› added 1 year ago

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TIL that in 2021, Mary Queen of Scots’ rosary beads were stolen in £1m raid on Arundel castle

Read more theguardian.com

via reddit.com

Z8BeG TIL that in 2019, the CDC warned Americans not to kiss or snuggle their pet hedgehogs, after 11 people contracted a rare strain of salmonella. 10 of these 11 people were in close contact with hedgehogs before becoming ill.
yQ1Np TIL: Ketchup is a non-newtonian fluid, unlike "magic mud" it's viscosity actually lowers when a force is applied to it. This why ketchup will often pour out in such large unintended quantities after a little shake
YEdZ TIL The Pledge of Allegiance was written as part of a plan to sell flags to schools.
rNyAy TIL about "Flynn Effect", which shows that the average IQ rises steadily with each generation. IQ tests are made harder and harder to keep the average at 100. Today's children taking tests from previous decades score well above 100 on average.
N7N1J TIL that in the 70s, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, tried creating its own artificial coral reef by dumping some 2 million used tires into the ocean. It became an environmental disaster, naturally, but also a military training exercise when divers had to retrieve the tires (almost one by one).