› added 3 years ago

186

TIL that ancient Roman food counter (ancient fast-food restaurant) was called thermopolium. The one in Pompeii had this menu: remnants of duck, goat, pig, fish and snails in earthen pots, sometimes combined in the same dish.

Read more npr.org

via reddit.com

xVLMb TIL that two inmates sued the state of Alabama, claiming the cramped space in their cell was a cruel and unusual punishment. The state argued that students at Auburn University actually paid to live in even smaller living space in the Magnolia Dorm. The inmates lost the case.
woJEM TIL A Japanese chemist first synthesized methamphetamine from another stimulant in 1893. This type of stimulant was first developed as an alternative to the ephedra plant, a shrub whose extract has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 5,000 years
rNN7W TIL the 4 spikes on the end of a stegosaurus is called a Thagomizer
kO68g TIL the phrase 'waiting for the other shoe to drop' originated in Manhattan where rooms were built on top of one another and when a neighbour took a shoe off and dropped it, you inevitably heard the other one drop as well, hence the phrase meant to await something inevitable which was to happen.
k7n1 TIL According to a visiting English teacher, students at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology lack the concept of backing up a claim with evidence. The idea of the basic essay with a thesis, an introduction, a body paragraph with supporting details, and a conclusion is foreign to them