› added 11 years ago

250

TIL In 1844, in a case of mass hysteria, a convent of nuns began “meowing” together everyday for several hours. Eventually the neighbours complained and soldiers threatened to whip the nuns until they stopped meowing.

Read more news.discovery.com

via reddit.com

EmbP TIL Jan Demczur, a window washer working in the World Trade Center on 9/11, became trapped in an elevator in between floors after the first plane hit. Using his sqeegee to pry open the doors, he then broke through the drywall and led the passengers out of the building moments before it collapsed.
wLoeJ "What if we could just cool the planet off by making it more reflective—more like a disco ball than a baseball? Actually, we could. It’s called solar geoengineering. Scientists could release materials into the stratosphere that reflect sunlight back into space, kind of like slapping giant sunglasses on Earth."
6plQ TIL - The Padres signed a handicapped wheelchair bound pitcher for 20th straight season so he won’t lose his health insurance.
Y70pB TIL about Chrysomallon squamiferum, commonly known as the sea pangolin or volcano snail. The scales on its feet are made of iron sulfide. It does not require consumption of food as it lives on the energy the bacteria in its gland produces.
j6Naj TIL about "Aunt Sammy," Uncle Sam's wife. Created in the 1920s by the US Dept of Agriculture as a radio show for farm wives, she would "gossip" about social activities & gardening, answer questions, and provide recipes. Local women voiced Aunt Sammy so their accents matched the broadcast areas.