› added 11 years ago

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TIL in 1974 a man named Philippe Petit snuck into the World Trade Center, strung cable between the towers and proceeded to dance on his tightrope a quarter of a mile in the air with no safety equipment.

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yQb7p TIL Romania had a much-abused law that allowed prisoners to reduce their sentences by writing scientific books in jail. 30 days were written off for every book. One politician wrote 9 of them, and one 212-page book was reportedly written in just 7 hours.
0w9A1 TIL artichokes are no longer considered kosher because they often contain worms and other insects.
nW5OP TIL about the Weissenberg effect: when you stir certain unusual liquids, they sometimes climb up the stirring rod instead of being pushed outward. This strange behavior happens with some non-Newtonian fluids (liquids that don't flow like water) and is used in some manufacturing processes.
W7vkY TIL the character of Ernest P. Worrell was inspired by one of director John Cherry's dad's co-workers, a confident man who thought he knew everything, but actually knew nothing.
o8aW TIL Bolivia’s largest prison, San Pedro, has a society within itself, with no guards inside the walls. It has shops and restaurants run by inmates. Inmates elect their own leaders, get jobs to pay for their cell’s rent, and can even live with their wives and children