› added 12 years ago

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TIL: Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor, was left stranded on a deserted island, but survived for over 4 years, partly by using feral cats to protect him from ravenous rats that attacked during the night.

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BgW9e TIL The Norwegian heavy-water saboteurs in 1943 put the whole operation on ice for 2 or 3 minutes to help the man guarding the facility find his misplaced glasses. After they found his glasses, they lit the fuses and the sabotage was a success. All saboteurs got out alive without any shots fired.
R15j TIL that scientists now have the ability to grow conductive wires inside real roses, allowing the leaves to be darkened or lightened with a zap of electricity.
pJgb TIL Rubbing alcohol burns when applied to wounds because it increases the sensativity of VR1 nerves (the nerves that tell your brain if something is hot) and your own body heat becomes the burning sensation.
nel5b TIL during The Great War, China sent 185,000 workers (100,000 in UK, 35,000 in France, 50,000 in Russia) to work in the European front, for various tasks: unloading military goods, digging trenches, constructing barracks and field hospitals, burying victims of war, working in armament factories.
4k69b TIL that the NFL has already paid out more than a billion dollars to players affected by chronic traumatic encephalopathy, with 99% of deceased NFL players testing positive for the neurodegenerative disease.