› added 13 years ago

156

TIL Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Kohlrabi, and Cabbage are all actually the same species…bred by humans from one plant

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8exdK TIL that "dunce" comes from the name of Duns Scotus, a 14th century Scottish friar and philosopher. The word became an insult for dumb scholars during the Renaissance and the English Reformation, when his works were widely criticized and fell out of popularity.
8a64b TIL Mad Magazine was threatened with a lawsuit after their parody of The Empire Strikes Back. The matter was dropped after Mad publisher Bill Gaines sent the lawyers a copy of a letter from George Lucas praising the satire
W7QPd TIL That the capes the Night's Watch wear from Game of Thrones were made out of cheap Ikea rugs
XZvR TIL The “Body Mass Index” (BMI) was never intended to be applied to individuals but continues to be used as such because it is, “quicker, easier, and cheaper.”
NL7b TIL Volvo invented the modern seatbelt in 1959. To save lives, they decided to make it an “open patent,” allowing other manufacturers to use the same design. Every car produced today uses this mechanism, considered one of the major safety inventions of the 20th century, saving over 1M lives.