› added 9 years ago

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TIL that despite all the waste spewed into the Ganges, bacteriophages act as a “disinfectant,” devouring on organic materials and bacteria and killing them within 30 min of introduction to the river. This self-purifying quality leads to oxygen levels 25 times higher than any other river in the world

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via reddit.com

DQEgP Today I learned that from 1972 to 1994 the Office of Technology Assesment existed and functioned similarly to the FDA until it was defunded.
J1P8v TIL Karoly Takacs was a top pistol shooter in the Hungarian Army who missed the 1936 Olympics due to his rank. in 1938 he destroyed his right hand due to an accident, he started shooting left-handed and won Gold in the 1948 & 1952 Olympics.
neoBP TIL of the oldest bottle of wine, Known as Römerwein, or the Speyer wine bottle, it’s at least 1,650 years old. This dates back to the 4th century, sometime between 325 and 359 AD. The 1.5-liter glass vessel was discovered during the excavation of a Roman nobleman’s tomb in modern-day Germany.
yQa68 TIL about the Ford Nucleon, a concept car designed during the Atomic Age that was meant to have a small Uranium Fission reactor at the back. Nevertheless, the idea never materialized due to it being too dangerous and expensive.
4K5w TIL: That “fruit salad trees” are real, and can grow several different kinds of fruit.