› added 10 months ago

29

TIL that giraffes, while previously thought to be mute, actually do make vocalizations and even hum to each other at night.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

9Rap TIL that in 1963-6 a 120ft supergun fired over 200 projectiles weighing as much 180kg each as far as 180km into space from the Caribbean island of Barbados, setting an altitude record that has still not been broken - and the abandoned supergun is still in place on the island.
KYDa TIL that scientists aren’t really sure why we require sleep. According to one researcher with 50 years of experience in the field, “As far as I know, the only reason we need to sleep that is really, really solid is because we get sleepy.”
naBG TIL that Virginia rounds up its sex offenders to be held at the courthouse during trick-or-treating hours.
rRe8y TIL Colored gems (e.g. rubies and sapphires) at Tiffany & Co. are a massive ripoff because they do not clearly disclose fracture filling treatments. Infused with "colorless substances to improve color and clarity" is the difference between a $100/carat ruby and a $10000/carat ruby.
Xv1j TIL Astronaut Jim Irwin, who walked on the moon, was a creationist Christian who later led expeditions to Turkey to find Noah’s Ark