Learning for adults shouldn’t be just an optional activity. Gaining new knowledge is vital for individuals’ cognitive functions, independence, career, and confidence. If we stop educating ourselves, all of our abilities essential to our overall well-being decline, and we start to enjoy our daily experiences less.
Have you learned something new today for your own good, dear Pandas? In case you haven't, we have your back with a list full of fresh facts from the “Today I Learned” subreddit. Scroll down to get a good brain workout in, and don’t forget to upvote the facts you can’t wait to share with your loved ones.
While you’re at it, make sure to check out a conversation with life and career coach Naama Zusman and career and creativity coach Tineke Tammes, who kindly agreed to explain to us how learning can also be beneficial to our careers.
#21
The policeman John Parker, who was assigned to guard the entrance to Lincoln’s box at Fords Theater, was not immediately fired after he was assassinated. He was even assigned to guard Mary Todd Lincoln afterwards, though she quickly dismissed him. He was only fired in 1868 for sleeping on duty.
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68points
Such a method was inspired by Hermann Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve, which demonstrates that people typically lose 80% of the knowledge they are presented with within a month, especially if they try to take in the information in large amounts.
#22
In WWI, half of the French army mutinied in 1917. Soldiers remained in trenches, but refused orders to attack after the failure of the Nivelle Offensive, which General Nivelle promised a 48 hour victory. The mutinies were heavily suppressed by the French and were not fully disclosed until 1967.
68points
#23
At the time of the French Revolution the majority of people in France did not speak French.
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66points
#24
The British Empire was the largest in human history, about six times larger than the Roman Empire, occupying close to a quarter of the world.
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64points
Zusman highlights that daily learning works best when it aligns with a person's long-term goals, passions, and interests. “Setting specific learning objectives makes daily efforts more purposeful, helping people feel fulfilled and satisfied with their progress. Ultimately, this commitment to continual learning keeps us adaptable, resilient, and curious—qualities that drive success in both life and work,” she concludes.
#25
A French occultist built a device to test the hypothesis that snails create a permanent telepathic link when they mate.
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61points
#26
In 1692 an 80 year old from Livonia was called to court as a witness to a theft. Unprompted, he revealed that he was a werewolf who fought witches in hell, including his neighbour, who broke his nose with his broomstick. The judges initialy laughed but evidence forced them to take it seriously.
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61points
#27
Prolific Hollywood prosthetic makeup artist Tom Savini served as a combat photographer in Vietnam, and this later influenced his style of gory effects. Savini said: "I hated that when I watched a war movie and someone dies. Some people die with one eye open and one eye half-closed.”
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57points
#28
NVIDIA's unofficial company motto is "Our company is thirty days from going out of business."
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54points
#29
Nearly 1 billion adults worldwide are estimated to have sleep apnea, with most cases going undiagnosed.
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50points
#30
During the WW2 Battle Of The Atlantic, the British Merchant Navy had a higher casualty rate in proportion to the armed forces, and their wages were halted as soon as their vessel was hit by a torpedo.
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47points
