› added 8 years ago

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TIL of “The Town That Has Burned for Fifty Years.” Centralia, Pennsylvania is a ghost town due to a massive underground inferno that has been burning since 1962.

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M7KRb TIL Mauritania didn’t abolish slavery until 1981. Laws were only passed to enforce the ban, after international pressure in 2007.
oXJW TIL President Lincoln loved cats and once had them eat at the White House dining table during a formal dinner.
a8drZ TIL about the "Pigeon Paradox": During World War II, the British military used homing pigeons to carry messages. Despite advancements in technology, the pigeons were considered more reliable and less detectable than radio transmissions.
d8DOd TIL male fruit flies drink away pain of rejection. Males who had been rejected and who'd gotten lucky had the option of eating normal food or food spiked with alcohol. While the happy/lucky fruit flies had no preference, the rejected fruit flys were far more likely to eat the alcohol-infused food.
Eo9w TIL they’re building a 17 story tall waterslide that will propel a tube full of 4 people down at 65 mph