› added 12 years ago

105

TIL, one man, Stanislav Petrov, effectively saved the world from nuclear war by not telling his superiors of his system reporting a nuclear attack by the US. The system had malfunctioned.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

Gvr5 TIL That selling prices of $9.99 instead of $10.00 originated because it ensured the cashier had to open the till to give change, thus recording down every transaction so cashiers can’t just pocket the cash.
D17NP TIL that Charles Darwin was one of the first people to come up with the idea of putting wheels on his office chair, so that he could work faster
W70AA TIL in Castel Sant'Angelo, Hall of Cupid and Psyche was the bedroom of the apartment built by Pope Paul III Farnese in the 1540s. Here Psyche is the personification of the soul (Psyché means "soul" in Greek) and the tasks she underwent represent the path to spiritual elevation towards salvation.
nWdro TIL that the Soviets used a 30 kt nuke to stop an out of control gas well fire
nWKyP TIL that a restaurant chain in Missouri and Alabama is known for throwing bread rolls to its customers. In 2015, they were sued by a customer who claimed to have suffered permanent eye damage from a thrown roll. The restaurant admitted it was not the first time such a thing had happened.