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TIL Henry Ford once balked at paying $10,000 to General Electric for work done troubleshooting a generator, and asked for an itemized bill. The engineer who performed the work, Charles Steinmetz, sent this: “Making chalk mark on generator, $1. Knowing where to make mark, $9,999.” Ford paid the bill.

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0bVN TIL that there is journalism equivalent to the Bechdel Test. An article about a female scientist fails the “Finkbeiner Test” if it mentions one of seven topics regarding her womanhood
W7oWX TIL Astronomers have observed sunspots, or starspots, on other stars. A study tracked 56 starspots from a sample of more than 5,000 Sun-like stars
XE1nR TIL that diamond, despite being the hardest material known, will shatter if hit with a hammer. Hardness means resistance to scratching; toughness is a different property.
loEEK TIL Japan created a fire alarm for deaf people. This device works by spraying vaporized wasabi into the air.
KOYl4 In this episode of Today I Learned, National Geographic Emerging Explorer Thomas Taha Rassam Culhane introduces the Zabaleen and explains how they’ve built a way of life around Cairo’s garbage.