TIL of cucamelons. They are a fruit that is about the size of a grape, looks like a watermelon, and taste like a mix between a cucumber and a lime.
http://bit.ly/1Ia1S0v
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 02:36PM by PrimalMusk
via reddit http://bit.ly/2ZpSL7I
http://bit.ly/1Ia1S0v
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 02:36PM by PrimalMusk
via reddit http://bit.ly/2ZpSL7I
Wikipedia
Melothria scabra
Melothria scabra is a vine grown for its edible fruit. Fruit are about the size of grapes and taste like cucumbers with a tinge of sourness. Vernacular names include mouse melon, Mexican sour gherkin, cucamelon, Mexican miniature watermelon, Mexican sour…
TIL In 2016, a British man crowdfunded a ten hour film of paint drying in order to force the British Board of Film Classification to watch it, as part of a protest against it. This is due to independent filmmakers needing to pay £1,000 per submission in order to be certified. The film received a U.
https://ind.pn/2x1OWt7
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 09:25PM by Tokyono
via reddit http://bit.ly/2Fj8JZF
https://ind.pn/2x1OWt7
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 09:25PM by Tokyono
via reddit http://bit.ly/2Fj8JZF
The Independent
BBFC rates Paint Drying film ‘U’, after sitting through all 607 minutes
The BBFC, film censorship board for the UK, have officially awarded a 'U' certificate to a ten-hour film of paint drying, created as part of a protest of its practices by British filmmaker Charlie
TIL that the average American worker takes less vacation time than a medieval peasant
http://bit.ly/2W0SGcz
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 09:46PM by EuphoricChemical
via reddit http://bit.ly/2FhtIMs
http://bit.ly/2W0SGcz
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 09:46PM by EuphoricChemical
via reddit http://bit.ly/2FhtIMs
Business Insider
The average American worker takes less vacation time than a medieval peasant
Medieval peasants lived grueling, terrible lives. But their vacation days beat out the policies now common even in progressive societies.
TIL If woodpeckers are hungry enough they will peck into the backs of other birds heads and eat their brains.
http://bit.ly/2KsO49I
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 06:03PM by ItsLikeHearthstone
via reddit http://bit.ly/2Rq00JV
http://bit.ly/2KsO49I
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 06:03PM by ItsLikeHearthstone
via reddit http://bit.ly/2Rq00JV
Smithsonian
This Woodpecker Will Drill Into Your Skull And Eat Your Brains—If You’re a Baby Dove
Think those needle noses were only made for eating insects? Think again
TIL that Tom Hanks has a younger brother named Jim Hanks who works as Tom's voice double on all Toy Story video games and spin-offs
http://bit.ly/2InCOJw
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 10:11PM by TrienneOfBarth
via reddit http://bit.ly/2XW5gYn
http://bit.ly/2InCOJw
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 10:11PM by TrienneOfBarth
via reddit http://bit.ly/2XW5gYn
Throwbacks
Tom Hanks Brother Takes Over For Him All The Time And None Of Us Noticed
How did we miss this?
TIL that Andrew Carnegie, starting in the late 1800s, funded the construction of almost 1700 public libraries across the country, and over 800 abroad, for any town that would agree to set aside the land, and 10% of the construction cost annually to maintain it.
https://n.pr/2CiF1R5
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 09:51PM by cad908
via reddit http://bit.ly/2KZRlNo
https://n.pr/2CiF1R5
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 09:51PM by cad908
via reddit http://bit.ly/2KZRlNo
reddit
r/todayilearned - TIL that Andrew Carnegie, starting in the late 1800s, funded the construction of almost 1700 public libraries…
148 votes and 17 comments so far on Reddit
TIL United States currency paper is composed of 75 percent cotton and 25 percent linen. Making it not actually paper, but cloth.
http://bit.ly/2sSrYEN
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 07:01PM by Box-o-bees
via reddit http://bit.ly/2MQprWj
http://bit.ly/2sSrYEN
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 07:01PM by Box-o-bees
via reddit http://bit.ly/2MQprWj
www.moneyfactory.gov
U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing - How Money is Made - Paper and Ink
The paper and ink used in the production of U.S. paper currency is as distinct as its design.
TIL Marvel collected royalties from Hulk Hogan for 20 years and it all stems from originally being introduced as "The Incredible Hulk Hogan." Once WWF used it, they couldn't just drop "The Incredible" to avoid infringement. Had he been "Hulk Hogan" from the start, there wouldn't have been an issue.
http://bit.ly/2L45tou
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 12:11AM by sterlingavenueband
via reddit http://bit.ly/2WOIsIz
http://bit.ly/2L45tou
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 12:11AM by sterlingavenueband
via reddit http://bit.ly/2WOIsIz
ProWrestlingStories.com
Hulk Hogan versus Marvel Comics | The Fight for His Name
Hulk Hogan and Hulkamania possibly never would have run wild had it not been for this bizarre agreement between Marvel Comics and the WWF!
TIL that "Mountain Dew" was originally slang for mountain-brewed moonshine. And the soda was originally sold as a whiskey chaser.
http://bit.ly/2Xhly0V
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 11:00PM by UnderwaterTurtles
via reddit http://bit.ly/2Zs4McG
http://bit.ly/2Xhly0V
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 11:00PM by UnderwaterTurtles
via reddit http://bit.ly/2Zs4McG
Smithsonian
Mountain Dew Once Had Ties to Moonshine
The original soda named Mountain Dew was supposed to be a whiskey accompaniment
TIL That Joan Kroc gave NPR $200 million because they were the only ones that picked up the phone when she way trying to give it out
http://bit.ly/2IoAwd9
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 11:27PM by rsplatpc
via reddit http://bit.ly/2L4Rqz0
http://bit.ly/2IoAwd9
Submitted June 18, 2019 at 11:27PM by rsplatpc
via reddit http://bit.ly/2L4Rqz0
Current
The Pub #83: Why Joan Kroc gave NPR its biggest gift ever
Kroc wasn’t much of an NPR fan, but a woman who was quickly dying and had limited time to make big decisions about her big money.
TIL that Jane Minor, a slave born in 1792, was freed due to her medical work during an epidemic in 1825. She spent her life buying the freedom of other slaves. She freed at least sixteen, some costing over $2000, on a salary of around $2-$5 per medical visit.
http://bit.ly/2Fj7dXn
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 03:29AM by IHad360K_KarmaDammit
via reddit http://bit.ly/2RnvkJx
http://bit.ly/2Fj7dXn
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 03:29AM by IHad360K_KarmaDammit
via reddit http://bit.ly/2RnvkJx
Wikipedia
Jane Minor
Jane Minor (abt 1792-1858), also known as Gensey (or Jensey) Snow, was an African-American healer and slave emancipator, one of the few documented enslaved healing practitioners in United States history.
TIL that if an acronym is said letter by letter, like FBI or ATM, it is called an initialism. To be a true acronym all of the letters must be said as a word, some examples are NATO, NASA and POTUS.
http://bit.ly/2x5Bp2S
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 05:29AM by MTV_Cats
via reddit http://bit.ly/2IR6ca6
http://bit.ly/2x5Bp2S
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 05:29AM by MTV_Cats
via reddit http://bit.ly/2IR6ca6
Dailywritingtips
Acronym vs. Initialism
Every so often I'm taken to task for referring to an unpronounceable string of letters as an acronym instead of an initialism. I'm sure there must be contexts
TIL During the Depression, Post Toasties (now Post Consumer Brands) decided to use cartoon animals on its boxes and paid its cartoonist $1.5 million in the first year. That artist was Walt Disney, and he used the earnings to build the Disney empire.
http://bit.ly/2WPleqM
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 02:58AM by StrangeLego
via reddit http://bit.ly/2MXV9kD
http://bit.ly/2WPleqM
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 02:58AM by StrangeLego
via reddit http://bit.ly/2MXV9kD
Pocket
How Cereal Transformed American Culture - Mental Floss - Pocket
More than a century ago, Christian fundamentalists invented cereal to promote a healthy lifestyle free of sin. Little did they know, their creation would eventually be used to promote everything from radio and cartoons to Mr. T and tooth decay.
TIL In 2010, Chris Pratt shot a behind the scenes video for Parks and Recreation, joking that Steven Spielberg was texting him to star in Jurrasic Park 4. Five years later he starred in Jurrasic World.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4mVIJ5eTBY
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 05:48AM by desfiles
via reddit http://bit.ly/2ILMBI8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4mVIJ5eTBY
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 05:48AM by desfiles
via reddit http://bit.ly/2ILMBI8
YouTube
Chris Pratt behind the scenes Parks and Recreation
Chris Pratt doing a behind the scenes video on the season 2 parks and recreation dvd.
This was four-five years ago and he was just cast as the lead in the new Jurassic Park movie coming out, that is crazy since im sure in the vid he said it as a joke
This was four-five years ago and he was just cast as the lead in the new Jurassic Park movie coming out, that is crazy since im sure in the vid he said it as a joke
TIL that Eminem almost died from a methadone overdose in 2007. Shorty after being released from the hospital he relapsed but quickly after that he stopped using drugs and has now been sober for ~11 years. The reason he gave for gaining his sobriety is that his family needed him.
https://nyp.st/2AR2dcy
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 05:43AM by MTV_Cats
via reddit http://bit.ly/31BvMIN
https://nyp.st/2AR2dcy
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 05:43AM by MTV_Cats
via reddit http://bit.ly/31BvMIN
New York Post
Eminem recalls near-fatal drug overdose on new album
In 2007, Eminem almost died after ingesting a massive dose of methadone (in a later Rolling Stone interview, he explained that he had originally been looking for Vicodin). That harrowing experience is
TIL that 3 Australian bird species deliberately help spread wildfires so they can find prey more easily
http://bit.ly/2Rn9x4k
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 12:37AM by mathologies
via reddit http://bit.ly/2XkMb58
http://bit.ly/2Rn9x4k
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 12:37AM by mathologies
via reddit http://bit.ly/2XkMb58
National Geographic News
Why These Birds Carry Flames In Their Beaks
Australia's indigenous peoples have long observed "firehawks" spreading wildfires throughout the country's tropical savannas.
TIL that Cuban orchestras tune their string instruments to A = 336hz, substantially lower than the conventional A = 440hz, as looser strings are less prone to breaking and requiring expensive replacements.
https://n.pr/2WRRJED
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 06:15AM by generallyaware
via reddit http://bit.ly/2MWL47t
https://n.pr/2WRRJED
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 06:15AM by generallyaware
via reddit http://bit.ly/2MWL47t
reddit
r/todayilearned - TIL that Cuban orchestras tune their string instruments to A = 336hz, substantially lower than the conventional…
265 votes and 31 comments so far on Reddit
TIL: 100 crew members of the nuclear submarine USS Scorpion were scheduled to make its 1968 deployment. One sailor refused to go citing the sub’s dire need of maintenance. 99 sailors were killed when the sub sank in the Atlantic.
http://bit.ly/2Xfqa7E
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 10:04AM by U-GO-GURL-
via reddit http://bit.ly/2ZDWBKF
http://bit.ly/2Xfqa7E
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 10:04AM by U-GO-GURL-
via reddit http://bit.ly/2ZDWBKF
The National Interest
Since 1968, a Navy Nuclear Submarine Is Still Trapped 10,000 Feet Below the Waves
Sunk by her own torpedo?
TIL For the first time in 950 years, the Bayeux Tapestry will leave France and go on display in Britain. It will take several years for the tapestry to be made ready to be moved.
https://reut.rs/2L04xl5
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 02:17PM by Tokyono
via reddit http://bit.ly/2L0pqNd
https://reut.rs/2L04xl5
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 02:17PM by Tokyono
via reddit http://bit.ly/2L0pqNd
Reuters
After 950 years, France to lend Bayeux Tapestry to Britain
PARIS/LONDON (Reuters) - France will lend Britain the Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th century treasure that tells the tale of how William the Conqueror came to invade England in 1066, an official at the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris said on Wednesday.
TIL about vanity sizing, which is the practice of assigning smaller sizes to clothing to flatter customers and encourage sales. For example, a Sears dress with a 32 inch (81 cm) bust was labeled a size 14 in the 1930s, a size 8 in the 1960s, and a size 0 in the 2010s.
http://bit.ly/1PBadvq
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 02:43PM by PikesPique
via reddit http://bit.ly/2WSJ70p
http://bit.ly/1PBadvq
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 02:43PM by PikesPique
via reddit http://bit.ly/2WSJ70p
Wikipedia
Vanity sizing
Vanity sizing, or size inflation, is the phenomenon of ready-to-wear clothing of the same nominal size becoming bigger in physical size over time. This has been documented primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom.US standard clothing sizes are…
TIL Hero of Alexandria, in the 1st century AD, built a computer that ran a ~10 min long program. Built of ropes and cogwheel, he programmed it in binary via knots into the ropes. It even had a sound system to produce effects.
http://bit.ly/1rUI1bN
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 03:24PM by HarboringOnALament
via reddit http://bit.ly/2x306hh
http://bit.ly/1rUI1bN
Submitted June 19, 2019 at 03:24PM by HarboringOnALament
via reddit http://bit.ly/2x306hh
Wikipedia
Hero of Alexandria
Hero of Alexandria (/ˈhɪəroʊ/; Greek: Ἥρων ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, Heron ho Alexandreus; also known as Heron of Alexandria /ˈhɛrən/; c. 10 AD – c. 70 AD) was a mathematician and engineer who was active in his native city of Alexandria, Roman Egypt. He is considered…