› added 5 months ago

15

TIL that the first goggles specifically for swimming were designed by an Irish priest called Michael O'Flanagan who was also associated with the Irish independent movement and Spanish republicanism during it's civil war.

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e0O7n TIL about Henri Frenay, a Frenchman who initially supported the Nazis, but changed his mind immediately after the Nazi occupation of France, after seeing "the look of contempt on the faces of the Germans when viewing the French". He then joined the Resistance movement.
5VdYQ TIL 🐦 Birds have a magnetic compass in their beaks made of a mineral called 'magnetite' (Fe3O4) that helps them navigate
nWvBd TIL that a court reporter must type around 200 WPM on a stenograph to become certified. In comparison, the average WPM on a standard keyboard is around 40.
N7Wee TIL Michael Collins had spinal fusion surgery in 1968 and was removed from the crew of Apollo 8. It caused a rotation in astronaut assignments that landed him into a prime position on the historic Apollo 11 moon landing
PYQbV TIL even animals like jellyfish that lack brains need to snooze. Biologists have discovered that like people, jellyfish hit the hay & have the same trouble we do waking up. Because these creatures are very low on the animal family tree, the work suggests that the ability to sleep evolved quite early