› added 2 minutes ago

TIL about the mass exodus of slaves to the Union Army during the American Civil War, which W.E.B. Du Bois theorized as a General Strike.

Read more aaihs.org

via reddit.com

0wXNy TIL a monk had erased and written over a book by Archimedes describing the foundations for calculus, centuries before Leibniz and Newton.
9YoOD TIL Dr Livingstone ('I presume') was caught and mauled by a lion but felt only a painless dreaminess, later concluding "This peculiar state is probably produced in all animals killed by the carnivora; and if so, is a merciful provision by our benevolent Creator for lessening the pain of death."
69gJY TIL that mushrooms are more closely related to humans than to plants
LQEvp TIL in regards to Catholicism, that middle names have a purpose. It was thought that demons needed to know your full name in order to possess you, and thus having a middle name meant it was more difficult; as people rarely use them.
mZko TIL Steven Seagal is the first private citizen to destroy a nuclear weapon.