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TIL whale oil was used in transmissions until its ban in 1972, when less than 1 million transmissions failed each year; without whale oil, yearly transmission failures became more than 8 million by 1975. This led to thousands of transmission shops opening across the USA in the late 1970s and ’80s

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6E44m TIL that playing board games with children can raise their IQ. For 60 minutes a day, twice per week, researchers played logic games (like Qwirkle) with 7- to 9-year old children. Eight weeks later, the children increased their IQ test scores by 10 points on average.
RZ9l TIL After Hurricane Sandy, American Red Cross responded to NY Attorney General’s public request for information by hiring lawyers and arguing that some information about the response was a “trade secret” and “competitive harm” from competitors mimicking their model
VBwNp TIL narrative principle Chekhov's gun states that every element in a story must be necessary e.g., if you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following act it should be fired. Otherwise, don't put it there. Thus, I finally found the right word to express my frustration with Game of Thrones
WklA9 TIL during the Battle of Bomarsund in 1854, Charles Davis Lucas tossed a live Russian artillery shell overboard before it exploded. He would be awarded the Victoria Cross and ultimately ascend to the rank of Rear Admiral before retiring in 1873, dying in 1914 at the age of 80
9mJG TIL: USAF Project Thor (aka “Rods from God”) consisted of dropping telephone pole sized tungsten rods from space. This would provide global strike faster than an ICBM, be nearly impossible to defend against, and would hit the earth at Mach 10 causing the devastation of a tactical nuclear warhead.