› added 11 years ago

93

TIL That Christopher Columbus punished a man found guilty of stealing corn by having his ears and nose cut off and then selling him into slavery

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

Drgr TIL during the Vietnam War special forces used a silenced pistol called a ‘hush puppy’ for eliminating noisy animals like guard dogs. It was also sometimes used on ducks.
x0A5 TIL that President Nixon, a Republican, originally signed the bill that provides Planned Parenthood with federal funding into law. He saw it as a way to keep people off of welfare.
4XnaN TIL coffee cups and many other items with a "recycling" symbol can't actually be recycled (and what can be recycled varies depending on where you live)
krP7 TIL there was a private prison that fed vegan meals, gave Bible studies, offered job training, anger management, etc. where violence dramatically decreased and inmates of all races associated with each other, where only 2% were rearrested, when the state of California had a rearrest rate of 95%.
kJdZ1 TIL the Giffen Goods. These are poor-quality goods that defy standard economic behavior and whose demand increases as prices rise. Despite the substitution effect, the income effect of higher prices leads to greater consumption of the commodity.