› added 5 years ago

61

TIL a Pantograph is the accordion-like apparatus on top of a train that draws current from the overhead wires. Its called that due to its resemblance to the other Pantograph, linked sticks which produce a duplicate copy of handwriting and artwork. The word itself means "All writing/drawing."

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

WkOxY TIL a Senior Judge of the US Court of Appeals was involved in running Operation Match, the first US computer dating service, after he dropped out from Cornell University due to "boredom".
QZwM TIL: During World War 2 many Black and White soldiers had children with German women. Those children of Black and White soldiers that were raised in Germany showed no discernible IQ differences unlike in the United States where there is a wide gap between Black and White IQs.
5PoR TIL that the sun is only 1 billionth the size of the biggest star discovered in our galaxy
ANp5n TIL The United States military invaded Canada in 1812. US lost
wLMd1 TIL about Tatunca Nara, who claimed to be from Akakor, an ancient underground city, located somewhere between Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. He worked as a jungle guide, but several of his clients disappeared, and it was discovered he was actually born in Germany.