› added 10 years ago

135

TIL that in the UK people who need a guide dog can obtain one for 50p; it costs around £50k to train and support that same dog from birth to retirement.

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via reddit.com

1R74 TIL there was a 1983 diving bell accident that resulted in four divers “violently exploding” when a clamp was incorrectly opened. All the organs, spine and limbs blew out of the divers’ bodies, killing them instantly.
l7pKa TIL that the Russian Soyuz rocket, which has been in service since 1963 and has a success rate of 98%, begins its ignition process by firing wooden sticks inside the combustion chamber. While not quite as simple, it's essentially huge wooden matches and it's extremely reliable.
yDk8 TIL reindeer herds being raised for meat in Norway still need to be tested for radioactivity due to fallout from the Chernobyl disaster. Reindeer that are too radioactive to eat are released into the wild.
WkmPA TIL that the Antarctic research station at the south pole has to heat their cafeteria freezers.
VM8ZQ TIL that water is actually the weirdest liquid we have. Without its special properties, life as we know it would not be possible on Earth.