Post * vP6wr — Curious Curator

› added 1 year ago

48

TIL Japanese Calligraphy Ink Is so expensive and it takes years to fabricate it

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JY181 Did you wake up today with a craving for clay, or dirt? That’s called pica, an abnormal craving for substances other than typical food. If you went ahead and acted on your impulse, it's probably a good idea to head over to your doctor’s office. Research indicates that in most cases this craving is a result of a mineral or vitamin deficiency. This brings us to this week’s Today I Learned, as National Geographic Society grantee and ornithologist Luke Powell explains why macaws regularly munch on South American rain forest clay. Yummy! All animals (including humans) need salt to live. Animals that live in the Amazon rain forest face a curious predicament due to the way the Andes mountain range affects weather coming from the Pacific Ocean. This geography results in an extreme lack of salt in the Amazon and, consequentially, some unique behaviors and appetites.EDITOR: Laurence AlexanderSERIES PRODUCER: Chris Mattle

8aGmZ TIL about Minnie Freeman, a teacher in Nebraska in 1888 who saved all of her students after a freak blizzard struck. The winds were so strong the roof and door blew off the school. Using string she roped the kids together and trekked over a mile in whiteout conditions to the closest farmhouse.

KYQmw TIL that the Ampersand used to be the 27th letter of the alphabet

AnDd TIL that in medieval times “Cat-burning” was an accepted practice thought to bring good luck. It was custom to burn a barrel full of live cats over a bonfire as people shrieked with laughter while they were singed and roasted. French Kings often witnessed it and even ceremoniously started the fire.

8ad9L TIL: In JFK’s 1946 congressional race, his campaign hired a janitor named Joe Russo to run against him and Boston City Councillor Joe Russo to confuse voters and split the “Russo” vote.