› added 2 years ago

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TIL that war actually decreases the gap in life expectancy between men and women rather than exacerbating it

Wk7wY Microwaves can transform a frozen pizza into hot, melted goodness in four minutes flat, but they can't rescue your melted ice-cream sundae. To cook food, a microwave oven converts voltage into high-frequency electromagnetic microwaves. The molecules in food—especially water and fat—absorb this energy and wiggle at high speeds, causing them to heat rapidly and warm the surrounding food. Although quickly turning leftovers cold would be handy, this is a one-way operation, explains David Pozar, a professor and microwave expert at the University of Massachusetts.
a8dXA TIL most receipts use toxic ink that gets absorbed through skin contact
loOBG TIL of Sgt Pilcher, who in 1960s London arrested Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Keith Richards, Donovan, George Harrison, John Lennon, among others, for drugs possession. He almost got Eric Clapton, but the guitarist legged it out the back when Pilcher claimed to be the postman with a special delivery.
4keGJ TIL in 1972, at the height of the Troubles, the Irish Republican Army allowed an American TV crew to film its members as they engaged in weapons training, patrols, gun battles and bombing missions across Northern Ireland.
Oo1X TIL that a mentally ill artist committed suicide by handcuffing himself to a tree and throwing away the key. His skeleton was found 3 years later (with signs suggesting he may have changed his mind).