Today I learned

TIL that the human brain can continue working even when you're completely unaware—your brain still processes information and can even make decisions subconsciously.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9184456/
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1s0xrtr/til_that_the_human_brain_can_continue_working/

TIL Elmo from "Sesame Street" is the only nonhuman to testify before Congress. In 2002, Elmo appeared before the Education Appropriations subcommittee to seek support for funding music education programs. He said, "Please Congress, help Elmo's friends find the music in them. I love you Congress."

https://www.loweringthebar.net/2010/09/elmo-testifies-before-congress.html
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1s0sbsf/til_elmo_from_sesame_street_is_the_only_nonhuman/

TIL Thomas Alva Edison was almost completely deaf and, using bone conduction, he would bite down on an object to allow the sound waves to travel through his skull and reach his inner ear. When his Steinway grand piano was put up for sale, bite marks were visible on the outsides of the instrument.

https://royalsociety.org/blog/2024/11/thomas-edison/
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1s0pibr/til_thomas_alva_edison_was_almost_completely_deaf/

TIL the western U.S. state of Wyoming is named after a valley in Pennsylvania. The name Wyoming is based on a word from a Native American language that was spoken only in the northeast.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming#Etymology
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1s0pbvs/til_the_western_us_state_of_wyoming_is_named/

TIL the oldest documented "yo mama" joke was written over 3,500 years ago in Ancient Mesopotamia

https://record.goshen.edu/funnies/your-mother-an-academic-look-at-historys-favorite-joke
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1ryhc4x/til_the_oldest_documented_yo_mama_joke_was/

TIL that Ram 2500 drivers have the most DUIs, and more than twice the national average. Roughly 1 in 22 Ram 2500 drivers have been cited with a DUI before.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/38238/ram-2500-drivers-have-the-most-duis-more-than-twice-the-national-average-report
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1ry2m6k/til_that_ram_2500_drivers_have_the_most_duis_and/

TIL that the “Cheerios effect” is how small objects (such as pieces of cereal) floating in liquid attract each other due to surface tension

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheerios_effect
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rxk9bf/til_that_the_cheerios_effect_is_how_small_objects/

TIL Wellington R. Burt, 1831-1919 didn't leave his $100,000,000 estate to his children. His will had a "spite clause" which specified to wait until all his children and 21 years after his last grandchild while he was still alive had died. The estate was settled in 2011.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellington_R._Burt
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rxjq0d/til_wellington_r_burt_18311919_didnt_leave_his/

TIL: Finland essentially demonstrates wireless electricity by transmitting power through air in controlled experiments

https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/science/story/just-like-wi-fi-finland-working-on-transmitting-electricity-without-wires-2848078-2026-01-07
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1ru56l4/til_finland_essentially_demonstrates_wireless/

TIL that elephants do not often use their tusks when they fight each other, and in fact, elephants with large tusks are usually weaker than individuals without tusks.

https://theworldofanimals.proboards.com/thread/3953/elephant-combat-works
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1ru4ett/til_that_elephants_do_not_often_use_their_tusks/

TIL High and Low German are named to describe the ALTITUDE their spoken at (highlands or lowlands).

https://language.mki.wisc.edu/essays/high-and-low-german/
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1ru0hw8/til_high_and_low_german_are_named_to_describe_the/

TIL The only recorded collision between a car and a submarine happened in Sweden in 1961, when a driverless Volvo rolled downhill into a docked submarine.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collision_between_a_car_and_a_submarine
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rtrh1t/til_the_only_recorded_collision_between_a_car_and/

TIL Canadian seasons include ‘False Spring’ — an unusually warm period as winter declines

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/it-feels-like-may-in-february-but-beware-of-false-spring-1.7126053
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rswmw4/til_canadian_seasons_include_false_spring_an/

TIL the English word “set” has 430 different meanings listed in the Oxford English Dictionary, giving it the longest dictionary entry at around 60,000 words.

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/english-word-with-the-most-meanings
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rrlw2p/til_the_english_word_set_has_430_different/

TIL that Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman" film (2016) was the 1st movie where Bill Finger was credited by DC as the co-creator of Batman alongside Bob Kane. Up until then, Bob Kane was credited as the sole creator of Batman in films ever since the character's debut in 1939

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/dc-entertainment-give-classic-batman-824572/
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpnesa/til_that_zack_snyders_batman_v_superman_film_2016/

TIL there is an old handwriting system that is faster than typing. Masters have reached up to 280 Words per minute!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregg_shorthand
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpmsrq/til_there_is_an_old_handwriting_system_that_is/

TIL that philosopher Peter Wessel Zapffe believed that human consciousness is an evolutionary overextension, unnecessary for survival. He believed that humans developed four common coping mechanisms to dull our self-reflection and soothe our anxiety regarding our mortality.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Messiah
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpmabg/til_that_philosopher_peter_wessel_zapffe_believed/

TIL about Plymouth, Montserrat - the only known ghost town in the world that is also a capital city.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth,_Montserrat
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpl0pg/til_about_plymouth_montserrat_the_only_known/

TIL that an "idiopathic disease" is any disease with an unknown cause or mechanism of apparent spontaneous origin. Doctors cannot identify a specific reason, such as infection, genetics, injury, or environmental factor. Diseases are often diagnosed after ruling out other possible causes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiopathic_disease
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpku0z/til_that_an_idiopathic_disease_is_any_disease/

TIL about The Shelter of the 11th. A hotel built in 1929 on Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus. once considered one of the highest hotels in Europe at 4,100m ASL. It survived WW2 despite being the site of significant fighting, but in 1998, it burned down due to violations of fire safety rules by tourists.

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8E%D1%82_%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B4%D1%86%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpktfd/til_about_the_shelter_of_the_11th_a_hotel_built/

TIL Paris holds an annual Baguette Grand Prix. The winner gets €4,000 and a 1-year contract to supply bread to residence of the President of France. The rules are strict as having the wrong amount of salt, or not having enough weight will get you disqualified for example.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concours_de_la_meilleure_baguette_de_Paris
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpkhbk/til_paris_holds_an_annual_baguette_grand_prix_the/

TIL of John Hervey, 7th Marquess of Bristol known for his flamboyant lifestyle. The Earl piloted his helicopter without radar regularly snorting cocaine off the map used navigation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hervey,_7th_Marquess_of_Bristol
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpjmqg/til_of_john_hervey_7th_marquess_of_bristol_known/

TIL about Michel Siffre, who spend over two months in a cave (on more than one occasion) with no timekeeping devices of any kind in order to study how the human brain perceives time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Siffre?wprov=sfti1#Career
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpj57y/til_about_michel_siffre_who_spend_over_two_months/

TIL that Pope Adrian IV is still the only pope born in the British Isles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Adrian_IV
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpix7h/til_that_pope_adrian_iv_is_still_the_only_pope/

TIL Mars has five mountains taller than mount Everest

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mountains_on_Mars
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpidj4/til_mars_has_five_mountains_taller_than_mount/

TIL about war pigs: swine set on fire to repel enemy elephants

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_pig
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpguvd/til_about_war_pigs_swine_set_on_fire_to_repel/

TIL that about 30% of people with depression have treatment resistant depression (TRD), which means they have failed at least 2 different types of treatment modalities.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10503923/
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpgdvt/til_that_about_30_of_people_with_depression_have/

TIL that John Lennon came back from a 5 year recording hiatus in 1980 after hearing the B-52’s Rock Lobster. In his words, "[Rock Lobster] sounds just like Ono's music, so I said to meself, 'it's time to get out the old axe and wake the wife up!'"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Lobster
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpgdss/til_that_john_lennon_came_back_from_a_5_year/

TIL that in 1860, Missouri Representative John William Noell proposed an amendment to abolish the presidency in favor of a three-person executive council, each elected from a separate region of the U.S.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/twelve-failed-constitutional-amendments-that-could-have-reshaped-american-history-180987425/
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpg6x0/til_that_in_1860_missouri_representative_john/

TIL In medieval times the Byzantines used a giant chain to prevent enemy ships from crossing the Golden Horn, the natural estuary leading into Constantinople's harbor. Failing to break it, some invaders, including the ottomans in 1453, decided to carry their ships on land and circumvent it

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Horn#The_Great_Chain_of_the_Golden_Horn
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpg3yq/til_in_medieval_times_the_byzantines_used_a_giant/

TIL Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are actually one lake

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Michigan%E2%80%93Huron
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpfwsk/til_lake_michigan_and_lake_huron_are_actually_one/

TIL that the Imbaba neighborhood of Giza, Egypt is the most densely populated city subdivision in the world, with a population of 177,000/km2 (459,000/sq mi)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbaba
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpf1ux/til_that_the_imbaba_neighborhood_of_giza_egypt_is/

TIL that in the 1980s, Pakistan International Airlines(PIA) played a major role in establishing Emirates, providing technical and administrative assistance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Emirates_(airline)
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpeutq/til_that_in_the_1980s_pakistan_international/

TIL that in the late 1800s clam chowder was introduced in New Zealand as an "American" dish and has become integral to New Zealand cuisine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chowder#Clam
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rpdqlw/til_that_in_the_late_1800s_clam_chowder_was/

TIL that France’s longest border is with Brazil.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil%E2%80%93France_border
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rnx12x/til_that_frances_longest_border_is_with_brazil/

TIL scientists discovered that the bacteria living on the International Space Station have mutated into a species that doesn't exist on Earth.

https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/ames/ames-science/ames-space-biosciences/multi-drug-resistant-bacteria-found-on-iss-mutating-to-become-functionally-distinct/
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rli68b/til_scientists_discovered_that_the_bacteria/

TIL that the original iPhone that Steve Jobs famously showed on stage in 2007 barely worked and could only just get through the keynote. A stable, final version of the iPhone was not developed until just weeks before global release.

https://www.cultofmac.com/news/jony-ive-book-excerpt-iphone
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rixfxs/til_that_the_original_iphone_that_steve_jobs/

TIL that in 2018 there was a diplomatic spat between India and Pakistan due to accusations that diplomats were ringing each other's doorbells at 3.00am, then running away.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/16/pakistan-recalls-envoy-from-india-harassment-claims-doorbell-ringing
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1ridkyr/til_that_in_2018_there_was_a_diplomatic_spat/

TIL that the Switzerlands largest supermarket Migros, doesn’t sell alcohol or tobacco in stores, pays no dividends, caps profits by lowering prices if earnings exceeds 5%, is a cooperative with 2M+ members, and donates 1% of revenue to social projects, purely out of the founders moral philosophy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migros
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rfaq9y/til_that_the_switzerlands_largest_supermarket/

TIL that the MBTI Personality Test, commonly known as the 16 Personalities Personality Test, is complete pseudoscience. It has zero predictive power, is not repeatable, and fails to paint a comprehensive picture of personality. It was developed by people with no background in psychology/neuroscience

https://nesslabs.com/mbti
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rdhz79/til_that_the_mbti_personality_test_commonly_known/

TIL that David Rosen, co-founder of Sega, died on Christmas Day 2025, aged 95.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Rosen_(businessman)
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1rbk612/til_that_david_rosen_cofounder_of_sega_died_on/

TIL the 1904 Olympic Marathon in St. Louis was a disaster: The first "winner" hitched a car ride for 11 miles, the actual gold medalist was revived with rat poison and brandy, and another runner was chased a mile off-course by wild dogs.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-1904-marathon-became-one-of-the-weirdest-olympic-events-of-all-time-14910747/
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1r90lcd/til_the_1904_olympic_marathon_in_st_louis_was_a/

TIL about a 2005 TV special named Who’s Your Daddy that featured actress T.J Myers and eight men competing for a 100k prize. Meyers was adopted and the man that would win the prize is the man who convinced her that he was their biological father. However, one contestant was her actual biological dad

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who%27s_Your_Daddy%3F_(2005_TV_series)
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1r8x3xn/til_about_a_2005_tv_special_named_whos_your_daddy/

TIL All TVs sold in America since 2000 have a "V-Chip" that can be set to block programming based on rating using a code embedded in the signal. It works on broadcast and standard cable programming and not streaming and can be easily reset with the code 0000.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-chip
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1r86i7n/til_all_tvs_sold_in_america_since_2000_have_a/

TIL In Portugal it’s illegal for your boss to call outside work hours. The employer must respect the privacy of the worker, including periods of rest and family time. Any violation, it constitutes a serious offense and could result in a fine.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/11/success/portugal-employer-contact-law
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1r55rk0/til_in_portugal_its_illegal_for_your_boss_to_call/

TIL that following the discovery of the bodies of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman after their murders on June 12, 1994, a proposal for a book about their murder was made after only two hours, and it hit shelves a few weeks later.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_trial_of_O._J._Simpson?wprov=sfti1#Media_coverage
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1r54ks7/til_that_following_the_discovery_of_the_bodies_of/

TIL despite only existing for 69 years, the Soviet Union is still in 2nd place in the all-time Olympic medal table and just under 200 medals ahead of 3rd place (Great Britain)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-time_Olympic_Games_medal_table
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1r4uyuc/til_despite_only_existing_for_69_years_the_soviet/

TIL that a flock of flamingos is called a "flamboyance".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamingo
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1r3pxa6/til_that_a_flock_of_flamingos_is_called_a/

TIL dogs can smell cancer. A dog’s nose is so powerful it can detect tiny chemical changes in your breath, sweat, or urine caused by certain cancers. In some studies, trained dogs identified cancers like breast and lung cancer with accuracy similar to medical tests

https://youtube.com/shorts/1LQdVFq_Iy4?si=e3U9GEC3UsAOM5fn
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1r3jlsw/til_dogs_can_smell_cancer_a_dogs_nose_is_so/

TIL that two guide dogs named Salty and Roselle each helped their blind owners escape from the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks, guiding them down dozens of floors out of the burning towers and were later awarded the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross for bravery

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salty_and_Roselle
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1r2v6oi/til_that_two_guide_dogs_named_salty_and_roselle/