› added 10 years ago

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TIL that MI5 once had a plan to use Gerbils to detect terrorists/spies at airports, as their sense of smell can acutely detect increased adrenalin in people. The project was scrapped when the Gerbils proved unable to tell the difference between terrorists and those afraid of flying.

Read more news.bbc.co.uk

via reddit.com

XEpv8 TIL Hungary sent 346 men to help the Finns in the Winter War against the Soviets, but after the long and complicated journey, the Moscow Peace Treaty was signed before they saw combat.
p8e64 TIL when Robert Ballard (professor of oceanography) announced a mission to find the Titanic, it was a cover story for a classified mission to search for lost nuclear submarines. They finished before they were due back, so the team spent the extra time looking for the Titanic and actually found it.
YplZr TIL about the Seiryu Miharashi station in Japan, a train station with no entrances or exits, no roads or paths to connect it, all it serves is a platform for the train passengers to step out and admire the valley
8aW6P TIL that Czar Nicholas II of Russia and King George V of England got large dragon tattoos on their arms while they were touring Japan. The two monarchs, first cousins, went on to lead their respective nations in WWI.
VMYNk TIL the church of scientology maintains a facility known as “The Hole” where at least 100 of the church’s members have been confined for months and even years. Guarded by “pursuit teams”, razor wire, motion sensors, and spikes, it’s described by ex-members as comparable to a North Korean death camp.