› added 7 years ago

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TIL Ancient China knew about the Roman Empire. They called them "Daqin" (大青) and documented several things concerning them, including a guide on how to reach them from China.

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x6Xj0 TIL Ordinary South Korean citizens could not get a passport and travel abroad until 1989, right after the end of dictatorship. Until 1992, South Koreans who wanted to travel abroad still had to go through anti-communist education
6EYAW TIL Fireflies are the most efficient lights in the world. 100% of energy is emitted as light. Fireflies: larvae & eggs glow, talk to each other with light, imitate each other, then eat other fireflies, are on almost every continent, taste bad, are medically and scientifically useful, adults live<1mo
vpD TIL that religious authorities in the United Arab Emirates issued a fatwā against Pokémon because it encouraged gambling, and was based on the theory of evolution, “a Jewish-Darwinist theory, that conflicts with the truth about humans and with Islamic principles”.
rN6Oo TIL The French conquest of Algeria lasted over 70 years, and five separate French governments. In the end as much as a third of Algeria's population was killed in the decades of invasions.
K49J TIL that John Oliver has impacted legislation through his show “Last week tonight” so often that it is known as the John Oliver effect