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TIL Benjamin Franklin invented a musical instrument so popular that Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, and Strauss all composed pieces specifically for it. It was also thought to drive people insane.

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XEnO8 TIL that US started a major effort to count arrest-related deaths between 2003-2011 employing a specialized team of statisticians with US Bureau of Justice Statistics. The program had to be terminated due to poor participation from the states and lack of funding.
ep086 TIL that the new Rolls-Royce Ghost soundproofing was so overengineered that occupants in the car found the near-total silence disorienting, and some felt sick. Acoustic engineers had to go back and work on "harmonizing" various sounds in the car to add a continuous soft whisper.
GEg1 TIL the Japanese are working on developing technology to transmit electricity wirelessly. Their goal is to transmit energy from orbiting solar panels to Earth by 2030. They have successfully transmitted 10 kW of energy 500 meters away.
v1LO7 TIL when you get chills listening to music it stimulates reward pathways in the brain. Sad music often triggers chills more often than happy music, yet evokes positive emotions. Sad songs may activate a fear response in the brain, but when no real threat is present, the response turns positive.
nea8b TIL 7 year old Stella Berndtsson drowned in icy water Dec 23 2010. Her body was found after 3½ hours by a rescue helicopter and was taken to hospital. Her body temperature was 13°C/55.4°F. Despite this the doctors succeeded in saving Stella by warming her slowly. Stella made a remarkable recovery