› added 6 years ago

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TIL about a guy who disappeared in to the woods for 27 years and survived by committing about 1000 burglaries

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nexDr TIL that in 16th and 17th Century Denmark, merchant ship captains had to pay a toll based on the value of the goods on the ship. The value was declared by the captain. The Danish authorities could take the value based toll (1-2%) or opt to buy the cargo for the declared value.
ZpK0B TIL Neil Gaiman was hired to write the English translation of Princess Mononoke.
wLP0M TIL saltwater can kill plants. Many mangrove tree species are able to surviving in seawater by filtering out as much as 90 percent of the salt as it enters their roots.
gJY8 TIL a rat can squeeze through holes or gaps the size of a quarter because its skull is not plated together, so it can change the shape of its head and squeeze through a very small opening. They are able to leap 4 feet laterally, can fall 5 floors without any injuries, and tread water for 3 days.
b6gYZ TIL Chinese jade burial suits could take up to ten years to make and were ordered well in advance of death. Liu Sheng was known as a man who enjoyed good living and by the time he died in 113 BC his stomach had grown so large that another hundred plaques were added.