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TIL there is a 'Richter scale for human calamity' called the Foster scale. According to the Foster scale, WWII was the most disastrous event in human history with a score of 11.1, the Black Death ranks number 2 at 10.9, and WWI at number 3 with 10.5.

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v1PER Prochlorococcus is believed to be the most abundant photosynthetic creature on the planet and may provide as much as 20 percent of the oxygen you breathe. Oceanographer and Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle introduces us to these microscopic bacteria.
90VQ TIL the first autopsy performed in the New World was for religious reasons. A pair of infant conjoined twins died shortly after birth, and the Catholic Church wanted to determine if they had one soul or two. The doctor, after finding two complete sets of internal organs, declared they had two.
rxDw TIL that in 1964 civil rights activists spent the summer in Mississippi registering black voters. The resulting terror campaign against the activists included 35 shootings, 80 beatings, 30 bombings, and 35 church burnings. Several died. Over 1000 people were arrested.
KVYE TIL that 75% of crimes in the U.S. are committed by high school dropouts.
RYJ6 TIL Not using your blinker is more than 2 times as likely to cause an accident than texting while driving