› added 11 years ago

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TIL that the last meal is based on a superstition from pre-modern Europe. By accepting the last meal, the condemned was believed to forgive the executioner, the judge, and witness(es). This would prevent the condemned from returning as a ghost to haunt those responsible for their killing.

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AwAl TIL there’s a Dutch village fully staffed by caregivers in disguise to make dementia patients feel like they’re living a normal life.
XE7P8 TIL in 1900 three lighthouse keepers mysteriously disappeared from the lighthouse on Eilian Mor, an island north of Scotland. Their logbook indicated they were frightened by a storm that hit on December 12th, but all other reports in the area stated the weather was clear that day
ONYa TIL 1983 blockbuster WarGames (Matthew Broderick) caused President Reagan to ask national security officials if this type of “hacking” was possible; Gen. Vessey replied “The problem is much worse than you think.” This influenced national security policy, ARPAnet, & ultimately the modern Internet
VBNRm TIL the world’s highest flying bird is the Rüppell's Vulture with a confirmed altitude of over 37,000 ft (11,300 m)
0wORj TIL the "Chameleon Effect" is how people subconsciously copy other people. This mainly includes accents, facial mannerisms, and vocal inflections. People who can hear and separate musical notes are more susceptible to the Chameleon Effect, they also come across as more empathetic or nice to others.