› added 4 years ago

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TIL - the "Existential Slap" is the experience a dying person has when they know, at a 'gut level' death is close.

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1aGPW TIL that SETI scientists believed that the chances for finding intelligent extraterrestrial life were far greater than initially expected, since Earth developed two intelligent species - humans, and dolphins.
kOlR7 TIL at UC Berkeley, when your PhD dissertation is submitted and approved you get a lollipop.
LklJQ TIL that in some countries, including China, Russia, Mexico and Germany, there is no punishment for escaping from prison because their law considers it human nature to want to escape. No extra time is added to an escapee's sentence provided they did not break any other laws in order to escape.
N7Ax6 TIL about Charles Lightoller, a man who survived the Titanic, World War I, and then went on to help others survive Dunkirk
4XDaJ TIL the 1755 Lisbon earthquake inspired major developments in theodicy. As the first earthquake studied scientifically for its effects over a large area, it led to the birth of modern seismology and earthquake engineering.