› added 4 years ago

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TIL: Chess prodigy Bobby Fischer invented a chess variation which randomized the starting positions of the home row pieces to reward creativity over memorization.

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9J1B TIL that during the Iraq war in 2003, the U.S. Military planned to attach chickens atop Hum-Vees in order to detect chemical weapons. The project was named, Operation Kuwaiti Field Chicken (KFC). However, the project failed when 41 of the 43 chickens died within a week of their arrival.
yV57M TIl since 2005 and redevelopment made by Jane Percy, Duchess of Northumberland, the Alnwick Garden includes a section devoted to intoxicating and poisonous plants such as hemlock, castor oil plant, nightshade, cannabis, coca and opium poppy
wLrQM TIL Hugo Chávez freed thousands of violent prisoners as part of some criminal justice system reforms, resulting in a tremendous surge in crime that caused the government to no longer produce crime data
8aL0b TIL The only astronomically aligned, full-scale, intact replica Stonehenge in natural stone is Esperance Stonehenge in Australia. It cost about about A$250,000 to build and was recently on the market for A$2.1M.
1a9QX TIL that Alan Moore wrote Rorschach in 'Watchmen' to be Batman in the real world but didn't realize that 'smelling' and 'not having a girlfriend' would come off as heroic to comic fans. "Fans come up and say I'm Rorschach. This is my story and I'm thinking, Could you never come near me again?"