› added 4 years ago

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TIL of Violette Morris, a world-class athlete in many sports. A lesbian, she had a mastectomy 'in order to fit into a racing car more easily'. She lost her license (and her chance at the 1928 Olympics) because of her 'loose morals'. She was killed in 1944 by the French Resistance.

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16RxX TIL Kansas City isn't in Kansas at all but rather in Missouri. The town used to be called Kansas but soon after the city's incorporatation the territory of Kansas was established so they renamed the town Kansas City
w8D6 TIL that Converse Chuck Taylors have fuzz on the soles so that they can be classified as slippers, which are subject to much lower U.S. import tariffs than sneakers.
l7NnN TIL that highest ever bird strike was recorded at the height of 37,000ft (11,470m)
jN6KR You probably know that your visual perception of the world is a bit different than your pets’. Dogs see things with less color than humans, snakes can see infrared, and if you have a pet bull, it lives in a world where red and green are the same color. This brings up a good question. Why do you have a pet bull? You should get a cat instead, and when you do, it is important to know that your new friend can’t focus on objects farther than 20 feet away. The point is, animals have evolved to see in a variety of ways. But how can we see things through their eyes? Marine biologist and National Geographic Emerging Explorer David Gruber collaborated with a research team to develop lights and camera filters that allowed him to do just that, underwater. Through their work, the team discovered biofluorescence in an abundance of aquatic species. This “glowing” trait has to do with how an organism absorbs and emits light. Research has indicated that this radiance is possibly used for communication and camouflage. One caveat: You need a certain species of eyes (or David’s camera) to see it. Swell sharks (Cephaloscyllium ventriosum) have fluorescent proteins inside their skin, which are triggered by the ocean’s blue light, becoming visible to other swell sharks. David’s camera has special yellow filters that allow the simulation of a swell shark’s vision. It turns out there is a massive rave going on 500 meters below the ocean’s surface, and one of the glowing guests is a type of cat shark!
awAEA TIL: Isaac Newton set out the colors of the rainbow we memorize today. However, he originally didn't include orange or indigo. He only added them later because of his occult belief that there must be 7 separate colors, just like there are 7 notes in a musical scale and 7 days of the week.