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165

TIL in agoge, the Spartan youth was intentionally fed with less than adequate food so as to stoke his hunger pangs. This encouraged the youth to sometimes steal food; and on being caught, he was punished - not for stealing the food, but for getting caught.

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pYD5Q TIL that there is one remaining glacier on the Indonesian side of Papua, due to its very high elevation despite being on the equator.
R75pw TIL that the eleven points of the maple leaf of the Canadian flag has no special significance: the number and arrangement of the points were chosen after wind tunnel tests and the chosen pattern is the least blurred under high winds.
7VZp TIL the reason why taking Pepto Bismol can cause your tongue and poop to turn black is because the active ingredient, Bismuth, reacts with the trace amounts of sulfur found in saliva and the gastrointestinal tract.
R7wL4 TIL 14-yr-old Aidan Jackson seated 10,500 teddy bears in a rugby stadium to honor his friend Olivia Alice Walker who died at age 15 and to raise money for a Foundation in her name. He raised more funds by doing a swim equivalent to the English Channel over 3 months; the two had met at a swim club.
e0yBJ TIL that in 1988, to demonstrate that channeling was a bogus practice, magician James Randi recruited José Alvarez, who pretended to channel a 2,000 year old spirit named Carlos, traveling the world and living like a celebrity. Alvarez continued the charade for years after 60 Minutes exposed them.