› added 4 years ago

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TIL that cyclists move fater when they cycle together with others. Interestingly, cockroaches move faster in the presence of others as well. (Triplett, 1897; Zajonc, 1969)

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Z8JYG TIL that the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant had four reactors and only one was impacted by the 1986 meltdown; the others continued producing power for several years and one (Reactor No. 3) produced power until it was decommissioned in 2000.
woLY1 TIL: The small village of Embo in the Scottish highlands declared itself independent from the UK for 1 day in 1988
ANObl TIL Chicory has been a historic substitute for coffee. Frederick the Great banned coffee in Prussia which led to the mass production of chicory by 1795 and the chicory drinks were common in Napoleonic France. Chicory drinks also became popular in Confederate states because of the Union blockade.
OoDk6 TIL that Franklin Dixon, the author of over 200 Hardy Boys books which have sold over 70 million copies worldwide is not a real person but a collective pseudonym for dozens of authors who have written for the series. Canadian author Leslie McFarlane wrote 19 of the first 25 books.
jN4ZX TIL During the Korean War, English-born John Koelsch was the first helicopter pilot awarded the Medal of Honor (posthumously) for volunteering to rescue a downed Marine without a fighter escort. He, his crew, and the pilot were all captured, yet Koelsch never broke despite dying in captivity.