› added 6 years ago

156

TIL the Aztecs made swords embedded with prismatic obsidian blades that are far sharper than even high quality present day steel razor blades.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

awgvN TIL that when the Mars lander Beagle 2 failed, it was assumed that the landing system failed and blame was placed on Colin Pillinger, lead scientist. After this he wasn't allowed to lead any more missions. He died a year before the lander was discovered intact, proving the landing system worked fine
9v86 TIL US Veterans Can Choose an Atheist Headstone Emblem (an Atom with an A in the center)
MbXK TIL Penny Licks were tiny amounts of ice cream, served in a thick little glass that was not washed between customers. They were banned in London eventually when authorities figured out diseases could be spread by this practice.
69PNJ TIL that direct gaze can serve as an explicit and implicit signal of threat or dominance, indicating that overt physical aggression might soon follow, and one should avoid it with predators.
lob7G TIL: Despite being one of the most advanced and largest cities in the region, only 15% of the population of Dubai are actually natives, called Emiratis.