› added 11 months ago

98

TIL that there are physical walls separating Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods in Northern Ireland as a way to minimize violence between them.

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DvPY TIL Bayer sold a medicine tainted with HIV. Once it was discovered in the US, they continued to sell it overseas for over a year in order to clear stock.
ne5mG TIL many bird species engage in "anting", where they actively rub ants onto themselves to excrete their body's chemicals. As to why, hypotheses include using the chemicals to ward off pests, preparing them to eat, for grooming their feathers, and for stimulating themselves.
E16l0 TIL one unofficial method of defending merchant vessels against Somali pirates is to blast Britney Spears music. And it has been reported to be effective.
KObnR TIL It’s Australian tradition to eat sausages at polling places on election day called Democracy Sausages. For many communities, this is the biggest fundraising event of the year.
JYA48 TIL that the first movie about the Titanic came out 29 days after the actual ship sank, starred a real life survivor who wore what she had on the night it sank in the production, and resulted in her suffering a mental breakdown shortly after its completion.