› added 7 years ago

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TIL: 90% of wealthy families lose their fortunes in three generations

Read more theglobeandmail.com

via reddit.com

4yZ5 TIL that whenever a cat slowly closes its eyes and opens them again or winks at you, that means they trust you and recognize you as a friend.
ne5gG TIL that the word, “Robot” comes from the Czech word for slave, “Robotnik”. The word first appeared in a translation of Czech playwright Karel Čapek’s 1920 sci-fi drama titled “RUR”.
epyJ5 TIL James Doohan (Star Trek's 'Scotty') stormed Juno beach on D-Day as a Canadian army Lieutenant, and was shot 6 times that evening by friendly fire, losing a finger.
Nb6P TIL it’s only called an acronym when you pronounce the abbreviation as a real word (ex. NASA). Otherwise it is known as an initialism (ex. FBI).
rQWy TIL handshakes were originally meant to make sure the person you were meeting wasn’t carrying a concealed weapon. Clasping hands proved it was empty, and shaking was meant to dislodge anything that was being hidden inside the sleeve.