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TIL that the inventors of INSULIN sold the patent in 1923 to the University of Toronto for a mere $1 saying they felt it was unethical for a doctor to profit from a discovery that would save lives. Two of the inventors won the Nobel Prize in 1923 and split the money with the two others not included

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QJLma TIL that the earth was known to be spherical by most European scholars since the 3rd century bc
4XN7J TIL the National Trust implores us to stop urinating in a toilet, in order to save the water used in flushing, and instead wee onto compost heaps, which speeds up the chemical process of decomposition, making it a better fertiliser to grow vegetables and save even more energy in reducing food miles.
kO85 TIL that at least two people have tested the idea that 10,000 hours of practice is needed to master a skill by quitting their jobs to become professional sportsmen. Both have done quite well so far.
e0EOk TIL the original Star Wars won an Academy Award in editing for the fast pace story telling style it pioneered and used throughout the original trilogy
OK8L TIL that the most complex chinese character has 62 strokes and is called biáng, a type of noodle dish.