› added 4 years ago

293

Today I learned that Jews were blamed for The Black Death.

Read more momentmag.com

via reddit.com

Ooyv6 TIL that Geoffrey Tandy, a marine biologist who specialised in cryptogams (algae, moss, etc.), was recruited to a secret British codebreaking organization during WWII because the Ministry of Defence confused “cryptogamist” with “cryptogramist.” Tandy ended up helping to crack the Enigma code anyway.
4Xoxo TIL the UK gameshow 'Mastermind' is inspired by Gestapo interrogations
xK0b TIL Before the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther confessed for hours at a time. Annoyed, the priest told him “If you’re going to confess so much, why don’t you go do something worth confessing? Kill your mother or father! Commit adultery! Quit coming in here with such flummery and fake sins.“
m4WM TIL: Ravens are the only birds in the world that will fly towards the sound of gunfire, having learned a hunter may soon leave a gut pile for the raven to eat.
0dojM TIL in 2010 the principal of West Sylvan Middle School in Oregon banned hugging after observing that girls were hugging 6 or 7 times between classes, students were arriving late due to excessive hugging, it was being used as a game to provoke arousal in boys, and, at least once, as a form of mockery