› added 11 years ago

221

TIL that crocodiles will balance sticks over their snouts in order to lure water birds that are searching for nesting material. They have only been seen doing this during the bird’s nesting season.

Read more blogs.scientificamerican.com

via reddit.com

vkox TIL that Italian scientist Carmen Lamacchia has found a way to “disarm” Gluten (drastically reduce content, make remainder non dangerous for celiacs) and Gluten-free industry doesn’t like it
po4A TIL that Microsoft Encarta (original codename “Gandalf”) began as a pet project for Bill Gates around 1985 after being rejected by Encyclopaedia Britannica as a partner in making material available to PC users as a CD-ROM. Encarta’s eventual demise in 2009 was widely attributed to Wikipedia
v1W8r TIL In 1802, Napoleon added a Polish legion to fight off the slave rebellion in Haiti. However, the Polish army joined the Haitian slaves in the fight for independence. Haiti's first head of state called Polish people "the White Negroes of Europe", which was then regarded as a great honour.
9w6VX TIL: In 2010, New Jersey lost $400 million in federal education reform money due to submitting data from the wrong school year. This lost them 4.8 points, making them fall 3 points short of receiving federal aid which went to Ohio instead. People have called this a "stunning $400 million mistake"
ADlGo TIL that up until 1962, women were not allowed to attend the White House Correspondents' Dinner. At the urging of Helen Thomas, John F. Kennedy refused to attend until the ban was lifted. Helen Thomas was named president of the White house Correspondents' Association thirteen years later.