› added 12 years ago

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TIL The Vatican has an astronomical department staffed with Jesuits and runs one of the worlds largest telescopes called LUCIFER located in Arizona

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jPDj TIL there are plants that, when eaten by herbivores, release chemicals to call in predators.
5VGdB TIL the washed-up actor character of Troy McClure from The Simpsons was retired from the show after the voice actor Phil Hartman's murder, with the characters last speaking role coming 4 months after his death. The character was based in part on Hartman himself and is similar to Hartman's looks.
wDw7 TIL The Gates Foundation spends more on global health each year than the World Health Organization of the United Nations.
kORxm TIL - In June of 2017, the helmet worn by Rick Moranis as Dark Helmet in Spaceballs sold for $39K at a Hollywood memorabilia auction. Also sold at this auction, the light up dance floor from Saturday Night Fever ($1.2M) and R2-D2 from Star Wars ($2.76M)
Q4LE TIL that many lion sanctuaries are actually fronts for canned hunting operations - by letting volunteers touch the animals, they make them easier to eventually kill.