› added 11 years ago

582

TIL that actor Colin Firth is credited as a co-author of paper on the link between brain structure and political alignment because he suggested that the connection could be studied

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JYAVj TIL dogs can "laugh" when they're playful. Researchers played recordings of dogs laughing to stressed shelter dogs, resulting in the dogs showing significantly fewer signs of stress. Many of the dogs and puppies began to bounce around, and responded with laughs of their own.
OoyN6 TIL The ampersand (&) was the 27th letter of the alphabet as a ligature of the letters 'e' and 't' to form the Latin word 'et' meaning 'and'. So the alphabet would go X,Y,Z and And. So to distinguish it from the rest, children started to say 'and per say and' which later evolved into 'ampersand'.
49na TIL that after absorbing the blast of an grenade to protect his comrades, Michael Fitzmaurice, though seriously wounded and partially blinded continued to fight, killing an enemy with his bare hands and refusing evacuation, holding his position even after being blown up by a second grenade.
P1K6g TIL Karpov vs. Kasparov, World Chess Championship 1984 match lasted for five months & five days. FIDE President Florencio Campomanes unilaterally terminated the match, citing the players' health despite both players wanting to continue. Karpov is said to have lost 10 kg over the course of the match.
78LNx TIL of the Portsmouth Sinfonia, an orchestra which was founded as an piece of comedic performance art, and so was open to anyone, regardless of musical training or proficency in their chosen instrument. They achieved a level of fame in the 1970s due to their recordings of popular classics.