› added 7 years ago

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TIL there is a mini “desert”, called the Athabasca Sand Dunes, near the northern border of Saskatchewan. It is the most northerly active sand dunes on the Earth.

ADNWa The human brain looks like a big, pinkish-gray, wrinkly walnut. There are so many folds in it that, if it could be unfolded, it could be a small tablecloth. Pinkish-gray might not match your decor, but it would be about the right size! This "tablecloth" is made up of the cerebral cortex and is the wrinkly outside layer of your brain. All those folds are responsible for abstract thought, language, and memory. Scientists believe the wrinkles exist as a way to increase the surface area of the cortex, allowing for increased brainpower in a smaller space. In this week’s Today I Learned, neuroscientist and National Geographic Emerging Explorer Steve Ramirez shares some of his smarts on how your cortex is different from your pet hamster’s.
e4kE TIL In Iceland, around 90% of homes are heated from geothermal sources.
Rbvj TIL Andrew Carnegie, JP Morgan, and John D. Rockefeller combined had a net worth over 1 trillion in today’s dollars.
5YQQk TIL medieval and old stairwells go clockwise because an attacker would need to use their right hand to steady themselves and their left hand to hold a sword whereas a defender would hold a sword in their right and steady themselves on their left.
peaN TIL that upon returning to Earth and landing in a field, Yuri Gagarin was asked by an astonished woman if he had come from Outer Space, to which he replied “As a matter of fact, I have!”