› added 7 years ago

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TIL there is a copy of the Qur'an written in Saddam Hussein's blood which he had commissioned for his 60th birthday. Over the course of 2 years he provided up to 57 pints of his blood to complete the 336,000+ words that make up the text

neywr TIL A corn is a protective thickening of the skin on the top of the foot, usually on a bony, knobby portion of a toe. At the center of a corn is often a dense knot of skin called a core, which is located over the area of greatest friction or pressure
4kDZN TIL There is a very rare disorder called Alien Hand Syndrome (AHS) that makes one or both of your limbs act independently as if they are controlled by someone else’s brain. Say your right hand is writing a note when all the sudden your left hand starts to suffocate you.
wpao TIL Popcorn has more protein than any other cereal grain. It also has more iron than eggs or roast beef. It has more fiber than pretzels or potato chips.
VMrmk TIL that in Mid-Imperial China (900s-1400s), imperial officials wore special caps that had two very long "horns" protruding on both sides which aimed to prevent them from whispering at each other during court ceremonies. Called the Zhangokfutou, it was invented by the paranoiac Song Dynasty.
nW09b TIL about the Dunkelgrafen (Dark Countesses) - a mysterious couple who lived in a castle with almost no contact to the outside world. While the man was identified as a Dutch diplomat the identity of the woman is still unknown. Rumors about her being Marie Antoinette‘s daughter were disproven by DNA.