› added 5 years ago

95

TIL That a calorie is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.

VMePZ TIL according to Māori legend, Split Apple Rock in New Zealand's Abel Tasman National Park, was split by two gods fighting to possess it. They broke it in half to compromise. Scientists believe that water seeped into a rock crevice and froze during an ice age, expanding and thus splitting the stone.
N74PP Until the 21st century, birds were largely dismissed as simpletons. How smart can you be with a brain the size of a nut? And yet the more we study bird intelligence, the more those assumptions are breaking down. Studies have shown, for instance, that crows make tools, ravens solve puzzles, and parrots boast a diverse vocabulary. Their brains may be tiny, but birds have been known to outsmart children and apes.
QJW7a TIL that Ukraine lost 20% of its population in WWII; this is proportionately more than any other nation that took part in the war.
a8V10 TIL Some biochemical reactions in human cells would take up to 1 trillion years to complete naturally — about 100 times longer than the lifetime of the universe. Enzymes perform these reactions in 10 milliseconds.
0wgnM TIL of John Laurens, an officer in the Continental Army who strongly opposed slavery, and tried unsuccessfully multiple times to institute black regiments in the struggle for independence. His abolitionist views were admirable, considering his South Carolina birth and father’s ownership of slaves.