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TIL The phrase "The camera adds 10 pounds" is due to the focal length and barrel distortion of the camera, flattening out facial features and making straight lines appear curved

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v45j TIL Afghan resistance leader Ahmad Shah Massoud, who fought against the Soviets in the 1980s, was also against a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam. He was assassinated two days before 9/11, after warning of a major terrorist attack set to happen in the United States.
5Y7Xp TIL of Oak Ridge, a city built in the U.S. in 1942. 100,000 people lived and worked there doing very specific tasks, most of whom with no idea of what they were working towards. In 1945 they saw news reports of the atomic bombings of Japan and realised they’d been working on the bombs all along
4kr9a TIL Bram Stoker wrote "Dracula" in the 1890s. Although many link the novel to Vlad the Impaler, Stoker’s notes don’t mention him. Instead, he found the name "Dracula" in a library, mistakenly believing it meant "devil" in Romanian.
7rDax TIL about the Vajont Dam Disaster. In 1963 after reporting numerous warning signs about the the risks of a landslide some journalists were sued by the goverment for "undermining the social order". A landslide eventually occurred causing an overflow and killing between 1,900 and 2,500 people
x6kjo TIL The little green and red traffic light men in southern Taiwan have got themselves girlfriends. The street crossings feature the animated red man kneeling down to propose to his girlfriend, and the green man holding his girlfriend's hand and crossing the road.