› added 2 years ago

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TIL that Mahatma Gandhi never won the Nobel Peace Prize despite being nominated five times. The yeah Gandhi was assassinated, the Norwegian Nobel Committee decided to make no award on the grounds that "there was no suitable living candidate".

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780nL TIL that Vanadium is one of the most effective spermicides discovered. Most spermicides irritate the vaginal wall. Not vanadium. It sneaks inside the sperm and snaps off the tail so it can't swim without external irritation. However, it also messes with blood sugar levels and turns the tongue green.
x6eR5 TIL I learned that in England, there are "wavy" brick fences. This shape uses fewer bricks than a straight wall. The waves' arch support allows the wavy wall to stand strong while a straight wall requires at least two layers of bricks to do the same.
a885N TIL that until 2001 it was legal for Austrian farmers from the Vorarlberg region, to blow up deceased cows on mountains. This was done to avoid transporting them by helicopter which would've cost about 1500$ more in today's money.
4l6b TIL that UN weapons inspector and UK government Bio-weapons expert David Kelly was found dead 2 days after testifying in parliament against Iraqi WMD claims. His autopsy was also meant to be sealed for 70 years by judge order.
awvZo TIL that Lebanon had a space program in the 60s; it was very successful but forced to shutdown due to growing tensions in the region. “Yes, it was a tiny country, but Lebanon could have done it."