› added 1 week ago

7

TIL that the Moon is drifting away from Earth at a rate of about 1.5 inches per year. In about 600 million years, the Moon will be too far to cause total eclipses!

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via reddit.com

8lGZ TIL that the ancient Romans possessed an herb that was so effective at birth control that they harvested it to extinction
epVYg TIL Friedrich Nietzsche was an amateur composer who even befriended Richard Wagner for a time. Nietzsche's compositions were not especially well received with Wagner being dismissive and the conductor Hans von Bülow calling one work "the most undelightful".
d8Pbj TIL that the Republic of Ireland's Population STILL has not recovered from the potato famine.
R7vg4 TIL Silly String was invented to be used as an aerosol spray to create an instant cast on broken and sprained bones. It worked, but while testing nozzles it was noticed it produced a 30' string. This inspired the inventor to change the formula to be less sticky, add color, and market it as a toy.
P17Dn TIL that the planet's average temperature compared to today was just 6°C (11°F) lower, during the last ice age, and 4°C (7°F) higher, during the age of the dinosaurs. "In climate terms, a change of just a few degrees is a big deal." (Bill Gates, 2021)