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179

TIL … Svalbard is the northernmost settlement in the world with a permanent civilian population. Also, it is not part of any Norwegian county.

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V48G TIL of “fagging”, a practice in British private schools where younger students were required to act as personal servants to senior students (the fag-masters). Sexual abuse was rampant in this system.
nYbd TIL that because China has only 1 timezone, when you step into Afghanistan from China, you lose 3.5 hours.
wBvY TIL a scientist at the University of Florida, USA, grew a “living ‘brain’” – “a network of 25,000 rat brain cells” – that when “connected to an array of 60 electrodes that can interact with a computer” learned to fly a simulated F-22 stealth fighter jet in a range of weather conditions.
b9N00 TIL of Miriam Rodríguez Martínez, a mother whose daughter was kidnapped and murdered by the cartel, who took it upon herself to capture the men responsible one by one.
jyeQ TIL that Samuel L. Jackson was supposed to have an afro in Pulp Fiction. He was losing his hair so needed a wig. A PA went to get an Afro-style wig. The PA mistook the Afro for Jheri curls. Before they were able to return it, Jackson convinced Tarantino to keep it so he ended up wearing Jheri Curls.