› added 2 months ago

19

TIL One of the reasons Germany didn’t develop nuclear weapons first during World War II was due to the Norwegian heavy water sabotage. In 1943, Norwegian resistance fighters launched a daring attack on the Vemork hydroelectric plant, which was producing heavy water essential for Germany's atomic bom

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

a56J TIL that it is a very common misconception that the poinsettia is poisonous. The rumor started when a 3yo’s death was falsely blamed on poinsettia, and it has been passed on that poinsettias are poisonous for about 100 years.
P1QJw TIL that during WWII, the Japanese battleship Mutsu suddenly exploded at anchor and sank. The Japanese navy investigated and found that the sinking was probably caused by a suicidally disgruntled crewman.
6p8w TIL chunks of whale puke sell for as much as $150,000. After aging, the chunks become known as ambergris, developing a sweet musky smell. The material is highly sought after by high-end perfume manufacturers.
0d9OR Today I learned that the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique from Kill Bill is somewhat based on reality. It’s called Commotio Cordis, where sudden cardiac arrest can result from a single (not necessarily heavy) blow to the chest at a very particular moment in the heart’s rhythm.
gM9P9 TIL that cobalt (as in cobalt blue) is named for the German word for goblin, Kobold. It got the name because cobalt hinders the extraction of silver, and emits toxic fumes when burned, leading to the deaths of several miners. Mine-dwelling goblins were blamed for leaving behind these ‘cursed’ rocks.