› added 8 years ago

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TIL that a Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa, was dropped from delivering a speech on “what the food industry could do to improve public health” - because he exposed the deceptive marketing used by top brands. So he released it on YouTube and got 300,000 views.

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via reddit.com

p5OQ TIL two Christian monks smuggled silkworms out of China in bamboo canes. Those silkworms were used to give the Byzantine Empire a trade monopoly in Europe, which became the foundation of their economy for the next 650 years
V6Y0 TIL That the Dutch East India Company was the most valuable company in history. Worth 78 Million Dutch Guilders, adjusted to dollars it was worth $7.4 Trillion.
oBKrL TIL the underbelly membrane of lobsters is the toughest material of all natural hydrogels, including collagen, animal skins, and natural rubber. The membrane is about as strong as industrial rubber composites, such as those used to make car tires, garden hoses, and conveyor belts.
m1Xao TIL, There was never an official flag for the country of Austria-Hungary. The flag we were used to, which shows the coat of arm of both country side by side, was a civil ensign used by merchant ships. The Habsburg flag represented Austrian region while the tricolor flag represented Hungarian region.
nDdr TIL of a grain called Amaranth. It was the primary diet of the Aztects until outlawed by the Spanish. It is gluten free, can be roasted like popcorn, high in protein, has edible leaves and roots, and is used as a dye.