› added 6 years ago

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TIL about Italian scientist Francesco Redi who, in 1668, proved that maggots come from the eggs of flies. At the time, prevailing wisdom was that maggots arose spontaneously from rotting meat.

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kJGye TIL the Nuremberg Trials executioner lied to the US Military about his prior experience. He botched a number of hangings prior to Nuremberg. The Nuremberg criminals had their faces battered bloody against the too-small trapdoor and were hung from short ropes, with many taking over 10 minutes to die.
nMk7 TIL The most powerful sidearm ever issued by the US military was the Colt Walker of 1847. It weighed 4.5 pounds, had a 9" barrel, and fired a .44 caliber projectile with the muzzle energy of a .357 magnum. It had an effective range of 100 yards, but was prone to blowing up in the shooter’s hands.
epmVn TIL Astronaut Ron McNair played the first musical instrument in space in 1984. He was a tenor saxophone player but could only fit a curved soprano sax. He got to play it in space but there was a media blackout at the time
VBdG TIL the Japanese Warlord Date Masamune sent an embassy to Spain and Rome. Two days after his ambassador returned and gave his report, Date Masamune, who had previously been tolerant of Christianity, banned it.
YDWx TIL “microbeads” used in exfoliating soaps are actually made of plastic (and they are a major pollution problem)