› added 5 years ago

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TIL from my Bolivian co-worker that Potosi (the largest city in the new world 1545) had more than 40,000 tons of silver shipped out of the town, making the Spanish Empire one of the richest the world had ever seen. He said it Bolivians claim it was enough silver to build an transatlantic bridge.

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via reddit.com

e0QEg TIL that people used to castrate pre-pubescent boys before the 19th century to halt growth in their larynx to make them sound better and to rival Sopranos, Contraltos, etc. Doing this also increased their breathing capacity. This stopped in the late 19th centuries. They were called Castratos.
JVZv TIL in 1950 all Northrop Corporations Flying Wing aircraft contracts were canceled abruptly without explanation. Shortly thereafter, also without explanation, the Air Force smelted down all prototypes using portable smelters brought to Northrop’s facility, in plain sight of its employees.
mMDp TIL that the Pillars of Creation were destroyed 6000 years ago, and in images of the Pillars the supernova suspected of destroying them is clearly visible in the background.
4X0w5 TIL that Facebook employs 15,000 content moderators to review some of the most disturbing content on the platform. Many of the moderators have been diagnosed with PTSD while others have reported believing in flat earth or holocaust denial after repeated exposure to the subjects.
rQWy TIL handshakes were originally meant to make sure the person you were meeting wasn’t carrying a concealed weapon. Clasping hands proved it was empty, and shaking was meant to dislodge anything that was being hidden inside the sleeve.