› added 9 years ago

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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xr45 TIL Killer bees were created in an attempt to breed tamer and more manageable bees. This was done by crossing a european honey bee and an african bee, but instead the offspring became more aggressive and highly defensive bees that had escaped into the wild
KEDG TIL in 2005 a man managed to trade a red paperclip for a house by making a series of swaps. Along the way he managed to get a musician a contract, met Alice Cooper and hosted “Saskatchewan’s biggest housewarming party, ever.”
rNZd TIL the screenwriter of “Cast Away” deliberately stranded himself on an isolated beach for a week, to experience how Tom Hanks’ character would have to search for water, food and shelter. During this time, a volleyball washed up on shore, inspiring the “Wilson” character
b99E0 TIL that the Roman Empire didn't fall until the year 1453. Whilst Rome fell in 476, the Eastern Roman Empire- also known as Byzantium- survived for another thousand years. This means that Joan of Arc, the Spanish Inquisition, and Glasgow University all existed at the same time as the Roman Empire.
gM41X TIL that Survivorship Bias creates a false public perception that anyone can achieve great things if they have the ability and make the effort