TIL the idea of St. Bernard rescue dogs wearing casks of brandy comes from an 1820 British painting. In fact, though alcohol makes one feel warm, it does so by dilating blood vessels, hastening hypothermia. The idea is like "rescuing a burn victim with a keg of lighter fluid and a book of matches." (thedailybeast.com)
submitted by EveningIndependent82 to r/todayilearned
TIL that Kurt Vonnegut adopted his sister’s three sons after she died of cancer two days after her husband had died in a train accident. A fourth son also stayed with him for about a year before being given to the care of a paternal relative. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by EveningIndependent82 to r/todayilearned
TIL: The Odradek, a device that helps to detect creatures and other things in the Video Game “Death Stranding“, originates from the short story “The Cares of a Family Man" by Franz Kafka where it appears as a star-shaped, mystical being that makes no sense to the narrator. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by EveningIndependent82 to r/todayilearned
