› added 3 years ago

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TIL that in 1988 Space Shuttle Atlantis' heat tiles were damaged during liftoff (In a way very similar to the Columbia disaster) and the crew believed that upon re-entry they were going to die.

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Dayv TIL that North Koreans eat 375 calories a day
YpWoA TIL that viruses can 'eavesdrop' on 'communication' made by bacteria to time their infection on bacteria to conduct a larger killing spree. The new discovery can allow scientists to kill certain bacteria causing human diseases by programming the virus to attack it.
rRBXW TIL That fetuses have been known to masturbate in utero. In 1987, Dr. Israel Meizner published a paper on his observations of a fetus appearing to masturbate over the course of 15 minutes.
Y7kAd Today I learned Mauritania, a country located in West Africa still practices slavery even though it was abolished in 1981 then criminalized in 2007 making it the last country to do so.
E1myP TIL about Sarah Rector, who became rich at 12 due to an oil strike on her land. The Oklahoma Legislature declared her to be a white person in 1913, so that she would be allowed to travel in first-class accommodations on the railroad, as befitted her position.