› added 12 years ago

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TIL that 90% of all liquorice is used in tobacco products. Besides adding flavor, it generates additional toxins and expands the airways, allowing users in inhale more smoke.

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gMWDL TIL veteran suicide rates are 22% higher than civilians
KOxDw TIL that in 1196 AD, Al-Aziz Uthman, Saladin's son and the Sultan of Egypt, attempted to demolish the pyramids, starting with that of Menkaure. Workmen recruited to demolish the pyramid stayed at their job for eight months, but found it almost as expensive to destroy as to build. They mostly failed.
WkRyL TIL that when Facebook moved into their new office that used to belong to Sun Microsystems, Mark Zuckerberg didn't replace Sun Microsystem's sign. Instead, he flipped it over and put Facebook's name on the front because "it demonstrates what can happen when you're on top but fail to innovate".
R55Kw TIL that Joshua Thompson sued Michigan AMC movie theater over the high price of concession snacks. He claims he used to take his snacks until the theater banned the practice. Thompson paid $8 for a soda and packet of Goobers, but he spent less than $3 for the same at a drug store nearby.
PYyGg TIL the Ancient Greeks considered employment (working for hire) to be degrading, "a necessary evil that took time away from leisure, politics, education, and culture, and had little positive value in and of itself."