› added 2 years ago

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TIL about corn sweat, where corn plants release water into the air. One acre of corn can release 3,000-4,000 gallons of water per day, and can raise the humidity level up to 10%.

pGGO TIL that companies would have factories in the North Mariana Islands so they could pay Chinese workers $3 an hour to make clothing labeled “Made in the USA” without having to comply with US labor laws. This resulted in hazardous work conditions, forced prostitution & forced abortions on the workers.
rRG9w TIL Spain, Belgium and France have some of the highest Organ Donation rates but not because they voluntarily choose to. It is because the gov has changed the option on the license application where you have to check Opt-out to not be considered a donor. The default setting is that you are a donor.
6El87 TIL about the windshield phenomenon, the observation that since the early 2000s people often no longer have to clean a bunch of insects off the windshields of their cars after a long drive. It has been attributed to a global decline in insect populations because of human impact on their ecosystem.
KO87J TIL every high school student in Sweden aged 16-20 is entitled to "study grant" of $139 USD monthly. The only requirement is to attend the school.
4XPEw TIL: The story that Newton was hit on the head by an apple is almost certainly apocryphal. All Newton himself ever said was that the idea of gravity came to him as he sat in a contemplative mood, and was occasioned by the fall of an apple.