› added 4 years ago

51

TIL about Agnus MacAskill, who is the tallest ever "non-pathological giant" and could allegedly lift a 2800 lbs ship anchor to chest height!

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via reddit.com

5YYVR TIL that in 1966, when asked by a Senate subcommittee member about the dangers of LSD, Timothy Leary stated: “Sir, the motor car is dangerous if used improperly…Human stupidity and ignorance is the only danger human beings face in this world.” The Senator he was replying to was Ted Kennedy.
lovZ5 TIL there is a subset of people that can function perfectly fine with less than 5 hours of sleep. They are early birds, night owls and short sleepers at the same time and do not need the assistance of coffee or mid-day naps to function. They are the Sleepless Elite.
xVPA5 TIL that the original purpose of the hood ornament on a car, before they were artistic and ornate, was a visible thermometer for the car's coolant. Image in comments.
PdAL TIL that whilst left-handed and right-handed people have similar IQ scores, people who identify as ambidextrous have significantly lower levels - particularly in arithmetic, memory and reasoning. The exact reason for this is unknown.
e0v05 TIL that schistosomiasis, a parasite infection that causes bloody urine, was so common in Egypt that French doctors traveling with Napoleon during his 1798 campaign described Egypt as the only country where men menstruate.