› added 9 years ago

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TIL the Alpine swift can stay in flight for over 6 months without landing once.

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Lkj5r TIL: In 1985, Australia decommissioned its only aircraft carrier, and sold it for scrap to a Chinese company. It was towed to China where, before scrapping, it was studied extensively by the military to help design China's first aircraft carrier.
9Y7pp TIL that in 1951, Gertrude Levandowski underwent a 96-hour procedure at a Chicago hospital to remove a giant ovarian cyst (150 pounds). Levandowski weighed 616 pounds before the surgery and had a girth of 9 feet. After the growth was removed, the 58-year-old weighed a more manageable 308 pounds.
yQDBV TIL Stephen Colbert started a Super Pac, then gave it to John Stewart while running for president in 2008
NZMe TIL that the Indian Pipe plant is one of the rare plants which doesn’t contain chlorophyll and thus doesn’t photosynthesize, getting all its energy from fungi.
4D5g TIL the term “slush fund” comes from the age of sailing when salted meat was kept in barrels. After the barrel was finished, there was a slushy mix of fat and salt left over which was saved and then sold at port, the funds were then used to purchase a luxury for the crew.