› added 12 years ago

215

TIL there is a slang term for plastic bags which are caught in trees and bushes: witches’ knickers.

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yQ1Ja TIL about the "Well to Hell" hoax. The hoax suggested a wealthy Russian man drilled a hole many miles deep into the Earth eventually finding a cavern, and with heat resistant equipment, recorded the screams of the damned. The hoax travelled the globe.
woNw1 TIL Stephen Hawking joked that he couldn’t escape fame even with a disguise. “It is not enough for me to wear dark sunglasses and a wig. The wheelchair gives me away.” He added that people constantly wanted photos with him, which was a nuisance when he was in a hurry.
rNdVx TIL that the Brennan monorail uses two gyroscopes opposing each other which allows it to balance on a single rail
6Eey8 TIL The sun is white, but it can often appear yellow, orange or red through Earth's atmosphere due to atmospheric Rayleigh scattering
KOgrR TIL that most "close door" elevator buttons in the US are disabled due to the Americans with Disabilities Act that requires people with disabilities to be able to get into elevators safely.