› added 5 years ago

158

TIL that transparent aluminum, the fictitious material in the Star Trek Voyage Home film (1986) has been actually invented.

Read more theengineer.co.uk

via reddit.com

Meg1V TIL in 378BC, 30K Spartans invaded Thebes and were met by 20K Athenians deployed on an open hill. When the armies reached 200m apart, the Athenian general ordered his men to stand at ease (spears up, shields down) which they did with such precision and confidence as to cause the Spartans to retreat.
Y7mgv TIL gum isn’t biodegradable. 105 tonnes of “gum” trash are produced each year.
WyXN TIL there is a bright pink millipede that is able to ‘shoot’ cyanide.
lorV1 TIL Joseph Bazalgette, the man who designed London's sewers in the 1860's, said 'Well, we're only going to do this once and there's always the unforeseen' and doubled the pipe diameter. If he had not done this, it would have overflowed in the 1960's (its still in use today).
EMbX TIL In 2008 there was a Measles outbreak in San Diego, California. Its start was attributed an to unvaccinated child.