› added 4 years ago

755

TIL learned is not a typo, it is the american spelling for learnt

Read more bbc.co.uk

via reddit.com

xVOP0 TIL about Pumped-Storage Hydroelectricity, in which thousands of gallons of water are pumped to a reservoir at a higher elevation using off-peak electricity, then released to turn turbines and produce electricity at a later date. It's a non-chemical form of battery.
GYJ9N TIL it was considered impossible to run a mile in under 4 minutes until 1954, when Bannister ran the mile in under 4 minutes in the first time in human history
4XgD6 TIL that there are over 20,000 adults suffering from congenital rubella syndrome in the USA after their mums caught Rubella in the 60s. They suffer deafness, blindness and neurological problems.
Wk1RL TIL that a "white elephant gift exchange" gets its name from the legend of the King of Siam gifting rare albino elephants to those who displeased him in hopes that the upkeep costs would financially ruin them.
e0dJ4 TIL the Doomsday rule is an algorithm to find the day of the week for a given date. It takes advantage of each year having a certain day, called the doomsday, upon which certain dates fall; e.g, 4/4, 6/6, 8/8, 10/10, 12/12, & last day of Feb all occur on the same day of the week in any year