› added 5 months ago

22

TIL that news anchors in Turkmenistan, both men and women, were prevented from wearing any make-up after the former president discovered he was unable to tell the difference between them when presenters wore it.

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M7gvb TIL The bricks of the great wall of China were held together by a mortar made with of sticky rice flour and slaked lime for the Ming Dynasty section of the wall. It had more strength and water resistance than lime mortar.
1aYOd TIL the watch made its migration from the pocket to the wrist during World War I, when soldiers were obligated to attach them to their arms for coordinated attacks, instead of fumbling in their pockets. Before then, the "bracelet watch" had mostly been regarded as a joke and "silly-ass fad".
YpOOx TIL the only place France borders the Netherlands is in... the Caribbean. The island of Saint Martin is divided between French Saint-Martin and Dutch Sint Maarten.
x65dk TIL estrogen is responsible for the "masculinization" of male brains in early development. Newborn female mice exposed to estrogen will even go on to exhibit male behavior, such as mounting other female mice. Estrogen also plays important roles in memory, stroke prevention, and overall brain health.
rROvM TIL that your heart rate slows when your face touches water; this is called the mammalian diving reflex.