› added 9 years ago

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TIL carbon nanotubes and cementite nanowires have been found in ancient Damascus steel swords, possibly playing a part in their incredible and mysterious strength.

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6EmnW TIL that skatole, the same compound that gives poop its smell, is fragrant in low concentrations and is used in some perfumes and ice creams
4lKo TIL a single mother who won a $188M Powerball jackpot last year pledged to spend her money on her children and her church, but has instead tied up over $21M keeping her (alleged) drug dealer boyfriend, Lamarr “Hot Sauce” McDow, out of jail on drug, weapon and street racing charges
9gw7 TIL after explosion of faulty engine LOT Polish Airlines pilots fought for control of burning aircraft for 30 minutes. They almost made it back to the airport. About 2 minutes from the runway the aircraft crashed into a forest. Last recorded crew message was “Good night! Goodbye! Bye, we’re dying!”
OowEg TIL slavery was banned in the colony of Georgia for the first 15 years because the state was intended to help former inmates of debtors' prison become solvent. The colony's trustees didn't have any moral objections to slavery, they just didn't want landowners to become wealthy.
d7kQ TIL that from 2000-2001 in California, traders at the now defunct company, Enron, manipulated the price of energy by shutting down power grids causing rolling blackouts. These blackouts would increase demand for energy and thus cause the price to surge sometimes 20x above it’s normal value.