› added 11 years ago

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TIL In 1910 Dr. George Levick witnessed Penguins engaging in necrophilia during an Antarctic expedition; he was so ashamed about his discovery, the pamphlet in which he recorded his findings was hidden for over 100 years.

WkM0Y TIL planned obsolescence is illegal in France; it is a crime to intentionally shorten the lifespan of a product with the aim of making customers replace it. In early 2018, French authorities used this law to investigate reports that Apple deliberately slowed down older iPhones via software updates.
PYjVn TIL of the Jumping Frenchmen of Maine, a group of 19th century lumberjacks who suffered a rare disorder. They had an exaggerated startle reflex and would immediately obey any sudden command and repeat the words. Modern studies have concluded it was a psychological condition rather than a tic.
v87j TIL Nike made a commercial with a Samburu tribesman saying “Just Do it” in his native language. An American anthropologist called them out. He actually said “I don’t want these, give me big shoes.” Nike’s response: “We thought nobody in America would know what he said.”
KONX9 TIL that Facebook's primary color is blue because Zuckerberg is red–green colorblind, a realization that occurred after a test undertaken around 2007
XElEj TIL Tom Clancy wrote his 1st book 'The Hunt for Red October' in 1982 and hoped to sell 5,000 copies but ended up selling 45,000 copies. The book received praised from Ronald Reagan leading to a further 300,000 hardcover & 2 million paperback copies sold.