› added 3 years ago

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TIL about methanogens, micro-organisms that find oxygen essentially toxic and prefer carbon dioxide - or other carbon-rich compounds - to produce water and methane. Methanogens tend to be found in extreme environments, such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents and in the Earth’s mantle.

VJXG TIL That in 1997 the Taliban were in Texas to discuss the building of oil pipelines across Afghanistan
lJ1N TIL that Tupac Shakur vehemently denied being a “gangsta’ rapper” publicly, & claimed to be misrepresented by the media: “I am not a gangster & never have been. I’m not the thief who grabs your purse…I’m not down with people who steal & hurt others. I’m just a brother who fights back.”
m1RAY TIL: that bumpy texture found on every plastic 90s chairs, toys, and car dashboards is called VDI 45, defined by mold texturing standards like SPI and VDI. It was used to hide defects, resist scratches, and give cheap plastic a premium, durable feel across toys, furniture, and dashboards.
V5e8 TIL after the release of Gayla Peevey’s “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” (1953) a campaign was launched to give her a hippopotamus for Christmas. The campaign succeeded & she was presented with an actual hippopotamus, which she donated to the city zoo. The hippopotamus lived for nearly 50 years
M71B8 TIL a "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire" contestant who helped another contestant cheat by coughing at the right answer had to trademark his name in order to prevent a pharmaceutical company naming cough medicine after him.