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TIL Americans were forbidden to travel to China until 1979, when President Jimmy Carter made the decision to normalize relations with China

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GYQOj TIL In 1920, the New York Times published an editorial titled "A Severe Strain on Credulity," mocking scientist Robert Goddard's contention that a rocket could conceivably leave the atmosphere and even reach the moon. They later printed a retraction, the day after the launch of Apollo 11.
OGBGX TIL that otters are considered apex predators. Giant otter are opportunistic, taking whatever species are most locally abundant. If fish are unavailable otters will hunt caimans (species related to alligators) and anacondas.
8aVmK TIL about Alien Hand Syndrome, a condition in which a person loses conscious control of one of their hands, and it seemingly acts as if it has a mind of its own. There is no known cure, although symptoms can be managed to some degree by keeping the alien hand occupied with something to play with.
9YADG TIL Conan O'Brien made a video in Haiti to show positive, beautiful sides of the country and also made a speech in Haitian Creole to the locals
v1Y84 TIL Mythbusters hosts Adam and Jamie built a combat robot for the show Robot Wars. It was so effective that it often sent pieces of its opponent's bodywork over the shield walls of the arena into the crowd, and after two fights the show's insurance company deemed the bot "too hazardous" to compete.