› added 11 years ago

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TIL there is a disease referred to as Stone Man Syndrome in which the body’s repair mechanism causes fibrous tissue (including muscle, tendon, and ligament) to be ossified when damaged.

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R7mll TIL the HongKong Dollar being pegged to the US Dollar at a rate of 7.80 under the linked exchange rate system, where the government does not control the supply/demand in the foreign exchange market, exchange rate is stabilised by arbitrage where banks sell HongKong Dollar at a gain/loss.
6x6w TIL barcode readers actually scan the white parts and not the black parts
aGOy TIL about the Salt Water Buffalo who were introduced to Newfoundland as a potential new species for meat and hide. All but 1 died as they discovered the best tasting grass was at the edge of cliffs and inevitably fell to their deaths
yQbBw TIL Porsche tried to replace its flagship car, the 911, with the bigger, more luxurious 928, but people kept buying the iconic 911. The 911 still hadn’t had a major redesign since its birth in 1963, and only received one in 1998, three years after the 928 went out of production.
VMMAk TIL James Watson (DNA co-inventor), had to auction off his Nobel Prize Medal in 2014 due to poverty. A Russian billionaire bought it for $4.1M and returned it back to Watson stating, "a situation in which an outstanding scientist has to sell a medal recognising his achievements is unacceptable."