› added 12 years ago

99

TIL a key ingredient in root beer (sassafras root) was found to be carcinogenic and banned in 1960 by the FDA. Artificial versions are now generally used instead

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

b6jg0 TIL in 1878, the Loretto Chapel was constructed with a wooden spiral staircase of unusually masterful craftsmanship. No builder was officially credited for the staircase, but legends say that a mysterious carpenter arrived and built it overnight, then left without collecting pay.
W7NwY TIL Powdered sugar can be used to treat hemorrhoids
XB8Q TIL that some snakes can survive without food for two years at a time by digesting their own hearts.
ANDwo TIL of the many uses of Spanish Moss by humans dating back over 3000 years.
jRNn TIL that Coca-cola was so widely used as a spermicidal douche - primarily in 1950s and 60s America - that multiple scientific studies have been undertaken to disprove its contraceptive ability.