› added 8 years ago

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TIL that tracksuits, particularly Adidas, are so popular in Russia because after the fall of the Soviet Union, cheap tracksuit clothing flooded the Russian market. The Russian people, who were unaware of western fashion norms, loved the comfortable and cheap clothing, leading to huge popularity.

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GYQZG TIL that it's actually illegal to ride a float in a Mardis Gras parade in New Orleans without wearing a mask. The tradition was started to allow people of different social classes to mingle without damaging their reputations.
bkRj TIL that some Brazilian prisoners are given the opportunity to ride stationary bikes in order to generate electricity. In return, they receive a day off of their sentence for every 24 hours of pedaling they put in.
VMPB8 TIL that from 1909-38 Good Housekeeping Magazine’s Seal of Approval was the only U.S. grading system for food, drugs, and cosmetics. The magazine fought a federal grading system. Regulators then found the Seal to be misleading and deceptive, forcing reforms.
epaD6 Today I learned that the squid Euprymna scolopes hides its shadow from predators during its nocturnal explorations thanks to the light emitted by a bacteria presents in its mantle, which produces exactly as much light below its body as it receives from above.
b6ONQ TIL that a surgery resident is required to be the surgeon in 850 operations, as part of their five year residency training, in order to get board certified in general surgery.