› added 6 years ago

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TIL that sweet potato DNA indicates that Polynesia had contact with South America long before the Europeans.

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b94Z9 TIL: In 1666, the plague-infested village of Eyam quarantined itself inside a marked circle for 14 months. Neighboring communities left food at the edge of the circle in exchange for disinfected coins. 80% of the people died, but no one crossed the circle.
J1BMk TIL that no human has beaten a computer in a chess tournament in over 15 years.
Z8nl4 TIL: The F-35 has a lifespan of 8,000 hours and it costs $44,000 per hour to fly.
KOyPQ TIL The consultant hired on Star Trek: Voyager for the development of the Native American Chakotay character had previously been exposed as having faked his Native American ancestry to sell books.
Wkd4d TIL Ecuador, located on the equator, means 'equator' in Spanish.