› added 1 year ago

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TIL about Zersetzung, a psychological warfare technique by which the Stasi repressed opponents in East Germany by methods such as gaslighting or spreading rumors

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via reddit.com

XEYM6 TIL that over 500 surgical operating room fires every year.
0w4NA TIL Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard chose his son Quentin to succeed him after his eldest son quit the church. Quentin, who wanted to be a pilot and was gay (against doctrine), committed suicide. When his father discovered this, he shouted "That stupid fucking kid! Look what he's done to me!"
lo6V1 TIL about John C. Beale, a man who pretended to be a CIA secret agent, flew around the world on first-class flights, stayed in high-end hotels and cost the taxpayers almost US$900,000.
wLdy8 TIL Venus' day is longer than its year and rotates backwards.
XEj0R TIL feedback loops in Systems Theory. An example of feeback loops are birth rates( a reinforcing loop) and death rate( a balancing loop) all of which act on a giving population. Reinforcing loops enhance what is already existent( like a good investment) and balancing loops level things out.