› added 7 years ago

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TIL Robert Williams, a Ford assembly line worker, is the first human in history to have been killed by a robot. He was hit by a robotic arm in 1979.

Read more wired.com

via reddit.com

e09rg TIL of the Flower wars, ritualistic wars fought between the Aztec Empire and neighboring states. Armies would meet at an agreed time and place and fight using only melee weapons. The (probable) purpose was to use the losers for human sacrifices.
xdn1 TIL that North Korea had used ‘poo bombs’ - balloons carrying packages of used toilet roll, on South Korea. Military officials there were forced to open and check those 'packages’ for possible biochemical weapons.
8pjP TIL that there is a philosophical premise that states “if something cannot be settled by experiment, then it is not worthy of debate”. It’s name is “Newton’s Flaming Laser Sword” and is “much sharper and more dangerous than Occam’s Razor”.
8akGb TIL in 1999, Macromedia hired Trey Parker and Matt Stone of South Park fame to create 39 animated shorts to showcase its "Shockwave" player. The result was "Princess". Parker and Stone didn't hear back for weeks after submitting the first two episodes. (Reuploded, links in comments, very NSFW).
PYZME TIL: There was an estimated 2.5 million people living in the original thirteen colonies in 1776