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TIL the surgery masks that the Chinese began wearing to protect themselves from the polluted air has now become a fashionable accessory. Designer face masks with different details and mascots have become a big hit in the country.

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JYvRv TIL of the McCollough effect, a visual phenomenon which alters perception of horizontal and vertical lines. The effect can last for up to three months, if the viewer looks at the images that trigger it long enough.
WnvB TIL About 600,000 Horseshoe Crabs are caught each year to have their blood harvested to test medicines and medical devices for endotoxins like E. coli. This is a concern as they’re now classified as “Vulnerable” and currently create the only substance able to detect these types of bacteria.
okbA TIL that in the North Korean Gulag daily rations amount to less than 500 calories per day, the physically challenged are forced to do hard labor and the death rate is 1,000 to 2,000 per year.
5jb8 TIL There are married Roman Catholic priests; there are about 80. In almost all the cases, the priests were married before they joined the Catholic church. Once they converted to Catholicism, they remained married and their vows are recognized by the Vatican.
b9lK7 TIL in a 1986 interview, Jackie Gleason said he considered suing Hanna-Barbera for The Flintstones being a copy of The Honeymooners, but passed when his lawyers cautioned, “Do you want to be known as the guy who yanked Fred Flintstone off the air?”.