› added 7 years ago

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TIL astronomer Carl Sagan was denied membership in the National Academy of Sciences, reportedly because his media activities made him unpopular with many other scientists.

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Zpx8D TIL famous psychologist B.F.Skinner trained street pigeons to guide rockets by training them to recognize the pattern of a target, and to peck when they saw the target. As the pigeons pecked, cables harnessed to each one’s head would mechanically steer the missile until it finally reached its mark.
JJZl TIL that Marilyn vos Savant received nearly 1,000 letters of complaint with signatures bearing PhDs after (correctly) stating that choosing to switch doors in the Monty Hall Problem would double the chances of winning.
J18l8 TIL That "Tin Foil Hats" actually do protect from electromagnetic radiation
KYO99 TIL over 2.5 million people applied for tickets to see Oasis at Knebworth Festival in Knebworth, England in 1996. This meant the possibility of 20 sold out nights. It remains the largest demand for concert tickets in British history.
P14oO TIL David Bowie and Dennis Hopper once smuggled cocaine into a psych ward for Iggy Pop while wearing spacesuits