› added 11 years ago

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TIL Since 1990 more people have been killed by sandcastles than sharks in the USA

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rXw1 TIL Leonardo da Vinci used “mirror writing” (from right side of page to left) for his personal and private notes. This helped prevent others from stealing his ideas, protected his scientific theories from scrutinization by the Roman Catholic Church, and as a left-hander, also eliminated smudging.
worZE TIL During sleep, brain waves help flush waste out of the brain. Individual nerve cells coordinate to produce rhythmic waves that propel fluid through dense brain tissue, washing the tissue in the process
GoA1 TIL that in 1976, a Soviet pilot defected to Japan in his advanced MiG-25 fighter, which Russia demanded be returned. Japan complied, but only after allowing American engineers to examine the aircraft. Japan then shipped it back piece by piece, and billed Russia $40,000 in transport and labor costs.
Q6ld TIL US Representative Cassius Clay survived an assassination attempt, was shot in the chest, killed his attempted murderer with a bowie knife, threw him over an embankment, and continued the debate he was having
4XYE6 TIL there are no known records from the American Treasury Department to indicate why Andrew Jackson was chosen to replace Grover Cleveland on the $20 bill in 1928. Jackson was notoriously opposed to paper money.