› added 12 years ago

88

TIL, Yann Martel (author of Life of Pi, coming soon to a theatre near you) has sent a book to the Prime Minister of Canada every Monday for the past 4 years, in hopes of enlightening Stephen Harper to be less of an asshole.

Read more whatisstephenharperreading.ca

via reddit.com

rRNV0 TIL that the Persian Ruler in the film 300 was real
XaXX TIL Kinder Surprise eggs are illegal in the United States because of the potential hazard of a child choking on the toy. The fine for being caught with one is allegedly up to $2500.
Me8mA TIL that plants can tell the difference between the shade of an inanimate object (e.g. a rock) and the shade of another plant.
v1pvL TIL that when Napoleon Bonaparte met Charles-Henri Sanson, the French executioner who killed nearly 3000 people in his career, he asked him how he could sleep at night. Sanson joked: "If kings, emperors, dictators can sleep well, why shouldn't an executioner?"
nkyG TIL that Mercedes SLS guillwing doors are rigged with explosives that will detonate upon rollover detection - allowing passengers to escape the car after an accident