› added 10 months ago

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TIL that Washington State University has a Taco Bell Distinguished Professorship. It’s apparently named in honor of the founder of Taco Bell who contributed significant financial resources to the University.

Read more directory.business.wsu.edu

via reddit.com

WkVmd TIL Ludwig van Beethoven, who was almost completely deaf, discovered Bone Conduction. Beethoven found a way to hear the sound of the piano through his jawbone by attaching a rod to his piano and clenching it in his teeth.
awjpZ TIL of catastrophism, a 19th century geological school of thought which saw the large fossil record as evidence proving the existence of a world previous to ours, destroyed by sudden natural catastrophes such as great floods and the rapid formation of major mountain chains.
aKQ0 TIL of the Big Mac Index, which helps explain purchasing power parity to the layman. You compare the price of a Big Mac in one country to the price in another to determine if exchange rates are overvalued.
XWNE TIL that in 1772, Alexander Hamilton survived a hurricane in the Caribbean and wrote a letter about his ordeal. His vivid descriptions moved people to start a fund to move him to New York to get an education. He went on to become a Founding Father and greatly shaped our early nation.
RRa6 TIL that in 1914 Ford doubled workers’ wages voluntarily to reduce employee turnover and improve productivity.