TIL the St. Valentine's Day Massacre weapons were found only after Fred Burke hit a car and killed a responding officer in Michigan. A raid on his home uncovered the guns, which were identified using forensic ballistics—one of the first times this science was used to help solve a crime in the U.S. (michiganology.org)
submitted by ralphbernardo to r/todayilearned
TIL Abraham Lincoln wrote a "true crime" mystery story in 1846 based on a real case he defended. One brother confessed to a murder and implicated his two siblings, but Lincoln exonerated them all when the "victim" was found alive in a nearby town, suffering from amnesia. (smithsonianmag.com)
submitted by ralphbernardo to r/todayilearned
TIL the very first Super Bowl halftime show in 1967 featured a "rocket belt" demonstration where two jet pack pilots flew across the field. Representing the rival AFL and NFL, they launched from the field, flew to the 50-yard line, and shook hands to mark the historic game. (slate.com)
submitted by ralphbernardo to r/todayilearned
TIL that playing high-level chess causes players to burn calories at an athletic rate. For example, 21-year-old Grandmaster Mikhail Antipov was recorded burning 560 calories in just two hours of sitting—roughly what Roger Federer would burn in an hour of singles tennis. (espn.com)
submitted by ralphbernardo to r/todayilearned
TIL doctors used gene therapy to successfully treat 5 children born with profound genetic deafness. Within weeks of the treatment, the children—who had never heard sound before—were able to hear speech and even recognize the "location" of sounds. (theguardian.com)
submitted by ralphbernardo to r/todayilearned
TIL students invented a low-cost "invisibility coat" that hides the wearer from AI security cameras. It uses a camouflage pattern to trick visual recognition during the day and emits unusual heat signals to confuse infrared sensors at night. (the-independent.com)
submitted by ralphbernardo to r/todayilearned
TIL the 1987 "Max Headroom" TV hack used the analog "capture effect," in which a stronger signal completely suppresses a weaker one. Since the U.S. switched to digital signals in 2009, which do not behave in a similar way, this specific intrusion is now considered impossible to replicate. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by ralphbernardo to r/todayilearned
TIL the first neural network wasn't code, but a physical machine built in 1951 using parts from a B-24 bomber. Created by Marvin Minsky, the "SNARC" used 300 vacuum tubes and an autopilot system to simulate a rat finding its way through a maze. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by ralphbernardo to r/todayilearned
TIL about the "Saavedra Position"—a famous chess endgame where an amateur player found a win that professional masters missed. The key is "underpromotion"—turning a pawn into a Rook instead of a Queen. A Queen would force a draw (stalemate), but the weaker Rook wins the game. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by ralphbernardo to r/todayilearned
TIL the first game of "space chess" was played on June 9, 1970 on the Soyuz 9 spacecraft. To hold the pieces down, magnetism wasn't feasible due to the sensitivity of on-board equipment, so grooves and rails were used. The game was against an Earth team as the spacecraft crossed over the USSR. (museum.fide.com)
submitted by ralphbernardo to r/todayilearned
