› added 11 years ago

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TIL jailers used to have keys that doubled as single-fire guns as a last resort for self defense.

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VBVY4 TIL about Boundary Extension, which is " a widely accepted psychological phenomenon in which observers will recall an image as containing visual information beyond the boundaries of the originally studied image".
xBQ0 TIL in 1991 a billionaire in Alabama had a bunch of life sized dinosaurs built and placed randomly in a 10,000 acre wooded area around his home.
EolW TIL that in Switzerland, in order to vote, you either present your sword or photo ID
PvjV TIL the US government poisoned industrial alcohol during Prohibition, leading to the deaths of around 10,000 people.
oRWpr TIL In India zero-currency notes are paid in protest by angry citizens to government functionaries who solicit bribes in return for services which are supposed to be free. In 2007 a non-profit organization created the zero-currency note and thousands of notes are distributed every month.