› added 1 year ago

82

TIL about the mysterious case of Exploding Trousers that occurred in New Zealand between WWI and WW2. It turns out farmers had been spraying a particular herbicide which would then crystallize and collect on their clothes, then ignite when exposed to spark or open flame.

Read more paperspast.natlib.govt.nz

via reddit.com

dDe7Z TIL - A paleobiologist said "Our best guess is that the mammal was in the middle of attacking the dinosaur," about a recently found fossil of a mammal biting a dinosaur.
ADQ7g TIL that naked mole rats can't feel pain, and in addition to that, are resistant to cancers, and are the only cold-blooded mammals.
wQ4J TIL children under the age of 8 are unable to distinguish between television shows and advertisements, drastically improving the effectiveness of advertisements to kids
VBAgp TIL: Antilia is one of the most expensive private residences in the world, costing over $1 billion. The billionaire had his entire family live in the 27 story home which requires 600 servants and has 168 car garage, 9 elevators, a theatre, pool, ballroom, and snow room. It was built on an orphanage.
4B1o TIL that the US Postal Service began home delivery during the Civil War after a postal worker became so torn up by seeing women lined up in the cold to see if a letter had arrived from a son or husband at the front lines that he started delivering mail to homes.