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TIL The firm who repaired seat covers on San Francisco's BART trains started paying people to slash the fabric, eventually accounting for 85% of vandalism reports

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KY9eB TIL that NYC’s drinking water contains tiny shrimp, making it technically not kosher
w5OP TIL that Ben Franklin, after conceiving an illegitimate son, advocated sexual affairs with older women, claiming that “it is less sinful to have sex with an older woman than to debauch a virgin.”
69vBw TIL Use of amphetamines (such as Pervitin and Benzedrine) to stay alert and active longer was pretty widely used in WWII by both sides.
4kRlg TIL: 1) The Latin word for "ants" is "formica". 2) Formic acid is produced by ants. 3) Engineers invented a plastic laminate to replace mica as an electrical insulation and named it Formica ("for mica", get it? ). 4) Despite its name, Formica is not made with formic acid. Whew!
vPZy7 TIL: Giant Tortoises lacked a scientific name for 300 years; as sailors devoured them on return trips.