Henry and his wife, Margaret of Anjou, were occasionally joined by “trusted attendants” in the bedroom.
9Ym46 TIL John Von Neumann was considered the smartest man alive by his fellow physicists. Enrico Fermi once told his Ph.D student: "You know how much faster I am in thinking than you are? That's how much faster von Neumann is compared to me."