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TIL In the movie Twister, the Dorothy unit shown in the film was not complete science fiction but based on NOAA's real TOTO unit, and the film props are now displayed with the real device at the National Weather Center.

Read more noaa.gov

via reddit.com

QJ7XL TIL that all vertebrates have a blind spot where they are unable to perceive vision. This is the point where optic fibres pass front-to-back through the retina towards the brain. Thus, this spot has no photoreceptors.
oBrPW TIL about a Railway station in remote area of Japan that was going to close due to lack of usage. Only one girl used the train everyday to go to school. They kept the station working solely for the girl to graduate and closed once she finished her studies.
e06QE TIL: The Belly Button Biodiversity Project. Scientists examined the genetic makeup of the bacterial found in the bellybuttons of 60 volunteers. One individual, who hadn't washed in several years, hosted 2 species of extremophile bacteria that typically thrive in ice caps and thermal vents.
GAVj TIL a woman sued Walmart for charging her $1.00 on a $0.98 item and was awarded $180.00, making it the most successful lawsuit with the award being 9000 times the disputed amount
PVbg TIL the Great Stalacpipe Organ used Virginia’s Luray Caverns to produce music by striking the cave’s stalactites with solenoid-actuated rubber mallets to produce sound. The organ can be heard anywhere within its 64-acre (260,000 m^2) confines