› added 3 years ago

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TIL Legos last up to 1300 years, clogging up the earth’s oceans. Along with garbage such as plastic bottles and bags, ocean surfaces contain more of these plastic particles than larval fish. In commercial fishing seas, fishing nets collect over 10,000 pieces of plastic in an average 5 minute tow.

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nDXo TIL Sir James Milne Wilson achieved the extremely rare feat of being both born on 29 February and dying on 29 February.
GR4j TIL in 2005 PBS gave pictures of ‘Tank Man’ to students at Beijing University - where the Tiananmen Square activism started - and they were mystified. One said, “I don’t know; maybe it’s a parade or something,” and another said politely, “May I ask if this is a piece of your artwork?”
Y7Lad TIL that avocados evolved to be eaten by animals that have since gone extinct. Parts of the avocado are toxic to dogs, cats, cattle, goats, rabbits, horses, rodents, birds, and more.
wLRn7 TIL that glassblowers in Alexandria, Egypt were the first to produce clear glass around 100 AD through the introduction of manganese dioxide into the glass making process. Thereafter, the Romans began to use clear glass for architectural purposes.
oBgG7 TIL having mercury fillings removed isn't recommended unless medically necessary. When they drill out the old filling to replace them, it creates mercury vapors you can unintentionally inhale. The FDA recommends keeping the fillings unless you believe you suffer from a mercury sensitivity.