› added 4 years ago

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TIL that 75% of exterior fire escapes in New York City do not meet safety standards and are all at least 50 years old

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via reddit.com

8eK4V TIL The Great Wall of China was built using "sticky rice mortar," a mix of sticky rice soup and slaked lime. This mortar has a high adhesive strength, sturdiness, and waterproofing capability and prevents weeds from growing. It is also strong enough to resist earthquakes and modern bulldozers.
RmNj TIL that, due to the presence of quinine, tonic water is fluorescent under ultraviolet light or even the sun (pics inside!)
m11gR TIL that the UK Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a charity operated by volunteers who risk their lives, and that receives no Govt funding, had running costs of £139M in 2020.
9wDap TIL that many of Pompeii's residents survived the volcanic eruption -- evidence includes empty stables, empty safes, and hundreds of the unique names of Pompeii families found later in neighboring communities' records
rNEV1 TIL Einstein’s brain was stolen by a doctor during the autopsy after his death. The doctor kept it for 50 years, gave pieces of it to colleagues and kept it in a closet