› added 10 years ago

189

TIL: Seven people across the world will hold a keycard which when put together will reboot the key part of the World Wide Web should a security breach, natural disaster or terrorist attack disable it.

oEdA TIL that English has 2 distinct P sounds: aspirated and unaspirated. If one holds one’s hand in front of one’s mouth and says “Pin” & “sPin”, one will feel a burst of air with “Pin” but not “sPin.” In languages like Korean, these are totally different sounds/letters that can change a word’s meaning
NXmwM TIL about the Antikythera Mechanism, a Greek model of the Solar System which is the oldest known example of an analogue computer used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses decades in advance.
PY08O TIL Scientists were able to judge whether or not a woman recently experienced a vaginal orgasm simply by observing the movement of their hips as they walked with astounding 81.25% accuracy.
8a9rX TIL that there is an exclusive Antarctic group of scientists called the Club 300. To be a member, they would soak in a 200°F sauna, then run outside naked in -100°F temperatures. The goal is to experience a 300 degree temperature swing, and see how long they can run around the Ceremonial South Pole.
16KxV TIL that in 2011, the Mexican ambassador in London complained to the BBC and demanded an apology from "Top Gear" presenter Richard Hammond, after Hammond called the Mexicans 'lazy, feckless, flatulent and overweight' on the show