› added 2 months ago

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TIL that Archimedes supposedly invented a giant lens that focused the power of the sun to burn enemy Greek ships

Read more bbc.co.uk

via reddit.com

5YE4k TIL of the chariot race sequence in Ben-Hur (1959): the set was the largest ever built at the time and took over a year and thousands of workers to build; the director's son, a stuntman, almost died; the extras rioted on camera; and the cars filming the race were slower than the horses
rRK8o TIL lime juice on skin, when exposed to sunlight, can cause a poison ivy type rash called phytophotodermatitis. It is common for bartenders making margaritas but can also be a problem for basic skincare products like deodorants and lotions that use real lime.
wokp1 TIL Garry Kasparov helped design a chess-playing computer program. Kasparov also makes an appearance as the last computer profile which has to be defeated in order to win the "Kasparov Chess Club"
Wkx04 Ever looked at a picture of the supercontinent Pangea and wondered where your current address would have been 250 million years ago? A new interactive map provides this very service, allowing you to see modern locations across 750 million years of our planet’s history.
5YwXQ TIL that it’s illegal to wear camouflage in: Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, Nigeria, Oman, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Zambia or Zimbabwe. You probably won’t end up in jail, but you can expect to part ways with all your camouflage gear.