› added 8 years ago

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TIL a platinum weight kept in a French vault that defines a perfect kg keeps experiencing minor fluctuations in mass. Now a perfect crystal sphere that took two years to polish and has a fixed number of atoms is being developed as the new standard

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j6w8j TIL Human poop, which takes about a year to biodegrade, is an environmental hazard because it can pollute water sources and infect native fauna. Giardia, salmonella, E. coli, and even hepatitis can be passed from humans to animals via discarded feces
VM7Xm TIL In his early phases of Alzheimer's in 1995, 84 year old Ronald Reagan still received visitors at his office and worked out daily with his personal trainer. Routine is important to Alzheimer’s patients, and on good days Reagan's routine was the the same as it had been since leaving office
b9Bea Forget the trial and error - mathematics has proved where the best spot to place your router is.
neVO7 TIL The famous painting of a dog looking down a gramophone funnel, used as a logo by various companies, was inspired by the artists dog, Nipper. He inherited the animal from his dead brother, and noted that Nipper would look down a gramophone when a recording of his dead owner’s voice was played.
4XJMR TIL 'Catastrophizing'. A cognitive distortion that prompts people to jump to the worst possible conclusion after a minor setback. When a situation is upsetting but safe, they still feel like they are in the midst of a huge crisis. Getting enough sleep can also help keep 'catastrophizing' in check.