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97

TIL Giga-Pets were banned in Iceland, Thailand, and Canada for being a distraction, as children were constantly worrying about the wellbeing of their digital pets

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awneA TIL sci-fi author Isaac Asimov refused the invitation to friend and famed A.I. pioneer Marvin Minsky’s lab at MIT in the 60s because he was “Writing about really intelligent robots of the future and was sure that if he came and saw the clumsy ones that we were making it would spoil his imagination.”
N796J TIL that a Soviet geneticist successfully domesticated foxes on a farm in Novosibirsk. "The fact that in fifty generations, they were wagging their tails and barking, this is really incredible."
yVQ9a TIL Mac Owners are 40 percent more likely to stay at a four- or five-star hotel compared to Windows users and Mac users are willing to spend as much as 30 percent more per night for hotel rooms than those who use PCs.
9YQxM TIL about Operation Yellow Ribbon - where Canada grounded 230+ planes as quickly as possible on 9/11 to keep them out of US airspace and away from potential targets. Canadians hosted thousands of passengers stranded in Canada until U.S. airspace was reopened.
MeZOA TIL about a magazine column, "One of Our 50 Missing," composed of anecdotes about a worldwide misunderstanding that thinks New Mexico is part of Mexico and not an American state.