› added 4 years ago

114

TIL about Sarah Rector, who became rich at 12 due to an oil strike on her land. The Oklahoma Legislature declared her to be a white person in 1913, so that she would be allowed to travel in first-class accommodations on the railroad, as befitted her position.

Read more pendergastkc.org

via reddit.com

MmBK TIL that a Tardigrade, or water bear, can withstand temperatures ranging from -458 °F to 300 °F, pressure six times stronger than what is found in the deepest parts of the ocean, and can go without food and water for more than 10 years.
ADrYx TIL that your body odors changes when you've been successfully infected by plasmodium (Malaria). Thereby making you a better target for mosquitos and spreading the disease.
oBMpK TIL that in 1978 an architectural student discovered that a skyscraper in NY could topple if strong winds hit the building. The engineer that is credited for designing the building then made secret nightly repairs in collaboration with the NYPD, without alerting the general public to the danger
R6x4 TIL in pre-modern times people brought their own silver spoons to the table, carrying them everywhere they went. Silver spoons were an indication of wealth, hence the saying “born with a silver spoon in his mouth.”
Red1 TIL a study found that people who like randomly generated ‘pseudo-inspirational’ quotes (quotes that don’t mean anything, e.g. “A wet person does not fear the rain”) on social media websites are also more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, alternative medicine and the paranormal.