› added 4 years ago

87

TIL in 981 a hospital's location was chosen by hanging pieces of meat in several places for a few days and deciding in favor of the one where meat was found to be least infected

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

woK96 TIL about ISSpresso, an espresso machine Italian coffee maker Lavazza created for the ISS. It was used in space between 2015 and 2017. Use of the machine was done in conjunction with a zero-g espresso cup. Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti became the first person to drink an espresso in space
noXo TIL Manta rays frequently leap out of the water, sometimes to heights as high as 9 feet and then belly flop back into the water. This flop has been reported to sound as loud as a gunshot. It is still a mystery as to why they do this.
GKO1 TIL the movie “Ghostbusters” was inspired by actor Dan Aykroyd’s real-life interest in paranormal activity. In addition to his genuine belief in “spirits” (i.e. “ghosts”) Aykroyd is particularly enthusiastic about UFOlogy and openly admits to having had personal experiences with alien beings.
gMpQ8 TIL air conditioning is not popular in Europe. Only 5% of French homes are air-conditioned, 2% of German homes. Many travel sites include horror stories from Europeans describing how "unpleasant the United States is with its artificial cold, and reports of legions of Europeans who return ill."
l8L5 TIL that the use of the phrase “Checkmate” is a mispronunciation of the original Persian, “ Shäh mät!”, which means the king is helpless