Today I Learned (TIL)

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/appalachian_hatachi on 2024-11-14 21:18:48.

Original Title: TIL: That in 2014, a doctor in Wales was handed a suspended sentence for faking Viagra prescriptions because he said he was too embarrassed to see his GP. Staff became suspicious because the doctor worked in a trauma and orthopaedic unit, where patients would not normally need drugs for impotence.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/UndyingCorn on 2024-11-14 20:47:04.

Original Title: TIL At its greatest extent, Nixon’s “Enemies List” of political opponents and critics reached 220 people and organizations. Several of the people listed expressed pride at being included after the list was revealed at the Watergate hearings in 1973.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/RealisticBarnacle115 on 2024-11-14 20:46:33.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/steamin661 on 2024-11-14 20:28:02.

Original Title: TIL about Sherman Copy of the Declaration of Independence, which seems to indicate John Adams copied an original from someone with the initials "T.P." , suggesting Thomas Paine may have had a hand in drafting the Declaration of Independence. Paine was the author of Common Sense.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/1DarkStarryNight on 2024-11-14 20:17:55.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/Forsaken-Reindeer on 2024-11-14 19:46:51.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/Hoihe on 2024-11-14 19:41:43.

Original Title: TIL of the "Casu martzu" - a sardinian fermented sheep cheese that has live maggots in it. It's considered unsafe to eat if the maggots have died, and is served alongside strong red wine. The larvae in the cheese can launch themselves distances up to 15 centimetres when disturbed.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/Nulovka on 2024-11-14 18:37:06.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/sig19992 on 2024-11-14 18:34:49.

Original Title: TIL that KFC’s handwritten recipe is stored in a safe within a vault at KFC’s Louisville headquarters. To maintain confidentiality, KFC employs two separate suppliers: one blends part of the recipe, and the other completes it, ensuring no single entity has access to the entire formulation. 

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/astarisaslave on 2024-11-14 18:13:32.

Original Title: TIL that the Spice Girls co-wrote all their own songs. When they left their original management, they allegedly stole the masters of their recordings from the management office to make sure they retained creative control of their work.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/AliveLingonberry2269 on 2024-11-14 18:12:34.

Original Title: TIL in 1973, illusionist Uri Geller, famous for spoon bending acts, tricked the CIA into believing he had psychic powers. During classified experiments at Stanford Research Institute, he replicated hidden drawings convincingly using stage magic.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/rrsafety on 2024-11-14 17:36:17.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/lechugadecuchara on 2024-11-14 17:06:23.

Original Title: TIL k-pop phenomenon only happened because Jurassic Park. In early 90s, Korean Government officials issued a report for the president stating the movie revenue was almost equivalent of exporting 1.5 Million Hyundai cars. As a response, the government invested a lot of money in cultural industry.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/BlowzyBibliobibuli on 2024-11-14 17:04:07.

Original Title: TIL about the English village of Eyam. During the bubonic plague outbreak of 1665-6, the inhabitants of Eyam quarantined themselves, in a famous act of self-sacrifice, to prevent the spread of the plague.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/JackThaBongRipper on 2024-11-14 15:54:00.

Original Title: TIL that the only time when more than half of the American public believed that the Apollo space program was worth the expense came at the time of the Apollo 11 lunar landing in 1969. Even then it only received 53% approval.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/RealisticBarnacle115 on 2024-11-14 15:20:58.

Original Title: TIL backyard ultra, a type of ultramarathon where competitors must run 6.706 km within one hour, repeatedly. The last runner to complete a lap is declared the winner and the only finisher, with all others receiving a "DNF". The longest distance record is 110 laps, covering 737 km over five day.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/FiredFox on 2024-11-14 14:45:01.

Original Title: TIL about the fast food chain "Rax Roast Beef" which at one time operated a peak of 504 locations in the US in the 1980's, but due to continuous changes in its business model and shifting focus away from its core clientele eventually declined to just 8 locations today.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/ObjectiveAd6551 on 2024-11-14 14:42:26.

Original Title: TIL Batman’s fascination for and attraction to bats is due to a unique psychological response to fear and anxiety called a“counterphobic attitude” which involves a person actively seeking out the sources of the things that frighten them in the hope of overcoming their fears and becoming stronger.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/EpicAura99 on 2024-11-14 14:20:26.

Original Title: TIL the state of Rhode Island had no constitution until 1843, instead relying upon the original Royal Charter from King Charles II. Because of a second constitutional convention in 1984, the charter remains the longest serving government of the state at 180 years.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/knightni73 on 2024-11-14 13:19:40.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/VerGuy on 2024-11-14 12:58:19.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/MauledByTheTigers on 2024-11-14 12:49:49.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/gullydon on 2024-11-14 08:58:56.

Original Title: TIL the record for the fastest vehicle on water was set in 1978 by Australian Ken Warby. His boat, the Spirit of Australia, reached a speed of 511.11 km/h (317.59 mph). Two official attempts to beat his record have resulted in the death of the pilot.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/Maynard078 on 2024-11-14 02:17:04.

Original Title: TIL that in his classic Western spoof Blazing Saddles (1974), Mel Brooks named his character Gov. LePetomane after that of a 19th century French stage act of he same name. Flatulist Joseph Pujols combined the French verb péter ("to fart") with "mane" (maniac), loosely translating to "thefartmaniac".

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/FiredFox on 2024-11-14 04:40:43.