› added 11 years ago

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TIL that the name for the coffee company “Starbucks” comes from Captain Ahab’s first mate in the classic novel Moby Dick, who was named Starbuck.

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j6E5v TIL that XM4 5HQ is the UK postcode for Father Christmas, a leetspeak of "XMAS HQ"
Oodlg TIL there is an upscale McDonalds restaurant in Hong Kong called “Next” that has table service . It has a “create your own” menu with fresher and higher quality ingredients than any other McDonalds .
bJLZ TIL a chemistry grad student accidentally synthesized the chemical MPTP and gave himself Parkinsonian Syndrome while trying to make opioids - accidentally advancing Parkinson’s research at his own expense
GWE7 TIL that in 1986, a woman who sought psychiatric help discovered memories of being in a satanic cult where she was forcibly raped, had to eat babies and as a consequence developed 120 different personalities to cope. The memories were later found to be false and the therapist was sued.
698LZ TIL about Tarrare, a French spy and Performer who had such an appetite he would eat live cats and puppies, cadavers from morgues and was even suspected of kidnapping and eating a baby. He would also eat from heaps of dung in the street and as a spy, the entire army's rations.