› added 6 months ago

57

TIL Ships will store and purposefully dump oil into the ocean to create calm seas around them, called storm oil

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

yxpl TIL The most successful pirate in history was a Chinese prostitute. Cheng I Sao commanded 80,000 sailors & a fleet bigger than most country’s navies, which is why the government had to give up and offer her a truce. She retired with her loot & opened a gambling house before passing away peacefully.
ADEEB TIL that one of the 2 co-owners/founders of Macy's died on the Titanic, along with his wife, because he refused to board rescue ships before women and children were helped. His wife chose to stay behind because she did not want to abandon her husband, so they both died together aboard the Titanic.
6E75W TIL about HPP (High Places Phenomenon), the experience of a sudden urge to jump when in a high place. Although it has been speculated to be associated with suicidal ideation, data has proposed that it stems from a misinterpreted safety signal (i.e., survival instinct).
WkXBA TIL that thalidomide (the drug that causes birth defects like short arms and legs) is still manufactured and is used to treat Hansen's disease (leprosy) in Brazil and India. Babies are still being born deformed to this day.
Bg7ZW TIL: In the 16th century, the Osculum Infame was the name of a witch's ritual greeting upon meeting the devil, which involves kissing his butt hole or "other mouth" and usually followed with feasting. In some cases, the role can be reversed where the witch receives the kiss.