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TIL that in Switzerland a seven-member Federal Council serves as the collective head of state, with each member leading an executive department. The current council consists of four men and three women from five different political parties.

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6E0M8 TIL in 2005, Astronaut Stephen Robinson had to fix the Shuttle Discovery in orbit to make it to Earth alive. Material sticking out between the heat panels had to be removed to avoid burning up on re-entry. He improvised tools, including a saw made with duct tape, and removed it on a spacewalk.
kObN4 TIL before her career as a well known TV chef Julia Childs worked for the OSS during World War II (a fact only made public after the files were declassified in 2008) where she transcribed Top Secret documents and went on to develop a new shark repellent.
QPZa TIL that the way Walter White “cooked” meth in Breaking Bad would not make a nearly 100% pure form of meth. In fact it would be closer to 50%.
0w0AL TIL about the "Oozlefinch", a featherless bird that flies backward at supersonic speed carrying Nike missiles and was the unofficial mascot of the U.S. Army Coastal Artillery.
Bvbr TIL in 1908, Lieutenant Thomas O. Selfridge did a test flight with Orville Wright in one of his planes to see if the US Army would be interested in buying the plane and its design. Orville crashed the plane and the lieutenant died. The US Army purchased the plane anyway.