› added 12 years ago

124

TIL that all citizens of France are automatically also citizens of Scotland

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

JYkw1 TIL that wood ants practice chemistry, and will synthesize an antibiotic substance using tree resin and formic acid to protect the health of their colony. It is considered to be the most advanced act of evolutionary pharmacology seen in the animal kingdom
mR8x TIL University of Cambridge researchers studying animal cooperation found elephants learned even faster than chimps; “elephants’ understanding of the need to cooperate shows that they belong in an ‘elite group’ of intelligent, socially complex animals.”
VBOQ4 TIL that John Rock, one of the creators of the contraceptive pill, was a devout Catholic
wL8aE TIL when the viking Rollo Flanders was asked to kiss the foot of King Charles, he refused and instead commanded one of his warriors to do it. The warrior complied by taking the king’s foot, lifting it to head height while dragging the king out of his chair, and kissing the king’s foot.
R7gWj TIL in 1971 John List murdered his family to save their souls and arranged their bodies on sleeping bags. He then cleaned up, cut himself out of the family’s photos, turned on a religious radio station, and fled. Only after the lights in the house had burned out one by one did neighbors call police.