› added 12 years ago

117

TIL in the 50s physicians performed accurate pregnancy tests by injecting urine from the supposedly pregnant women into a frog. If the frog produced eggs within 24 hrs the test was positive.

Read more onlinelibrary.wiley.com

via reddit.com

NXYYP TIL that the earlier dominance of boxer Roy Jones Jr counted against him late in his boxing career against Joe Calzaghe. Calzaghe cut Jones Jr and because Jones’s corner team had never witnessed this before, they were unable to handle it effectively, leaving Jones covered in blood.
KOa1w TIL that there are kinky spiders who tie up their lovers with silken cords before and during sex to avoid getting eaten and to extend their mating time.
pY7M8 TIL of HDCP an attempt to encrypt HDMI cables to prevent privacy
Q15a TIL that scientists used to present their research to royal patrons instead of publishing journal articles, and receive gifts in return; the astronomer Tycho Brahe received exotic animals, an island and chemical secrets as well as cash
epKp5 TIL From 1825 to 1835 Justus von Liebig did research and taught his students practical chemistry out of a dissused barrack. It was not until 1833 that the teachings were accepted by the university, with new laboratories coming later.