› added 4 years ago

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TIL that Stephanie Kwolek the inventor of Kevlar was working on finding a new, lightweight substitute for steel belting in automobile tires, on fears of a looming oil shortage and in anticipation of a market for lighter tires. What resulted was a new fiber five times stronger than steel by weight.

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69MjX TIL that there's a sport called Extreme ironing, which consists of ironing in perilous or incongruous conditions. It can be practiced on a mountain, while snowboarding or skiing, on top of large statues... Its appeal lies in mixing the thrill of danger “with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt"
woJME TIL that child pornography was legal in Denmark between 1969-1979
9PQp TIL - Prostitutes in 16th century England shaved their pubic hair and then wore vagina toupees called ‘merkins’.
EXbw TIL people in Japan are chronically lonely and about 70 people a day commit suicide mainly due to this but they seem to do little to prevent being lonely. Currently in Osaka if someone wants a free hug.
Jm54 TIL It is mandatory for every team to bolt a rectangular plank of wood to the bottom of their Formula 1 car during races.