› added 12 years ago

143

TIL that polar bears are obsessive about keeping clean. Following mealtime, they will spend 15-20 minutes grooming themselves, making sure there is no dirt or residue left on them that may interfere with the insulating properties of their fur.

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oRp7E TIL that, in the years it was an active sporting arena, about half a million people (gladiators) and a million animals died fighting for spectacle at the Roman Colosseum.
XE1mP TIL that Josh Hartnett was Christopher Nolan's first-choice for Bruce Wayne in 'Batman Begins' but he turned Nolan down because he didn't want to be typecasted as a superhero, which is when Nolan approached Christian Bale for the role. Hartnett now says that was "the worst decision of my career."
DQE7p TIL the female figure in the left side of Coat of Arms of New Zealand's design and appearance was inspired by the actress Grace Kelly; Just because the designer Jack Marshall(a future Prime Minister) liked her so much.
Z8wAv TIL Max Planck was told by his professor to not go into Physics because "almost everything is already discovered". Planck said he didn't want to discover anything, just learn the fundamentals. He went on to originate quantum theory and win a Nobel Prize.
AD0wn TIL bottles often had round bottoms prior to the invention of the metal bottle cap to prevent upright storage