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TIL the Pentagon was built in less than a year and a half and was only supposed to be temporary

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aKY9 TIL in 1953 North and South Korea created the DMZ, a demilitarized zone, between their two countries to discourage fighting. Today the 150 mile long strip of land is home to 1600 rare plants, 300 rare fungi, and houses some of the most endangered animals in the world, such as the White-Naped Crane.
KOrkw In 1965, a Japanese company called Yamasa Clock created a personal-fitness pedometer called the Manpo-kei, which means “10,000 steps meter.” The Japanese character for 10,000 looks almost like a person walking or running, which is likely how the gadget-maker landed on the name—and the number. It’s also an easy goal to remember, especially when accompanied by a sketch of a person who’s literally walking. But that benchmark wasn’t based on any scientific evidence. There's no magic number of steps that can ensure your heart health.
16ONr TIL there's a digital format called DAISY designed for audio reading and navigation of books, and it requires a decryption key from the Library of Congress
JYewj TIL that modern orchestras tune to an oboe because its penetrating sound stands out from the orchestra, so it's easy for all the musicians to hear.
WknX TIL in 1970 a disgruntled postgraduate student deliberately infected his roommates with Ascaris suum, a parasitic nematode. This was the first documented human infection by this species.