› added 9 years ago

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TIL that in 2010, China had a recurring traffic jam involving thousands of cars that lasted for more than ten days. Many drivers were able to move their vehicles only 1 km (0.6 mi) per day, and some drivers reported being stuck in the traffic jam for five days.

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Z8rwY TIL That the sign above the gates to Auschwitz-Birkenau, which reads 'Arbeit macht frei' (Work Sets You Free), was made by prisoners in the metalworking labor detail. The prisoners deliberately reversed the letter "B" as a camouflaged mark of disobedience.
8a6Na TIL Japanese scientists have transplanted hair follicle germs (HFG) on mice which were grown on a substrate of dimethylpolysiloxane, (a silicone added to McDonald's fries to stop cooking oil from frothing). The technique created 5,000 HFGs at once and started new hair growth on mice.
QJgY9 TIL in 2015, Norma Bauerschmidt, a 90 years old woman was diagnosed with cancer. Instead of starting treatment, she, her son, daughter-in-law, and dog, went on a year long road trip around the US, travelling 13,000 miles around 32 states.
4XBA5 TIL about Taarof, Iranian etiquette in which the host offers anything to the guest and the guest declines it repeatedly until eventually giving in, regardless of whether they want it or not. Taxi drivers might refuse payment initially as passengers are meant to insist on paying.
xVK5D TIL That when attending Comic Con 2013, Bryan Cranston disguised himself by wearing a mask of Walter White over his own face. People told him he sounded like Bryan Cranston, but didn’t realise it was him. The charade only ended when he removed the mask at the Breaking Bad panel.