TIL about the Winchester Mansion, a 161-room California monstrosity built by widower Sarah Winchester, who's husband had invented the Winchester rifle. She believed that spirits of those killed by his rifles were haunting her; so she added rooms, hallways, and passages to nowhere to appease them.
http://bit.ly/KPL4jK
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 02:59AM by Jay_B_
via reddit http://bit.ly/2Jupdlt
http://bit.ly/KPL4jK
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 02:59AM by Jay_B_
via reddit http://bit.ly/2Jupdlt
Wikipedia
Winchester Mystery House
The Winchester Mystery House is a mansion in San Jose, California, that was once the personal residence of Sarah Winchester, the widow of firearm magnate William Wirt Winchester. Located at 525 South Winchester Blvd. in San Jose, the Queen Anne Style Victorian…
TIL In November 2012, Salvador Alvarenga went fishing off the coast of Mexico. Two days later, a storm hit and he made a desperate SOS. It was the last anyone heard from him – for 438 days
http://bit.ly/28OagIu
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 05:01AM by omerkha
via reddit http://bit.ly/2W7k1tL
http://bit.ly/28OagIu
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 05:01AM by omerkha
via reddit http://bit.ly/2W7k1tL
the Guardian
Lost at sea: the man who vanished for 14 months
In November 2012, Salvador Alvarenga went fishing off the coast of Mexico. Two days later, a storm hit and he made a desperate SOS. It was the last anyone heard from him – for 438 days. This is his story
TIL about Richard Feynman who taught himself trigonometry, advanced algebra, infinite series, analytic geometry, and both differential and integral calculus at the age of 15. Later he jokingly Cracked the Safes with Atomic Secrets at Los Alamos by trying numbers he thought a physicist might use.
http://bit.ly/1fIYZkf
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 01:38PM by MaterialImportance
via reddit http://bit.ly/30sVwq7
http://bit.ly/1fIYZkf
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 01:38PM by MaterialImportance
via reddit http://bit.ly/30sVwq7
Wikipedia
Richard Feynman
Richard Phillips Feynman (/ˈfaɪnmən/; May 11, 1918 – February 15, 1988) was an American theoretical physicist, known for his work in the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics, and the physics of the superfluidity…
TIL It is legal in in 45 US states for doctors and medical students to perform pelvic exams on unconscious women for medical training, without explicit consent. This may also be done during consented medical procedures that are unrelated to gynecology.
http://bit.ly/2EiDa1E
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 02:16PM by WearyPassenger
via reddit http://bit.ly/2YBl2Yw
http://bit.ly/2EiDa1E
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 02:16PM by WearyPassenger
via reddit http://bit.ly/2YBl2Yw
Snopes.com
FACT CHECK: Is Performing Pelvic Exams on Unconscious Women Without Informed Consent Legal?
Despite widespread condemnation of the practice, performing pelvic exams on unconscious women for medical training, without explicit consent, is legal in 45 states.
TIL I learned that a handicapped woman invented an underwater wheelchair in 2012 as an art project and it works so well that able-bodied divers have trouble keeping up.
https://bbc.in/2VCU14R
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 01:39PM by IBiteYou
via reddit http://bit.ly/30tVyOz
https://bbc.in/2VCU14R
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 01:39PM by IBiteYou
via reddit http://bit.ly/30tVyOz
BBC News
Underwater wheelchair put to test
Artist Sue Austin will perform in her underwater wheelchair as part of the Cultural Olympiad celebrations.
TIL the main purpose of a clapperboard in film making is to synchronise picture and sound in post-production, and when out of sync it's called 'lip flap'
http://bit.ly/1esKoB6
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 01:05PM by SpecialistCookie
via reddit http://bit.ly/2WRDHyF
http://bit.ly/1esKoB6
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 01:05PM by SpecialistCookie
via reddit http://bit.ly/2WRDHyF
Wikipedia
Clapperboard
A clapperboard is a device used in filmmaking and video production to assist in synchronizing of picture and sound, and to designate and mark the various scenes and takes as they are filmed and audio-recorded. Other names include clapper, clapboard, clacker…
TIL of the first transcontinental trip across the United States in an automobile. In 1903 two men and a dog used 800 gallons of gas and spent/lost $8000 over 63 days to travel from San Francisco to New York in a car with no roof or windshield to win a $50 bet that they never collected.
http://bit.ly/2WUnXei
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 09:31AM by Stylolite
via reddit http://bit.ly/2EhXG2h
http://bit.ly/2WUnXei
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 09:31AM by Stylolite
via reddit http://bit.ly/2EhXG2h
Atlas Obscura
The First Cross-Country Road Trip Took 2 Men and a Pitbull 63 Days
In 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson, a doctor from Vermont, was in San Francisco with his wife when he made a bet. It was for $50 and made on the spur of the...
TIL that many non-english languages have no concept of a spelling bee because the spelling rules in those languages are too regular for good spelling to be impressive
http://bit.ly/30y21YX
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 01:19PM by AllerdingsUR
via reddit http://bit.ly/2VzoUqQ
http://bit.ly/30y21YX
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 01:19PM by AllerdingsUR
via reddit http://bit.ly/2VzoUqQ
Slate Magazine
How do spelling contests work in other countries?
Close to 300 boys and girls will be stepping up to the mic at this week's Scripps National Spelling Bee. They hail from across the United States, as...
TIL Texas is called The Lone Star State because when it was part of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas, its flag bore two gold stars in the middle. When Texas declared its independence from Mexico they "took" one of the stars with them and Coahuila kept the other one.
http://bit.ly/2JrMpRp
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 04:45PM by maupalo
via reddit http://bit.ly/2JQjSnG
http://bit.ly/2JrMpRp
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 04:45PM by maupalo
via reddit http://bit.ly/2JQjSnG
Txu
Why Texas Is Called the Lone Star State
Texas is also known as the “The Lone Star State” and there's a good reason why. Dating back to the 1800s, the nickname is an essential part of our state's history.
TIL during WWII, Russian soldiers took “heat pills” that kept them warm in the winter; however, they would also lose weight despite eating well. 2,4-dinitrophenol spikes metabolic rate as potential energy is lost as heat—it is banned as a weight loss aid (U.S.) as overdose can cook people to death.
http://bit.ly/2HskfDt
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 05:53PM by oshibu
via reddit http://bit.ly/2YDykns
http://bit.ly/2HskfDt
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 05:53PM by oshibu
via reddit http://bit.ly/2YDykns
PubMed Central (PMC)
2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP): A Weight Loss Agent with Significant Acute Toxicity and Risk of Death
2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP) is reported to cause rapid loss of weight, but unfortunately is associated with an unacceptably high rate of significant adverse effects. DNP is sold mostly over the internet under a number of different names as a weight loss/slimming…
TIL that the massive velocity of the Paris Gun used in 1918 meant that each shell fired had a larger diameter than the previous or the gun would blow up. The shells were numerically ordered by size from the factory to make sure you fired the right one.
http://bit.ly/1cKieQZ
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 03:26PM by starkprod
via reddit http://bit.ly/2HE7TXJ
http://bit.ly/1cKieQZ
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 03:26PM by starkprod
via reddit http://bit.ly/2HE7TXJ
Wikipedia
Paris Gun
The Paris Gun (German: Paris-Geschütz / Pariser Kanone) was the name given to a type of German long-range siege gun, several of which were used to bombard Paris during World War I. They were in service from March to August 1918. When the guns were first employed…
TIL In 1948, a man pinned under a tractor used his pocketknife to scratch the words "In case I die in this mess I leave all to the wife. Cecil Geo Harris" onto the fender. He did die and the message was accepted in court. It has served as a precedent ever since for cases of holographic wills.
http://bit.ly/2JYxg9J
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 10:28PM by chacham2
via reddit http://bit.ly/2w6QGAP
http://bit.ly/2JYxg9J
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 10:28PM by chacham2
via reddit http://bit.ly/2w6QGAP
Weird Universe
The Tractor Fender Will of Cecil George Harris
June 8, 1948: Cecil George Harris got pinned under his tractor. Fearing he wouldn't survive, he scratched the following message onto the fender
TIL in 2010, The U.S. Air Force made the fastest computer in the US Defense Department with 1,760 PlayStation 3's
http://bit.ly/2jZyXDJ
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 09:24PM by PutDownPeasants
via reddit http://bit.ly/2HJ9RGe
http://bit.ly/2jZyXDJ
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 09:24PM by PutDownPeasants
via reddit http://bit.ly/2HJ9RGe
phys.org
US Air Force connects 1,760 PlayStation 3's to build supercomputer
(Phys.org)—About the 33rd largest supercomputer in the world right now is the US Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) newest system, which has a core made of 1,760 Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) consoles. ...
TIL, that hagfish slime expands by 10,000 times in a fraction of a second, it is 100,000 times softer than Jell-O, and can fend off sharks
http://bit.ly/2S7HMj6
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 07:08PM by KorHusWif
via reddit http://bit.ly/2LVGJRH
http://bit.ly/2S7HMj6
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 07:08PM by KorHusWif
via reddit http://bit.ly/2LVGJRH
The Atlantic
No One Is Prepared for Hagfish Slime
It expands by 10,000 times in a fraction of a second, it’s 100,000 times softer than Jell-O, and it fends off sharks and Priuses alike.
TIL Lyndon Johnson's closest aide, Walter Jenkins, was forced to resign when he was arrested for gay sex. Johnson's wife publically supported Jenkins in a time when homosexuality was heavily scorned.
http://bit.ly/2xaqrrt
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 11:10PM by PharmyC
via reddit http://bit.ly/2VOB0BC
http://bit.ly/2xaqrrt
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 11:10PM by PharmyC
via reddit http://bit.ly/2VOB0BC
Timeline
When LBJ’s closest aide was caught in a gay sex sting, the president caved — the first lady stood up
Walter Jenkins’ case was a tragic but important advance
TIL that when Alfred Hitchcock was five his father sent him to the police with a note, the policeman looked at the note and locked him in jail for few minutes. This experience left him with lifelong fear of policemen and he wouldn't even drive a car in case he got a parking ticket.
http://bit.ly/2QfhDMa
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 09:42PM by thanosisdead
via reddit http://bit.ly/2VzVybS
http://bit.ly/2QfhDMa
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 09:42PM by thanosisdead
via reddit http://bit.ly/2VzVybS
Wikipedia
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director and producer, widely regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Known as "the Master of Suspense", he directed over 50 feature…
TIL that in 2017, a United Nations official investigating poverty in the United States, stated that Alabama had the worst poverty in the entire developed world.
http://bit.ly/2HtlKBv
Submitted May 20, 2019 at 03:25AM by randy88moss
via reddit http://bit.ly/2WTia91
http://bit.ly/2HtlKBv
Submitted May 20, 2019 at 03:25AM by randy88moss
via reddit http://bit.ly/2WTia91
Newsweek
U.N. officials touring rural Alabama are shocked at the level of poverty and environmental degradation
“I think it’s very uncommon in the First World. This is not a sight that one normally sees. I’d have to say that I haven’t seen this.”
TIL that in 1944, the British hatched a plan to assassinate Hitler – Operation Foxley. Many, including Churchill approved of the plan. It never went through though because Hitler was an awful military strategist, and there was fear that whoever replaced him would be more adept at winning the war.
http://bit.ly/2Yyn7Eo
Submitted May 20, 2019 at 02:13AM by brasaretheoppressor
via reddit http://bit.ly/2HseaqL
http://bit.ly/2Yyn7Eo
Submitted May 20, 2019 at 02:13AM by brasaretheoppressor
via reddit http://bit.ly/2HseaqL
WAR HISTORY ONLINE
Britain's Plan to Kill Hitler By Having a Sniper Shoot Him During His Daily Walk To The Tea House
In 1944, the British hatched a plan to assassinate Hitler – a project known as Operation Foxley. It could have shortened the war, saved millions of
TIL that in the 1930s, Meyer Lansky (a major mob figure) would frequently disrupt Nazi rallies by breaking legs, cracking skulls and throwing attendants out of windows.
http://bit.ly/2WdAqNa
Submitted May 20, 2019 at 05:26AM by YouKnowGeorge
via reddit http://bit.ly/2LXdmhJ
http://bit.ly/2WdAqNa
Submitted May 20, 2019 at 05:26AM by YouKnowGeorge
via reddit http://bit.ly/2LXdmhJ
My Jewish Learning
How Jewish Gangsters Fought the Nazis | My Jewish Learning
During the rise of Nazism and the foundation of Israel, the notoriously mean Jewish gangsters of America proved to be true supporters of their people.
TIL Davy Crockett was not only an American pioneer, but a politician and a soldier: as a member of U.S. Congress he vehemently opposed Andrew Jackson and the Indian Removal Act (which led to the Trail of Tears) and eventually died in the Battle of the Alamo in 1836.
http://bit.ly/1YD0vND
Submitted May 20, 2019 at 04:42AM by NotSoSasquatchy
via reddit http://bit.ly/2LWzCIB
http://bit.ly/1YD0vND
Submitted May 20, 2019 at 04:42AM by NotSoSasquatchy
via reddit http://bit.ly/2LWzCIB
Wikipedia
Davy Crockett
David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier, and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives…
TIL: The average NFL career lasts about three years; nearly 80 percent of players are bankrupt within three years of retirement.
http://bit.ly/2JW2cXM
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 10:34PM by AcidHappening2
via reddit http://bit.ly/2wdHmep
http://bit.ly/2JW2cXM
Submitted May 19, 2019 at 10:34PM by AcidHappening2
via reddit http://bit.ly/2wdHmep
Chron
What Education Is Needed to Become a Professional Football Player?
Becoming a professional football player requires stamina, strength and ambition. What it does not require is a formal education. While NFL athletes do not specifically go to school to become professional football players, NFL and NCAA requirements include…