› added 6 years ago

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TIL in 1951, 650 British soldiers were being overwhelmed by 10,000 Chinese. When an American general asked for a status update, a brigadier responded "things are a bit sticky down there." No help was sent and almost all of the troops were killed because the general did not get the understatement.

Read more telegraph.co.uk

via reddit.com

ZpdeG TIL:Phillip Lenard,a Nobel Prize winner for his work on cathode rays was a fierce German nationalist.Under the Nazi regime,he was made the "Chief of Aryan Physics".Lenard's fervent support for Hitler made him launch malicious attacks directed towards Einstein and Roentgen.
R7Ega TIL insects have different sub-brains in different parts of their body, which are controlled by a slightly larger central brain but can actually also operate separately; the antennae has its own brain, as does the mouth, the eyes, and each leg which can keep walking even if the central brain stops
Y7Mwd TIL that the song "Who Let the Dogs Out" was actually performed by the Baha Men, not the Baja Boys, as I spent my entire life believing
KO65Q TIL of a woman who is literally fearless due to a rare genetic condition known as Urbach-Wiethe disease that hardened her amygdala - part of the brain responsible for fear response. Researchers exposed her to potentially terrifying experiences and none of them scared her.
a8pgL TIL the name for “fear of cats” is “ailurophobia” and “felinophobia.” Why? Because “airluros” was what Greeks called Bastet, the Egyptian cat goddess.