› added 12 years ago

96

TIL that one of the original names thought up for Hannah Montana was Alexis Texas.

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via reddit.com

jNkrj TIL about behavioral sink, an experiment with rats in a technically perfect and utopian situation; the behavior of rats in an overcrowding place lead to cannibalism, alienation and rabid violence, amongst other perversion, simply because there were more mice than social roles.
oBKwA TIL during WWII, Russian soldiers took “heat pills” that kept them warm in the winter; however, they would also lose weight despite eating well. 2,4-dinitrophenol spikes metabolic rate as potential energy is lost as heat—it is banned as a weight loss aid (U.S.) as overdose can cook people to death.
7yVp TIL Phil Mickelson, the most famous left-handed golfer of all time (his nickname is “Lefty”) is actually right-handed. The reason he golfs left-handed is because he learned to swing by facing his father, a right-handed golfer, and mirroring his movements.
LkP7v TIL about John Yudkin, a scientist who's reputation was ruined and was ridiculed for his belief that sugar not fat was responsible for the health crisis in America. Years later research is starting to support his findings.
QJlJ6 TIL Roman persecutions didn't kill as many Christians as many people assume -- "no more than a few thousand" over three centuries. Contrast that with the up to 10,000 Christians killed by their Christian brothers in the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in the 1572.