› added 12 years ago

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TIL the British National Grid has to prepare for certain times of the day when everyone puts a kettle on for tea.

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awyJM TIL The French are European Champions at abandoning pets. Between 100,000 and 200,000 pets are abandoned in France every year (60% during summer). In the UK the figure is closer to 16,000 a year. Typical excuses include going on holiday, having a baby, moving house, and new partner with allergies
b9K4E TIL about the Heikegani, or "Samurai Crab". Their shell bears resemblance to an angry samurai, and are commonly thrown back by Japanese fishermen out of respect for Heike warriors defeated in the Battle of Dan-no-ura in the year 1185.
ADw6B TIL that in 2013, a truck hauling Cobalt-60, a radioactive isotope of cobalt often used in cancer treatment, was hijacked by thieves who were unaware of the truck's contents. The truck was found abandoned 2 days later in a cornfield near Mexico City, with the cobalt outside of its protective casing.
BrGYD TIL that the Singular Word for "Spaghetti" is Spaghetto. Not to be confused with the Campbell's brand SpaghettiO
P1plg TIL that ice cream can be traced back to ancient China, where a mixture of rice and milk was frozen. Marco Polo is believed to have brought the concept of ice cream to Europe from his travels in the 13th century.