› added 8 years ago

86

TIL that the 39th and 40th governors of Illinois were both sent to prison on corruption charges.

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Z8GaQ TIL that the beautiful symmetry of a total solar eclipse happens because —by pure chance— the sun is 400 times larger than the moon, but is also 400 times farther from Earth, making the two bodies appear the exact same size in the sky.
7rGdL TIL apes never ask questions. Apes are able to learn sign language and even communicate using it, apes have never attempted to learn new knowledge by asking humans or other apes. Apes can't realize that others can know things they don't. It's a concept that separates humans from apes.
JmDV TIL in Soviet Russia, people bootlegged forbidden Western music, but due to vinyl being in short supply, they would often use old x-rays, creating eerie-looking, hand-crafted records.
6EkRY TIL I learned that some cars have a coating on their radiator that converts ground level ozone (a smog contributor) into harmless oxygen. The large amount of air passes through the radiator. Having this coating helps cars meet US air regulations.
9YQkp TIL the Manhattan Project scientists originally wanted to bomb Kyoto, but Secretary of War Henry Stimson successfully convinced the president that it would be needless culture vandalism, as he had toured the city on his honeymoon and knew it was not a military target.