TIL of "Telling The Bees", a traditional European custom where bees were told of important household events, lest they might leave the hive or die off! The newly married couples had to introduce themselves to the bees before entering their new home to avoid an unfortunate marriage! (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by Vicky135246 to r/todayilearned
TIL that sap and resin are totally different things. Sap is thin, runny and carries water and nutrients. It's basically the blood of the tree. Resin is viscous and used to heal wounds. All trees have sap. Only some trees have resin. Resin is NOT thickened sap. They are chemically totally different. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by detether to r/todayilearned
TIL: With Aliens (1986), Sigourney Weaver received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and although she did not win, it was considered a landmark nomination for an actress to be considered for a science-fiction/horror film, a genre which previously was given little recognition (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by Aileos to r/todayilearned
TIL about Bertrand Russel's teapot. If he were to assert, without offering proof, that a teapot, too small to be seen by telescopes, orbits the Sun somewhere in space between the Earth and Mars, he could not expect anyone to believe him solely because his assertion could not be proven wrong. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by danruse to r/todayilearned
TIL Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev pressured writer Boris Pasternak to decline a Nobel Prize for Literature, after publishing his banned novel Doctor Zhivago. After retirement, Khrushchev obtained a copy of the novel and stated, "We shouldn't have banned it. I should have read it myself." (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by ipxfgzba to r/todayilearned
TIL that when Dakota Meyer was contacted to arrange a time to inform him that his case for the Medal of Honor had been approved, the caller was told that Meyer was working at his construction job and were asked to call again during his lunch break. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by sober_disposition to r/todayilearned
TIL that Jamie Lee Curtis is a Baroness because her husband Christopher Guest inherited the title of Baron and is a member of the House of Lords. She however rejects the use of the title because she believes it has nothing to do with her. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by AporiaParadox to r/todayilearned
TIL "Cryptophasia" is a phenomenon where twins make up a language which they only speak with each other. Twin languages often consist of onomatopoeia, and new words twins create by simplifying the words used by adults around them. Up to 50% of young twins may develop their own twin language. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by datalang to r/todayilearned
TIL about Smoky, a Yorkshire Terrier, won in a poker game, who served in World War II, attained the rank of Corporal, completed twelve combat missions, was awarded eight battle stars, had a custom parachute, and who single pawedly saved 250 airmen.... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by TheStrangeView to r/todayilearned
TIL the Nazis focused on climbing the mountain Nanga Parbat first because they couldn't access Everest and Kanchenjunga was too difficult. They never succeeded, but in 1953, after 31 already died on Nanga Parbat, Austrian Hermann Buhl finally climbed it partially solo while taking coca and meth. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by MyPasswordIsMyCat to r/todayilearned