› added 6 years ago

105

TIL The US may have adopted the metric system if pirates hadn’t kidnapped the French scientist sent to help Thomas Jefferson persuade Congress to adopt the system

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W71aA TIL traditional sushi chefs grate (real) wasabi on shark skin
nWJ6W TIL dandelion roots can be made into a coffee-like beverage.
gMk64 TIL dogs would often dig up bodies and tombs in ancient Egypt, which was a problem because the dead and their belongings were sacred. So, the Egyptians gave the god Anubis a canine head and made him "protector of the dead."
v1y9j TIL a Chinese art collector paid for a $170m painting with his American Express credit card. He said he'll use the points to allow his family to travel for life.
D1O5j TIL Sony reportedly fired Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man and nearly replaced him with Jake Gyllenhaal because they suspected Tobey of faking an injury to negotiate bigger pay.