› added 10 years ago

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TIL Obsidian (volcanic glass) scalpels are used for surgery because they are sharper than high-quality surgical steel. The blade is just 3 nm thick while DNA is 2 nm thick.

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AN6W4 TIL that John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States from 1825 to 1829, had the highest estimated IQ (175) among US Presidents and is considered to have been the smartest man ever to hold the office.
dWKE TIL the “an average person eats nine spiders in their sleep” statistic was invented in the early 90’s as an example of the absurd things people will believe simply because they come across them on the Internet.
ANDVw TIL of the first adult themed cartoon "Eveready Harton in Buried Treasure". Exclusively screened at a party for animators, the short was created by 3 of the major animation studios of the day, but because no US film lab would touch it due to its risqué content, the film had to be developed in Cuba.
PYVEn TIL Claw machines are rigged,and the owner can program them to drop a toy after it gets picked up, giving you the illusion of near-success.
m1wyy TIL that when adjusted for monetary inflation, "Gone witth the Wind" is still the highest-grossing film in history.