› added 4 years ago

48

TIL Congress had an Office of Technology Assessment to provide members and committees with objective and authoritative analysis of the complex scientific and technical issues of the day, but was defunded in 1995

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

NReb TIL That the “point-and-call” method used by Japanese train employees reduces worker error rates by up to 85%
BgWYD TIL The real reason your nose runs when you cry is because our tears drain into the nasolacrimal ducts which run down each side of the nose and mixes with the nasal mucus (snot) while the rest flows onto our face.
6vmZ TIL Leonard Cohen struggled for years writing the song ‘Hallelujah’, and had to pare down around 80 verses to get his original recorded version. In one writing session he was reduced to sitting in his underwear, bashing his head on the floor.
EPEw TIL that self-mummification (a process called Sokushunbutsu) was practiced by Japanese Shugendō monks as the ultimate act of self denial. This ritual lasted around nine years, six of which the monk would be alive for.
7y5P TIL That Mormons have a worldwide disaster preparedness network with tons of stored food, a supply distribution chain, and backup communications network. When there is no emergency, they give the food away.