› added 1 year ago

125

TIL that Indiana cardiologist Edward Harlamert broke the Guinness World Record for stents (34) by implanting at least 41 into his patient's coronary arteries, for a total of 48 stents in the man's chest. (Harlamert is now named in a malpractice complaint for stents by said patient and others.)

ArAg TIL that a “blind pig” was a lower-class establishment that sold alcohol during Prohibition (in contrast to a higher-class “speakeasy”). The owner would charge customers to see an attraction (such as an animal) and then serve a “complimentary” alcoholic beverage, thus circumventing the law.
E1Y4W TIL Minesweeper and Solitaire were added to Windows back in the 3.1 days, to train mouse discipline without the users even realizing they were learning. Solitaire was added to teach users how to Drag and Drop, Minesweeper taught using the right/left mouse buttons and mouse precision/control
5dPp TIL Frank Zappa was invited to perform in Live Aid concert (to raise funds for relief of the Ethiopian famine) but he refused, calling the event “the biggest cocaine money laundering scheme of all time.”
YbDB TIL of Mordechai Vanunu, who exposed Israel’s nuclear program in 1986. The Israeli gov’t then kidnapped him in Rome, held a secret trial, and jailed him for 18 years (11 in solitary). He’s famous as a whistleblower, but Israel calls him a traitor.
NXV76 TIL: A randomized clinical trial has shown that donating blood and/or plasma could significantly lower PFASs (Forever Chemicals) in your bloodstream.