› added 9 years ago

103

TIL that only 17% of paid clinical trials in the US had their results published in the time required by law. Not publishing all trials allows drug makers to hide unflattering results, and helps medicines look safer and more effective than they really are.

Read more economist.com

via reddit.com

DQAKJ TIL that swallowing gasoline isn't generally a cause for concern as long as it doesn't go into the lungs. In fact, trying to vomit it out makes it worse. Also, hospitals frequently see patients suffering from gasoline poisoning after sucking it from vehicles using their… mouths.
14W7 TIL Qatar, a desert state, is aiming to grow up to 70 percent of its own vegetables by 2023 thanks to the launch of a new farming system that needs no soil and which recycles irrigation water. The pilot project had been “a great success” and adapted well to Qatar’s harsh growing conditions
ky1B TIL that hot dogs are called hot dogs because they were rumored to be sausages containing dog meat, served hot. The government put an excise tax of $200 on every hot dog stand in response as a way of stifling the practice of selling them.
8aA8K TIL dinosaurs were around before flowering plants existed.
MeggK TIL of the Benjamin Franklin effect that causes people to like someone more after doing them a favor. When Franklin asked his rival for a rare book and returned it with a note of thanks, Franklin’s rival spoke to him with great civility and offered help, leading the two men to become good friends.