› added 8 years ago

1132

TIL the US allows meat packaging to contain carbon monoxide, used to keep the meat looking fresh. It does not aid in actual preservation of meat. It works so well, though, Congress was shown fresh beef and beef that was 2 years old (preserved with CO). They were indistinguishable.

R7g44 TIL supermodel Kate Upton’s great grandfather was the co-founder of Whirlpool Corporation and the inventor of the first mass produced electric washing machine.
4kmJ6 TIL that there’s a bus system in Adelaide AU that takes a bus from the roadway to a rail system across town, with beautiful park scenery and tunnels.
b9ERj TIL that the term "OK" achieved national prominence in 1840, when Democrats claimed during the election that it stood for "Old Kinderhook," a nickname for incumbent President Van Buren. In response, Whig opponents attributed OK ("Oll Korrect," or all correct) to the bad spelling of Andrew Jackson.
b6mK9 TIL Étienne Léopold Trouvelot, a French entomologist, living in Medford, Mass. in the late 1800s, decided to create a cross-breed of caterpillars from native North American moths and European caterpillars Lymantria dispar, in order to start a competitive silk industry. (rest of the story in comment)
GArGE TIL that in 1989, British Midland Flight 92 had its left engine fail. However, the captain proceeded to turn off the right engine despite repeated indications on instruments and flight attendant observations. It ended up killing 47 people due to the captain’s inexperience with the newer plane model