› added 12 years ago

69

TIL American astronauts on the ISS can vote in elections from orbit by secure email

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Lvnm TIL there were four mass extinction events before the one that killed the Dinosaurs. The most severe killed a staggering 97% of all species. All life on Earth today is descended from the 3% that survived.
KO979 TIL that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers a "pirate certificate" to students who complete the archery, sailing, fencing, and pistol or rifle shooting courses. The department frequently holds "pirate induction" days and has had a steady stream of students awarded the achievement.
1agMr TIL the Pentagon is the largest office building in the world at 6.5 million square feet.
woV0W TIL That the reason everything around you seems so quiet when there's snow on the ground is because snow absorbs up to 60% of all noise
5YJ4r TIL that the containment structure built during the Chernobyl disaster to prevent further release of radioactive material was the largest civil engineering feat in history, involving a quarter of a million construction workers who all reached their official lifetime limits for radiation.