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TIL that it was calculated that it would have taken the concrete for the Hoover Dam 125 years to cool if it was poured as one continuous pour. Instead giant concrete blocks in columns were poured and then cooled by a series of internally contained pipes of cold water, greatly reducing cooling time.

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xEx5 TIL during The Battle of Shiloh, many soldier’s wounds were luminescent. Those with glowing wounds had a higher chance of survival, hence the name, “Angel Glow”.
yVLyp TIL that the concept of curvature in space-time giving rise to matter and gravitation was predicted in 1870 by William Kingdon Clifford (although not rigorously proving it like Einstein managed)
X0AN8 TIL the population of vultures in South Asia has decreased by 99.95% since the 1990s. Researchers discovered the culprit to be an anti-inflammatory drug, Diclofenac, which was being commonly administered to livestock. This represents the sharpest rate of decline of any animal known to man.
kOmX1 Amazon is relaxing its policy around employees using weed, according to a new blog post, and will no longer enforce marijuana drug tests for any employee who isn’t also regulated by the Department of Transportation, like a delivery driver.
rWKw TIL in 1814, British soldiers invading Washington, DC arrived at the White House to find food, wine, and arrangements for a lavish dinner party Dolley Madison had prepared prior to fleeing the coming invasion. The soldiers sat and ate the meal and drank the wine. Then they burned down the house.