› added 6 years ago

490

TIL turf grass is probably the most resource and labor intensive "crop" in the US, consuming more fresh water than the seven greatest water-using crops combined.

Read more scienceline.org

via reddit.com

R7xv9 TIL the tongue and hyoid bone of this pileated woodpecker wrap around its skull to help cushion the brain while it's pecking for food. The bird's inner-skull contains compressible sponge-like bone, mostly concentrated in the forehead and the back of the skull, which functions as a shock absorber.
j6VXE TIL: The Kanbari Nyūdō is a Japanese yokai(demon/ghost) that haunts bathrooms and spies on people as they are using the toilet on New Year's Eve. Encountering one brings bad luck for the new year. To counter it say "ganbari nyūdō, hototogisu!” (“ganbari priest, cuckoo!”) before using the toilet.
j6JKR TIL that the prestige in holding the Blue Riband for the highest average speed in crossing the Atlantic, was such that the British government gave the shipping firm Cunard a £2.5 million loan to help take the title back from Germany, which Cunard did.
VMxx4 TIL the first female admiral in the modern world was Keumalahayati from Aceh Sultanate (now part of Indonesia) in Southeast Asia. She led their defense against the Dutch Navy attacks that killed Cornelis de Houtman in September 1599, who commanded the first Dutch Expedition to East Indies.
KODmJ TIL According to a study, children that have been exposed to family violence show much of the same brain activity as soldiers that have been in combat.