› added 2 months ago

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TIL: That the flames we see in fire are literally just glowing gasses coming off of whatever's burning- producing light due to the sheer amount of energy exciting the electrons within.

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wLP0W TIL that if you add 250ml of ethanol to 250ml of water, you get less than 500ml of liquid. This is because strong hydrogen bonding draws the different molecules closer together, and because ethyl molecules interfere with any open spaces in the water, causing them to pack closer together.
nW7p9 TIL that Neil Armstrong was the subject of a hoax claiming that he converted to Islam after hearing the call to prayer on the Moon. Despite being officially refuted, the rumor persisted partly because of the confusion between Armstrong's residence in Lebanon (Ohio) to Lebanon the country.
woXoY TIL Newton's phrase about standing on the shoulders of giants dates back to at least 1159. John of Salisbury wrote then that "we see more and farther than our predecessors, not because we have keener vision or greater height, but because we are lifted up and borne aloft on their gigantic stature."
APVB TIL Nike made a commercial depicting a Samburu tribesman saying “Just Do it” in his native language. An American anthropologist called them out. The spoken phrase actually meant, “I don’t want these, give me big shoes.” Nike’s response: “We thought nobody in America would know what he said.”
neJ9Y TIL - in 2015, Nathan Fielder became aware that his favorite jacket company Taiga had published a tribute to Holocaust denier Doug Collins in one of their winter catalogues. So he created his own company to raise awareness of The Holocaust. He also gives free exchanges for Taiga coats.