› added 11 years ago

407

TIL scientists think there is a link between our improved sanitary habits and the increase in allergies and auto-immune disorders because our immune systems are looking for something to fight.

Read more nytimes.com

via reddit.com

Z85YQ TIL that it's actually illegal for companies like FedEx to ship "non-urgent" letters unless the customer pays at least six times the value of USPS postage.
dxvj TIL A man thought to be in a vegetative state is able to tell scientists that he is not in pain. “We have scanned him several times and his pattern of brain activity shows he is clearly choosing to answer our questions. We believe he knows who and where he is.”
PnPL TIL that Smarties candies (“Rockets” in Canada) were originally made with re-purposed gun powder tablet machines from WWII.
AKG4 TIL Mob boss John Gotti’s youngest son was hit by a neighbors car while riding a mini bike, and killed. Not long after the accident the neighbor went missing and has never been found
p8PoZ TIL In Finland, city planners are known to visit parks immediately after the first snowfall, when the existing walking paths are not visible. People naturally choose desire paths, clearly marked by their footprints, which can be then used to guide the routing of new purpose-built paved paths.