› added 4 years ago

240

TIL that schistosomiasis, a parasite infection that causes bloody urine, was so common in Egypt that French doctors traveling with Napoleon during his 1798 campaign described Egypt as the only country where men menstruate.

Read more nature.com

via reddit.com

QDZa TiL Microsoft had originally approached Encyclopædia Britannica, but it declined, believing its print media sales would be hurt; however, the Benton Foundation was forced to sell Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. at below book value in 1996 when the print sales could no longer compete with Encarta .
xVkG1 TIL As a part of Guatemala's elite Kaibiles military program, "each prospect must take care of a puppy for the two months of training and then kill it and eat it to teach themselves that the ultimate loyalty on the battlefield is survival".
l7GA TIL Harry Houdini was respected in the scientific community and used science to expose fraudulent psychics and mediums
X6jP TIL German writer Ernst Jünger ran away at the age of 18, served both WW1 and WW2, earned the iron cross, hung out with Picasso and Cocteau, hated the nazis and did lots of drugs until he died 102 years old.
0w7e5 TIL In Italy they can ask you a certification of "being alive". People can self-certificate of being alive. Death can't be self-certificated, though.