› added 12 years ago

152

TIL mustard and wasabi aren’t spicy until crushed. Only when the plant’s cells are damaged can two otherwise harmless components mix and produce allyl isothiocyanate, the compound responsible for the familiar pungent taste.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

WpYY TIL In 1994 a Fedex Jet Suffered Hijacking Attempt by a Disgruntled Employee Armed With Multiple Melee Weapons, The Captain Flew Upside-Down To Prevent Takeover
NlXe TIL of “I am Rich”, a $999.99 app which did nothing except state that you are rich. It was bought by eight people before being taken down by Apple.
Zp9OD TIL Coca-Cola's Simply Orange Juice is made by an algorithm known as the Black Book. Oranges are divided by source, type, sweetness, acidity, etc. flash pasteurised and then combined with flavour packages according to the black book algorithm to have a consistent taste countrywide and year round.
8n7b TIL in 1956, a magician was performing the “cut a person in half” trick using his wife for a televised performance. Immediately after she was divided, the host ended the show. People were horrified, thinking she had been killed, but time had just run out on the broadcast.
1pkd TIL McDonalds doesn’t sell hot dogs because, according to founder Ray Kroc, “there’s no telling what’s inside a hot dog’s skin, and our standard of quality just wouldn’t permit that kind of item.”