› added 6 months ago

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TIL the U.K. National Autistic Society found 58% of parents identified “Thomas the Tank Engine” as helping children with autism to understand basic facial expressions, colors, and numbers, as each engine is clearly numbered, colored, and have happy, sad, or angry faces.

Read more i-am-autism.org.uk

via reddit.com

wLGJM TIL that so many employees play online games during work hours, that Kongregate notices a significant drop-off in traffic around the time people start heading home. Another survey by PopCap Games, the company behind Bejeweled, indicated that 24 percent of respondents play games at work.
v1xXD TIL the expression 'to lick into shape' originated in the ancient belief that bear cubs are born as formless lumps and need to be licked into their proper shape by their mothers
GA5MG TIL an enslaved blacksmith named Ned invented a "cotton scraper". His master, Oscar Stuart sought the patent for himself in Ned’s name but was denied as a slave was considered property and not a citizen, therefore could not apply for patent rights in the United States.
VMmgB TIL in the 40's hundreds of Guatemalans were infected involuntarily with syphilis by Johns Hopkins University, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and the Rockefeller Foundation. A court case is underway to this day on behalf of 444 victims resulting in 83 deaths.
AN6pd TIL: The "Simple Sabotage Field Manual" was declassified in 2008 and it contains advice on how spies can sabotage the enemy by just being maliciously incompetent. Advice include praising inefficient coworkers, cry and sob frequently at work, asking inane questions in meetings, and spreading gossip.