› added 2 years ago

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TIL in the 1880s, the Harvard Observatory director was frustrated with his staff, and would say “My Scottish maid could do better!” So, he hired his Scottish maid. Williamina Fleming ran a team for decades, classified tens of thousands of stars, & discovered white dwarfs and the Horsehead Nebula

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ZyVQ TIL that prostitution is not a crime in the UK, but some related activities like soliciting in a public place, or owning a brothel are
5Yop8 TIL anandamide, also known as N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA), is a fatty acid neurotransmitter. The name is taken from the Sanskrit word ananda, which means "joy, bliss, delight". It can be activated by THC or CBD coming into contact with cannabinoid receptors in the nervous system.
pbre TIL that in Dutch Harbor, Alaska there are helmets and hockey sticks left outside the post office so that customers can protect themselves from aggressive bald eagles.
nPjW TIL that in the 1980s pop juggernauts Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury were making a highly anticipated album together but had a falling out after finishing only three tracks. Michael objected to Freddie’s excessive cocaine use, and Freddie didn’t want Michael’s pet llama Louie in the studio.
VR8D TIL that the battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War was lost… Due to Tootsie Rolls. A codereader mistook the code for mortar shells (“snacks”, they were called), and literally sent hundreds of crates of Tootsie Rolls to the marines who were out of mortar rounds.