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TIL an Afghan immigrant invented and sold the process for Minute Rice to General Mills.

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9Y8XX TIL the introduction of the Davy lamp was followed by an increase in mine accidents, as it emboldened companies to mine in areas that had previously been regarded as being too unsafe.
6EKjm TIL The world's biggest nuclear fusion project, known as ITER, has entered its five-year assembly phase. After this is finished, the facility will be able to start generating the super-hot "plasma" required for fusion power.
0ww1j TIL that Roman concrete, subject to marine corrosion, has stood for over 2000 years, while modern cement can break down in as few as 50 years. The concrete the Romans used contained volcanic ash and got stronger over time: the ash was slowly replaced with Al-tobermorite, a rare hydrothermal mineral.
v1o6L TIL that when songwriter John Loudermilk's 1956 song "A Rose and a Baby Ruth" became a huge hit, the manufacturer sent him a custom 100 lb Baby Ruth candy bar, which he took to an orphanage and they cut it up with an ax to distribute to the children.
78ggO TIL that whales can get infected by lice and every whale species has its corresponding louse species.