› added 3 years ago

354

TIL: Iraq used to be the center of the world for knowledge in the Middle Ages. Scholars from all backgrounds came together to translate Greek works into languages such as Latin, Arabic, and Persian. Algebra, Geometry, Astronomy, and Medicine were some of the fields that were refined.

Read more 1001inventions.com

via reddit.com

0wkrM TIL that Sarah Silverman, Mel Brooks, and several Holocaust survivors are featured in a documentary about why Holocaust humor is essential to overcoming and remembering those who perished.
Mp1W TIL the phrase “as smooth as a milkmaid’s skin” comes from the fact that milkmaids were often exposed to cowpox, giving them partial immunity to smallpox and leaving their skin free of pox scars.
JXrl TIL of a pool in Minneapolis, MN that is a natural swimming pool. It is a self-contained swimming vessel that uses plants and natural microbes from a nearby regeneration pond to clarify and purify the water instead of chemicals for sterilization or disinfection.
PYY8w TIL Tom Petty needed an actress to be a dead woman for a music video. He explained his choice by saying "She's got to look really good, or why would [I] keep her around after she's dead?" I thought, Kim Basinger would be good. I'd probably keep her for a day or two, let's go see if she would do it."
BNOK TIL There is a restaurant in Texas that will give you a Free 72oz Steak - only if you finish it. Oh yea, they have a 24/7 web cam showing every contest.