› added 10 years ago

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TIL that the roundest object in the world was handcrafted by one man because no machine in the world could match his precision.

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OobbL TIL Psychologist B.F. Skinner tried to train pigeons to serve as guides for bombing runs in WWII. After canceling the project, he successfully taught the pigeons to play ping pong instead.
WyDB TIL that Tycho Brahe had a pet dwarf as well as a domesticated elk.
kJdOg TIL that the Persian king Fath-Ali Shah Qajar added "Most Formidable Lord and Master of the Encyclopædia Britannica" to his royal title
KYGm9 TIL the Chandra X-Ray Telescope captures X-ray photons at a calculated angle, using the same ancient technique as stone-skimming, otherwise the X-rays would pass straight through the mirror.
VX6B TIL that In 2000, Mos Def purchased a struggling bookstore, transforming it into a Center for Education and Culture for the community. This non-profit preserved the mission of its original architect, which was to promote literacy and multicultural awareness for people of color.