› added 5 years ago

105

TIL the Salvation Army is a religious organization and not just a charity

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wokE7 TIL it's possible to sprain a tooth.
loGx1 TIL that in the late 1860's, the Phylloxera (insect) destroyed almost all of the French vineyards and that Americans saved it by exporting some vines to be grafted, resulting in a pest-resistant vine, saving the French from a catastrophic loss.
mxknE TIL that since modern civilizations and languages likely won't exist 10,000 years from now, signs warning about nuclear waste (which will still be dangerous then) have to be designed to be understood by anyone, without the use of language. These tools include pictograms and hostile architecture.
yvPa TIL that antibiotics are usually not effective for sore throats and common colds as they are caused by viruses rather than bacteria. Taking antibiotics for such illnesses is considered more harmful than beneficial.
nemjP TIL in Aztec mythology, giving birth was seen as a woman's battle with the gods to win her child's life. Mothers who succeeded were celebrated, while women who died in childbirth were thought to become vampiric monsters called Cihuateteo, which stole other women's children.