› added 4 years ago

71

TIL of the book “Finnegans Wake”. The book is written by James Joyce and is composed of composite words from sixty to seventy world languages. Written over a period of 17 years it is considered to be one of the most difficult works in the Western canon.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

grvj9 TIL about "agrivoltaics," which is the use of land for both agriculture and solar photovoltaic energy generation.
d8Ojd TIL frozen pipes burst not because ice expands through the wall of the pipe, but because the expanding ice compresses water downpipe, building pressure until it bursts
QJQpk TIL Apes can learn sign language and can communicate with humans. However, Apes are not capable of asking questions. They do not attempt to gain knowledge from others by asking questions. They do not seem to realise that others may have information they do not have.
p80AZ TIL that the Shroud of Turin (allegedly Jesus Christ’s burial shroud) may have been created using a lost form of medieval photography
JYXNB TIL that construction of the Washington Monument was paused for twenty years between 1859 and 1879. The bottom third of the monument is slightly lighter than the rest because marble from different quarries was used after construction resumed.