› added 4 years ago

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TIL of the Strategic Defense Initiative, which was an anti-ballistic missile program, launched by Ronald Reagan in the 80's, that was intended to use lasers and satellites to shoot down nuclear missiles in space. Because of this, the program was commonly referred to as "Star Wars".

Read more atomicheritage.org

via reddit.com

DYVp TIL That the original users of the contraction, “Ain’t” were actually members of England’s upperclass
XAWk TIL that Pittsburgh, PA has 446 bridges – 3 more than Venice, Italy.
5GAR TIL that map makers fabricate streets and geographical landmarks, called “Trap Streets,” to catch copyright violators.
aK6b TIL that Keurig K-Cups generate 10 times the solid waste that would be generated from a standard drip brewer and most of that waste isn’t recyclable. Co-founder John Sylvan said, “I feel bad sometimes that I ever did it.”
wnG1 TIL the USSR built a Skynet-like device in the 1980s that would launch a massive nuclear attack without any human intervention if it detected Moscow had been destroyed