› added 6 years ago

100

TIL King of Bohemia Charles IV, who commissioned the construction of Prague's Charles Bridge in the 14th century, was rumored to have ordered that egg yolks be added to enrich the mortar and strength the bridge's structure. Scientific evidence indeed found the presence of egg proteins in the mortar.

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loPkr Today I learned that the first Steam Engine was invented in Alexandria,Egypt in the 1st century AD. The Egyptians couldnt find any practical use to it and the tecnology was lost in history until beeing re-invented in the 17 century!
81nK TIL that polar bears have been known to cover their noses with their paws whilst hunting, in an attempt to blend in with their surroundings.
R5pw8 TIL that Yakov Novichenko was a Soviet officer who saved Kim Il Sung from an assassination attempt in 1946 and thus became the only non-Korean to develop a cult of personality in North Korea.
b99QZ TIL a little salt can suppress the gag reflex.
P11vJ TIL that the mistletoe plant, a parasite, is the only multicellular organism that does not have a functioning electron transport chain, i.e. it cannot create useful energy for itself