› added 11 years ago

224

TIL that oxford dictionary inserted a fictitious word “Esquivalience” in order to protect copyright of the publication. The fake entry was included in dictionary.com.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

Knb4 TIL that there are more African American men incarcerated in the U.S. than the total prison populations in India, Argentina, Canada, Lebanon, Japan, Germany, Finland, Israel and England combined.
pYQRA TIL that Rumford’s Soup, invented around 1800 by Benjamin Thompson, was an early scientific effort to create cheap, nutritious food. Made from barley, peas, potatoes, and sour beer, it fed the poor, prisoners, and was a common military ration in Central Europe for much of the 19th and 20th centuries
XJR8 TIL the FBI has a “point-and-click” system for tapping phones called DCSNet. It has the ability to intercept wire-line phones, cellular phones, SMS and push-to-talk systems and it’s details were revealed after the a lawsuit was filed by the EFF.
ZplKa TIL: The Japanese battleship Mikasa is the last pre dreadnought battleship. Built in the 1890s, it fought numerous battles. During the Battle of Tsushima, it fired 124 shells and was hit 40 times. After WW2, the Americans turned it into Club Mikasa, a nightclub for American servicemen.
YpA4G TIL that preschool shows where characters ask the viewers directly to participate rarely have conflict. An early episode of Dora The Explorer that retold the three little pigs traumatised preschoolers because the viewers felt morally responsible for saving the pigs' lives.