› added 5 years ago

103

TIL that all vertebrates have a blind spot where they are unable to perceive vision. This is the point where optic fibres pass front-to-back through the retina towards the brain. Thus, this spot has no photoreceptors.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

mxe7y TIL in the UK, dried cats were believed to dispel evil spirits and witches, and they are found hidden within old buildings.
epKXb TIL that clowns go back as far as 2400 BC and traditionally the roles of priests and clowns have been held by the same persons.
GYp15 TIL the word "mesmerize" comes from the name of Franz Anton Mesmer, an Austrian physician from the 1700s who is considered to be the father of modern hypnosis.
oBAMW TIL the city of Philadelphia, which was where Washington had to live when he was president, had laws in place that said any slave that lived there for more than 6 months would be freed. So, Washington set up a rotational schedule exchanging his slaves between states to prevent their freedom.
YpPo7 TIL That Nicolas Cage is Francis Ford Coppola's nephew. He changed his name to avoid accusations of nepotism.