{"id":37398,"date":"2014-11-29T00:00:24","date_gmt":"2014-11-29T08:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/?p=37398"},"modified":"2014-11-29T06:23:29","modified_gmt":"2014-11-29T14:23:29","slug":"weekly-wrap-volume-66","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/index.php\/2014\/11\/weekly-wrap-volume-66\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Wrap Volume 66"},"content":{"rendered":"
This is a weekly wrap of our popular Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here<\/a>.<\/div>\n

\"language2\"<\/a>The Truth About Prepositions and the End of Sentences<\/a><\/p>\n

A great man once said, \u201cThis is the sort of English up with which I will not put.\u201d Eloquently highlighting the ridiculousness of strictly adhering to the rule against ending a sentence with a preposition, Winston Churchill may not have realized that his defiance is supported by history. As it turns out, there was never any such generally recognized rule. So where did the idea that you shouldn\u2019t end a sentence with a preposition start? Many writers in Restoration Era England (1660-1689), and in particular \u201cGlorious John\u201d Dryden (one of the greatest poets, dramatists… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"thanksgiving\"<\/a>The Many Myths Surrounding the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving<\/a><\/p>\n

Myth: Pilgrims wore black and white clothing with buckled top hats. The myth that they dressed like this stems from a popular clothing style in England in the late 17th century, which carried over to 18th and 19th century artist depictions of Pilgrims. In fact, historical records of Pilgrims\u2019 clothing, such as the passenger list of the Mayflower, wills, which included descriptions of clothing, and other such records, paint a very different picture than the late 17th century artists depicted. For starters, the Pilgrims didn\u2019t wear buckled hats. They also didn\u2019t wear buckles on their shoes or waists. Buckles were expensive and not in fashion at the time. They simply wore the much cheaper leather laces to tie up their shoes and hold up their pants. Buckles later became very popular in England for… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"coins-e1291829590353\"<\/a>Why Some Coins in the United States Have Ridges<\/a><\/p>\n

Putting ridges on some coins in America got its start back in the 1700\u2032s.\u00a0 At this time, coins were actually made of materials that were worth what the coin was worth.\u00a0 For example, a half dollar silver coin contained fifty cents worth of silver.\u00a0 Likewise, a $10 gold coin contained $10 worth of gold. As a consequence of this, people started to shave off bits of these coins around the edges; so now a $10 gold piece only contained, say… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"trytophan-reaction-e1280395255756\"<\/a>Turkey Does Not Make You Drowsy After You Eat It<\/a><\/p>\n

Now to be clear, turkey does contain tryptophan.\u00a0 Tryptophan is an amino acid which the human body doesn\u2019t naturally produce, but is essential to proper body function and, thus, must be acquired from food.\u00a0 The reason tryptophan is tied to drowsiness is that it is used by your body to create serotonin.\u00a0 Serotonin, among other things, acts as a calming agent in the brain and plays a key role in sleep.\u00a0 So with turkey containing tryptophan, one would logically say it would make you sleepy after you eat it\u2026 except, this isn\u2019t actually the case. So, why not?\u00a0 Primarily because of how we eat turkey and more importantly how the body deals with… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"tapioca\"<\/a>Tapioca and Cyanide<\/a><\/p>\n

Little pearls swimming in a creamy custard flavored with vanilla or lemon, many of us have fond (and others not so fond) childhood memories of tapioca pudding. Although this staple dessert of the 1970s went out of vogue for a while, today it\u2019s making a comeback. You may not know, however, that the tapioca we use is a refined product whose parent plant is filled with dangerous toxins that, absent proper preparation, can result in cyanide poisoning and possible death. Cassava, the plant from which tapioca is made, was one of the first domesticated more than 12,000… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Bonus<\/span> Quick Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n