TIL that writer George Plimpton wore number 0 during training camp with the 1963 Detroit Lions. He wanted to find out if an average American man could actually play in the NFL. He shared his experienc
TIL that in 1881, the future King George V recorded a sighting of the mythical Flying Dutchman while sailing off the Australian coast. 13 men witnessed the vessel, with the sailor who had first sighte
TIL That 120,000 Romans died at the hands of invading Germanic barbarians in a single day at the battle of Arausio. Trapped between the Germans and a river, the Roman soldiers and camp followers were
TIL about the War of the Triple Alliance (1864–1870) between Paraguay and an alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. In total, 60–70% of Paraguay’s population perished, resulting in a female-to-ma
TIL that at the famed NYC diner, Katz's Delicatessen, upon entering you are handed a ticket. If you lose the ticket you'll be charged a $50 ticket loss fee on top of the cost of your order.
TIL that Tenzing and Edmund reached the Everest summit in 1953. Edmund took Tenzing’s famous summit photo, while Tenzing’s offer to photograph Edmund was declined. Their expedition leader called it a
Doctors noticed brain injuries can speed bone healing. Scientists flipped it: squeezing a shinbone after brain injury helped mice and pigs survive more, move better and remember more. Pressure-sensing
A new study reveals that radiation exposure can trigger brain inflammation via the eCIRP protein, which subsequently drives the accumulation of tau proteins that form the signature tangles of Alzheime
TIL of a three storey castle-like fortress located in the middle of the Sahara Desert. It appears to rise straight out of the sand dunes. Experts still do not know who built it or exactly when it was
TIL when Gallileo’s daughter Virginia took the veil, she chose the religious name Maria Celeste, in honor of the Virgin Mary and her father’s love of astronomy. She was close to her father, and as a c
TIL the Passenger Pigeon was an American bird that went extinct in 1914. Prior there was an estimated population of 3-5 Billion. Due to their population size they were used in shooting contests, some
The neuroscience of pity: how attractiveness and morality shape empathy. Attractiveness provided a buffer against negative moral judgments, as people reported higher empathy for attractive criminals t
More than 70% of U.S. coastal areas are sinking by over 1 millimeter per year, according to new research, increasing the risk of flooding and amplifying the impacts of rising sea levels.
Earth microbes survive simulated conditions of Saturn moon’s ocean. Experiment suggests organisms could live in harsh environment under Enceladus’s icy crust, strengthening possibility moon could supp
TIL there is a book called "Shadows from the Walls of Death", which was an 1874 book that contained 86 samples of arsenic-pigmented wallpaper, which used to be common, and is so toxic that PPE must be
TIL that in 1754, residents of Windham, Connecticut woke in the middle of the night to such a terrifying noise that some thought they were under attack. They sent armed men went out with muskets to in
TIL that competition from copper smelters is so competitive in 2026 that they are charging $0 to smelt copper. Treatment charges (TC's) have gone to $0 while spot charges have gone negative. Mines are
TIL that Thomas Lewis Lavy, an American farmer attempted to cross into Canada from Alaska with several firearms, ricin toxin, and $89,000 in cash in 1993. He was turned away at the border, and the tox
TIL the sovereign citizen movement appeared in the early 1970s, originating from tax-protester ideas, radical anti-government movements, and pseudolaw. Its followers use “legal” theories based on misi
TIL the 1904 Olympic marathon was partly a human experiment: the organizer allowed only two water stops in 90°F heat to study dehydration. One runner nearly bled to death, the winner was kept going wi
TIL that Giancarlo Esposito had never watched Breaking Bad when he was offered the role of Gus Fring, and initially didn't want to take it because it was just a guest spot. Vince Gilligan convinced hi
