› added 4 years ago

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TIL Elizabeth Swaney, a relatively amateur skier, was able to qualify for the 2018 Winter Olympics halfpipe by accumulating points at qualifying events leading up to the Olympics by doing flawless yet completely simple routines, outscoring opponents who often would crash in their more-ambitious runs

Read more theguardian.com

via reddit.com

BrZOD TIL that during WW1, 'fucking’ and ‘bloody’ were used as palliatives, so that the order to ‘get your fucking rifles’ was recognised as considerably less urgent than the order to ‘get your rifles’.
jNQxa TIL that the clad "Scrotifera" is the scientific classification of mammals with scrotums
EgoGp TIL Samsung can remotely disable its TVs that come pre-loaded with a “Television Block Function”. When the TV connects to the internet, it checks its serial code against a list on Samsung’s servers and stops functionality if there's a match. It's used to mitigate cargo theft and unauthorized retail.
VMeKp TIL that during WW2, Japan launched Project Fugo, which sent hot air balloons to the U.S rigged with explosives. At the time, they were the longest ranged attacks in the history of warfare. However, they were largely ineffective due to weather, and caused only 6 deaths.
GY9Kg TIL Ken Ilgunas lived in a van for two years while obtaining his graduate degree at Duke to avoid debt. This is also known as “vandwelling”. His advice for “vandwellers” is don’t drink any liquid before going to bed, come to terms with celibacy, look normal, ensure stealth, and bring essentials.