› added 1 year ago

45

TIL that the numerals that the majority of the world uses today were introduced from Béjaïa, Algeria to Europe via Italy through the Liber Abaci, a 13th century book written by Leonardo Fibonacci, who was introduced to them during his time in Béjaïa.

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0wNy TIL in 1957 Burkhard Heim, a German physicist, theorized a propulsion system that could reach Mars in as little as five hours, and this system is still being researched today.
kO645 TIL cutting your time on social media to 30 minutes a day reduces your risk of depression and loneliness
yOoV TIL Brian May, guitarist for Queen, uses coins, especially the English sixpence, as guitar picks.
KOJD9 TIL that during a plague outbreak in Romania in 1813, plague sufferers were buried alive. One undertaker squad reported "we collected 15 dead today, but only buried 14, because one of them ran away."
gyDL TIL in 1962 the BBC did the math and banned ‘Monster Mash’ for “being too morbid”. However, it was re-released in the UK in 1973, caught on in a flash, and quickly became a graveyard smash.