› added 11 years ago

272

TIL that “Bruce”, the shark created for the movie Jaws, almost killed George Lucas. On a visit to the effects shop Lucas stuck his head into the shark’s mouth and, as a joke, Spielberg closed it on his head, trapping him. The mouth was jammed shut and had to be pried open in order to free Lucas.

vPZ4B TIL that our tastebuds are not as sensitive at high altitude as they are at sea level, which is due to a combination of dry air and pressure change. This is why airline food often tastes "flavorless." Our perception of saltiness and sweetness drops by around 30 percent at high altitude.
X00Nk TIL HPV can affect men as well. The virus causes 95% of anal cancer, about 64% of oropharyngeal (tonsils, throat, base of tongue) cancers, and rarer cancers, such as penile cancers. There is currently no approved screening test for HPV in men.
JavQ TIL Wilmington, North Carolina is the only city in the entire history of the United States to have its elected government violently overthrown in 1898.
OGoj7 TIL that the Pope is the head of two separate and distinct sovereign entities. Vatican City, A Sovereign City State, and the Holy See, a sovereign juridical entity that acts as the Universal Catholic Central Government.
47g6 TIL that the infamous “chestburster” scene in “Alien” was inspired by a screenwriter’s struggle with Crohn’s disease, a inflammatory bowel disease that made him feel like something was trying to punch its way out of his chest.