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TIL of the Vela Incident, A nuclear explosion in the Indian ocean of unknown origin. The most widespread theory is that it was a joint South African-Israeli nuclear test.

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MegjA TIL Bismuth 209 was long thought to be a stable isotope until scientists discovered it actually has a half life of 19 quintillion years
d8Klj TIL until modern times, when artificial lighting allowed us to stay awake longer, most people would go to bed around sunset. The actual time spent sleeping was split into two phases – known as first sleep and second sleep.
JY6Dm TIL If you consume even 15 thousandths of a gram of tellurium, your sweat and breath will smell of garlic for up to 8 months.
oYjA TIL that Alan Greenspan once tried to have his dissertation banned from New York University. When a copy was obtained by Barron’s, it was found to be “a discussion of soaring housing prices and their effect on consumer spending; it even anticipates a bursting housing bubble.”
8a5RX TIL Owls have tubular eyes instead of spherical, making them unable to move their eyes in other directions. Instead of moving their eyes, they swivel their heads to view their surroundings.