› added 5 years ago

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TIL about the "sponge cities" in China. The scheme means that Wuhan and other areas in the scheme will have 20% of their urban land include "sponge features" (such as rain gardens and wetlands) by 2020 with an aim of retaining 70% of storm and flood water.

Read more theguardian.com

via reddit.com

Aoll TIL The tires for the Bugatti Veyron cost $42,000 for a set. They last 15 minutes at top speed. The wheels have to be replaced every other tire change at $69,000 a set.
vPX14 TIL that during the Vietnam war there were 7 discharges, 17 AWOL cases, 2 disciplinary charges, 12 complains to congress and 18 non-judicial punishments in every 100 groups of soldiers, whilst one third report some form of consistent drug abuse
Lk9GQ TIL of the Emery Celtic Cross - in the early 2000s, a Forester in Ireland planted two different species of trees to create a 125 metre tall Celtic cross design within a forest. The design was first discovered in 2016 by an airplane passenger, 6 years after the Forester, Liam Emery, had died.
YpmxP TIL The body of Mats Israelsson was preserved so well in vitriol in the Falun Mine that when his body was found 40 years after his death he looked like he had just died
Oogx1 TIL that 56% of people sit when they wipe and 44% of people stand. And when someone is faced with the opposite style wiper they tend to get extremely upset.