› added 8 years ago

177

TIL that the English word “much” and the Spanish word “mucho” are not related at all, despite having similar definitions. “Much” comes from Proto-Germanic “mikilaz”, while “mucho” from Latin “multum”. Their similar appearance is a complete coincidence.

eppkb TIL the DSV Alvin is a ship of Theseus, with every component having been replaced over the last 58 years of service. It has been used to explore hydrothermal vents, the Titanic, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. One time a swordfish attacked it. The fish was later cooked and eaten.
Z0AY TIL when Sitting Bull was killed in a gunfight by agents attempting to arrest him, His Horse-which was gifted to him by Buffalo Bill - heard gunshots and began performing its Wild West Routine, getting on its haunches and dancing. It was believed that the slain chief’s spirit had entered his horse.
Wkp19 TIL the woman who first proposed the theory that Shakespeare wasn't the real author, didn't do any research for her book and was eventually sent to an insane asylum
b9NOp TIL that Ben Franklin was involved in the first fraternal hazing death in America. In 1737 a man died after flaming liquid was thrown on him in a mock initiation at the Philadelphia Masonic Temple. Franklin, a Freemason, was a witness, and the perpetrator was found guilty of manslaughter and branded
ZLY TIL that there is a mutated gene possessed by about half of the population that prevents a person from tasting the bitter-tasting chemical used to grow brusselsprouts. If a person does not possess this gene they can taste the chemical, thus making them much more likely to dislike brusselsprouts.