› added 12 years ago

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TIL DirectX’s original name was ‘The Manhattan Project’ because it was Microsoft’s initiative to destroy Japanese dominance of the gaming industry.

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XEyNk TIL: Airports have Zambonis for cleaning airplane tire rubber off the surface of runways
4y0w TIL breast implants have serial numbers for body identification purposes
0wLyy TIL the Chinese women who presented the medals in the 2008 Olympics had to be 168-174 centimetres, weigh up to 55 kg, and have an upper to lower-body ratio of 11:13. They trained daily by balancing books on their heads, clenching chopsticks between their teeth, and jamming paper between their knees
JYmB1 TIL after new laws banning the use of inmates in experiments was passed, pharmaceutical company Phizer tested the volatile antibiotic Trovan on dozens of Nigerian children. The tests left children dead, disabled, and resulted in a hefty out of court settlement between Pfizer and the Nigerian people.
wLlR7 TIL Crispin Glover sued the producers of Back To The Future 2 on grounds they used his likeness without permission and not having paid for reuse of footage from the original film. This led to clauses which state producers are not allowed to reproduce the likeness of other actors.