Nowadays, you don't have to take a trip to the local library if you want to go on a fact-finding mission. You don't have to read a whole book, magazine, or even an Encyclopaeda Brittanica to learn something new. The internet is a never-ending treasure trove of trivia. From fascinating bite-size tidbits about science, to celebrities, history, and the plain weird and bizarre. The “Today I Learned” (TIL) page is a go-to corner of the internet, where a whopping 39 million people gather to satisfy their hunger for knowledge.
Bored Panda has picked the top cool and weird facts from the page to create the following captivating listicle. Whether you're wanting to impress your friends, needing something interesting to talk about on your next first date, itching to win trivia night or you just enjoy soaking in new information, you should find something useful here. Keep scrolling and don't forget to upvote your favorites.
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#42
TIL ecologists once thought Beaver dam-building was an amazing feat of planning, indicative of the high intellect. This was tested when a recording of running water was played in a field near a beaver pond. Although on dry land, the beaver covered the tape player with branches and mud.
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19points
#43
TIL Hemingway was three months sober when he took his own life in 1961
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19points
#44
TIL a high-ranking dinosaur ant who challenges her queen but fails will be immobilized, publicly chastised for several days, join the working class and lose all hope of ever ruling or reproducing
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19points
#45
TIL a film in 1997 with a budget of $15 million only made $309 because it only played in 2 movie theaters before being pulled.
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18points
#46
TIL certain East Asian physical traits, like thicker hair, more sweat glands, distinct teeth, and smaller breasts, stem from a gene mutation about 35,000 years ago. Africans and Europeans usually carry the ancestral version of the gene, but in most East Asians, one of the DNA units has mutated.
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18points
#47
TIL that Graphene is the thinnest two-dimensional material in existence and is 200 times stronger than steel. It is also the most conductive material on Earth, excelling in both electrical and thermal conductivity.
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17points
#48
TIL The only known naturally occuring nuclear fission reactor was discovered in Oklo, Gabon and is thought to have been active 1.7 billion years ago. This discovery in 1972 was made after chemists noticed a significant reduction in fissionable U-235 within the ore coming from the Gabonese mine.
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17points
#49
TIL economists estimate that only 8 percent of the world's currency exists as physical cash
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17points
#50
TIL that 1 out of every 8 Americans has worked at a McDonalds at some point in their life.
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16points