› added 5 years ago

445

TIL why wind turbines only have 3 blades, because 2 blades are prone to a phenomenon known as gyroscopic precession, and 4 or more blades create greater wind resistance, becoming less efficient at generating electricity.

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WLJY TIL that out of the 12 high profile BP whistle-blowers, 9 are mysteriously dead, 1 nearly died in a brutal assassination attempt, 1 is imprisoned under questionable charges, and another has simply disappeared
GAVJ1 TIL: NYC had a red light district during the Revolutionary War known as "Holy Ground" because it was on land owned by Trinity Church
OGB66 TIL there's a type of broccoli called Romanesco that naturally grows in a fractal pattern
PYDkJ TIL Vegemite, a food spread made of leftover brewery yeast, was banned in some Australian prisons to prevent inmates from making moonshine. Also, because Vegemite's high concentration of ions and water can be used to conduct electricity, it's currently being researched to make edible medical sensors
1aro8 TIL French phone customers have had the ability to online chat, make retail purchases, and play games since 1980 thanks to Minitel technology