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TIL a nationwide study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1999 and 2000 found low levels of pharmaceuticals—including antibiotics, hormones, contraceptives and steroids—in 80 percent of the rivers and streams sampled.

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9wN76 TIL a Pakistani city's police department deployed a unit of crime-fighting roller bladers, 10 men and 10 women
dDZ0B TIL Pad thai was mostlikely invented in the 20th century and was promoted by the Thai government as a way to save on rice following the Second World War. Pad thai has since gone on to be a national dish of Thailand.
j6yDa TIL that Wajda's classic "Ziemia obiecana"/"Promised Land" was supposed to be distributed in USA, but according to Wajda distributors there bought the rights only to keep the film out of cinemas. Scorsese's 2013 Festival described it as "one of the most important critiques of predatory capitalism".
WkPy9 TIL The Brothers Grimm, being from a lower class, were excluded from university admission & tuition aid due to being poor. But upon publishing their 1st volume of 86 folk tales, they received honorary doctorate degrees from universities in Berlin, Marburg, & Wrocław.
OGZPa TIL Shel Silverstein, who wrote "Where the Sidewalk Ends", was a prolific writer. He wrote Johnny Cash's "25 Minutes to Go" and Dr. Hook's "The Cover of 'Rolling Stone'". His book "A Light in the Attic" was on the NYT best sellers list for 181 weeks. And he never intended to be a children's author.