› added 4 years ago

90

TIL that the word 'school' came from the ancient Greek for 'free time' and 'rest'

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8o78 TIL that thalidomide, the infamous morning sickness drug that caused severe birth defects, was never approved for use in the US because of a single reviewer at the FDA who didn’t think it had been tested enough, and resisted industry pressure to approve the drug anyway.
N758 TIL Japanese life insurance will pay, even if you commit suicide. Therefore motivating people to kill themselves, so their family can live in comfort. One of many reasons for the high suicide rate in Japan. (English summary at the bottom)
bmm9 TIL: Matt Stone and Trey Parker named most all of South Park’s characters after their family members
yQADM TIL There are almost no mosquitoes in Disney World (Florida) even though it is in a swampy territory abundant with bugs. They have a sophisticated mosquito surveillance program to try and eliminate them quickly.
9nr7 TIL that sugar sweetened fizzy drinks have been proven to cause T2 diabetes, even when controlling for calorie intake, with each can you drink increasing the likelihood.