› added 10 months ago

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TIL that The Jetsons originally ran for only one season of 24 episodes in 1963-64 before getting canceled due to low ratings. It gained popularity in syndicated reruns, leading to 51 more episodes being produced in the mid-80s.

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YBPB TIL that Aerogel, also known as frozen smoke, is the world’s lowest density solid, clocking in anywhere from 95-99% air. If you hold a piece in your hand, it is almost impossible to feel or see, but if you poke it, it is like styrofoam. Also, it can support up to 4,000 times its own weight.
5YpD9 TIL whales spouting water out of blowholes is a common error propagated in children's books and movies (the whale would be drowning if it did so). A 2016 scientific survey of children's books featuring whales and cetaceans revealed 74/116 had factual errors, including almost half of the non-fiction.
NXnb6 TIL about Gaius Appuleius Diocles, a Roman charioteer. He is considered the highest-paid athlete of all time. It has been calculated that Diocles earned 35,863,120 sesterces during his career, comparable to today's 15 billion USD
kJnPE TIL hairworms, parasites which infect crickets and control their brain, can extend a male cricket's lifespan by removing his ability to chirp so it's harder for predators and competing crickets to find him. Hairworms may even share their immune system with its host.
MeWmB TIL until the Anatomy Act of 1832 (UK) there weren't enough corpses for medical schools and body snatching proliferated to a point grieving families had to guard graves after burial. Robbers didn't steal jewelry/clothes as that was a felony punishable by death/transportation; a body was only a fine.