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TIL that a 2015 finders keepers law allows private companies to own anything they find in the outer space and that startups are already rushing to mine asteroids to take advantage of that law

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via reddit.com

OvWX TIL that the word “hobbit” has been found exactly once in texts predating Tolkien, in a list of magical creatures with no explanation or context
YM5v TIL that lying to, or misinforming somebody about events or facts (with the purpose of making them doubt their memory or sanity), is called Gaslighting
NX0De TIl about RM Colonel Mark Nicholas Grey who in 1993 helped save thousands of life’s in Croatia by exceeding his authority and opening a spill way gate at Peruća Dam after the Serbs detonated explosives on it. His actions lowered water levels by several meters and the dam did not fail
KOwrB TIL: The plaintiff in the famous “hot coffee case” offered to settle the case for $20,000 before trial, which McDonald’s refused.
7rj7X TIL in 2002 an Internet geolocation service began using 38,-97, located in Kansas, as the default coordinates for all IPs it was unable to find. This led to a rural farm getting harassed by incompetent law enforcement investigators, doxxers, and Internet crackpots.