› added 7 years ago

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TIL of Scientists who dropped off closed boxes in a remote Ethiopian village containing tablets, taped shut, with no instructions. Within 5 months, the children had not only learned to use 47 apps, but also managed to hack the Android OS.

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gDbL TIL that the origins of driving on the left side go back to Medieval England where Knights would ride their horses on the left side of the road so if they encountered an enemy their sword hand would be on the correct side - nearly all countries that drive on the left now were once English colonies
xM7w TIL over 3500 unpublished whistleblower communications, including the US government’s No Fly List, 5 GB of Bank of America leaks, and insider information from 20 right-wing organizations were once in possession of Wikileaks…until the files were destroyed by the departing spokesperson.
a0QA TIL during WW2 a Russian pilot was shot down over Nazi German, draged himself 18 days to Soviet territory and had to have his legs amputated. Afterward, he mastered his prosthetics and returned to flying combat missions.
LQeZr TIL the fate of SPY, the world’s largest exchange-traded fund (ETF), depends on the lives of 11 random millennials (born between 1990 and 1993). SPY will cease to exist on Jan. 22, 2118, or 20 years "after the death of the last survivor of the eleven persons", whichever occurs first.
7rKYx TIL the Italian city of Bologna had 180 towers by AD 1200. The tallest, at 320 ft (97 meters) high, still stands and was completed in AD 1119.