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TIL In the early 17th century, people began to believe plaits were an external symptom of an internal illness. A growing plait was supposed to take the illness "out" of the body, and therefore it was rarely cut off; in addition, the belief that a cut-off plait could avenge itself

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R7Lja TIL about Mandate of Heaven, theory in China, according to which the ruler must have the support of Heaven to rule. Moral rulers who care for their people gain the mandate. If a despot sits on the throne, the Heavens can withdraw it, which they signal through e.g. eclipses, floods, wars, plagues etc
PYYpn TIL that living together before marriage leads to a higher rate of divorce, something dubbed the 'cohabitation effect.' Trying out your (future) partner in a casual setting might thus not be the best idea.
kOn4g Today I learned: you can sue robocallers for $500 per call
M7rvA TIL that in 2015, 19 Michigan schools' heating and air conditioning systems were controlled by a 1980's Amiga computer that was programmed 30 years prior by a high school student. The former student was still being called upon to repair it if something went wrong.
womnY TIL about The Great Tantra Challenge, a live event in which Sanal Edamaruku, an Indian skeptic, challenged a tantrik to kill him with only magic. After multiple failed attempts, the tantrik claimed Sanal was under the protection of a powerful god, to which Sanal replied that he was an atheist.