› added 7 years ago

144

TIL that the world is facing a global sand crisis because sand and gravel mining greatly exceeds natural renewal rate.

Read more newyorker.com

via reddit.com

e0JQg TIL that in the year 774 a "red crucifix" was seen in the sky, after sunset. This was likely caused by an extremely powerful solar flare. If a similar flare hit the earth today, modern human civilization could collapse due to wide spread power outages and damage to the power infrastructure.
OXr7 TIL Nicholas Cage, to avoid the appearance of nepotism as the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola, he changed his name early in his career to Nicolas Cage, inspired in part by the Marvel Comics superhero Luke Cage.
NAG1 TIL of an amateur bowler who almost killed himself trying to bowl the perfect match - 36 straight strikes. He grew increasingly dizzy and sweaty but got 35. In the final frame, he left the last pin standing. A doctor said he had bowled through a stroke and required heart surgery.
5Ydnn TIL that a "macaroni", as mentioned in Yankee Doodle, refers to a 1700s trend wherein some men would dress up in ridiculously over the top clothing and speak in a gender-ambiguous manner. The name came from young men who had toured Italy referring to fashionable things as "very macaroni".
9AKX TIL Gary Burghoff (who played Radar on MASH) has a deformed left hand. He hid it throughout his entire run on the series because it would have made Radar unfit for military duty.