› added 12 years ago

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TIL Sears used to sell entire houses in a ‘Do It Yourselves’ kit!

E860 TIL that John Hopkins University conducted a study of mushrooms with 36 college-educated adults (average age of 46) who had never tried psilocybin nor had a history of drug use. More than two-thirds reported it was among the top five most spiritually significant experiences in their lives.
yQ17J TIL Actor John Wayne attended USC in the 1920s, and played on the football team. He got injured surfing and could no longer play football, losing his athletic scholarship. Without funds he had to drop out of school. Wayne went to work at the studios, beginning with a summer gig in a prop department.
XE1GR TIL that during the Greek War of Independence, 115 Greek revolutionaries surrounded by 10,000 Ottoman troops managed to kill 300 and wound 800 while suffering just 6 casualties. When the Ottomans paused their attack to get cannons ready, the Greeks escaped through enemy lines undetected.
E1YmW TIL that there are languages without the terms “Left, Right, Front, and Behind.” These cultures use “North, South, East, and West” their whole lives no matter if they are in a room or in the woods. The result is a compass brain. They always know how they are oriented.
W7g99 TIL: The Pinky Swear or the Pinky Promise has origins in Japan from 1600 where it is called yubikiri "finger cut-off" and often additionally confirmed with the vow "Pinky swear, whoever lies will be made to swallow a thousand needles"