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TIL the Demon Core was a piece of plutonium intended to be used in a third atomic bomb to drop on Japan... due to lax saftely standards, its criticality was being regulated with just a screwdriver, and two physicists were killed maintaining it

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mxRQx TIL Modern US nuclear-powered aircraft carriers typically refuel only once in their lifespan, at around the halfway mark of 25 years.
Bj0D TIL that Queen Elizabeth I had a vast spy network and one of her spies signed his reports with “007.” This was later used by Ian Fleming, writer of James Bond.
m15QE TIL that the first recorded labour strike took place in Ancient Egypt, in 1170 BCE, by tomb workers. After the grain supply was repeatedly late, workers stopped working and demanded prompt pay. Because it was the first of its kind, management did not know how to react, and largely caved to demands.
nlW7 TIL Bath Salts were a huge drug problem in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s, but the government kept the problem quiet through control of the state-run media. Bath Salts are called “Jeff” in Russia. (resubmitted with correct link)
gNe9 TIL “Bart Gets An F” is the highest rated episode of The Simpsons. 33.6 million viewers tuned in during its original airing on October 11, 1990.