› added 1 year ago

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TIL a spaceship called OSIRIS visited an asteroid, collected a sample, came BACK to earth, and then is on its way to the NEXT asteroid

Read more science.nasa.gov

via reddit.com

NJQ TIL that Kansas was “scientifically proven” to be flatter than a pancake.
yVxaX TIL on one occasion, Jeffrey Dahmer accidentally consumed the drink laced with sleeping pills that was intended for his guest. When he awoke the following day, he discovered that his potential victim had stolen several items of clothing, $300, & a watch. He never officially reported the incident.
wop61 TIL LSD was originally meant to be an analeptic, used in overdoses to stimulate the CNS, but the researcher accidentally absorbed some and got super high, leading to its discovery as a psychedelic
nYLP TIL that nonviolent protests are more successful than violent ones.
6EEaJ Yes, it’s true that most jetliners are certified for automatic landings, called “autolands” in pilot-speak. But in practice they are rare. Fewer than 1 percent of landings are performed automatically, and the fine print of setting up and managing one of these landings is something I could talk about all day. If it were as easy as pressing a button, I wouldn’t need to practice them twice a year in the simulator or periodically review those tabbed, highlighted pages in my manuals. In a lot of respects, automatic landings are more work-intensive than those performed by hand. The technology is there if you need it for that foggy arrival in Buenos Aires with the visibility sitting at zero, but it’s anything but simple.