› added 11 years ago

80

TIL that the Ukrainian government hires thugs to incite violence, provoke unlawful behaviour amoung peaceful protesters, engage public in scuffles and fights. Called Titushky, they usually pretend to be one of the demonstrators.

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a8JvM TIL: the US has a law called the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) to combat bureaucracy. PRA approvals take 6-9 months
x6dB TIL that in 2000 the major motorcycle companies of the world reached a gentlemen’s agreement to end a speed war of one-upmanship to try make the worlds fastest production bike, as they feared speeds would escalate to extremely dangerous speeds before it would end. A limit of 300km/h was agreed
4kKkb TIL the first steam turbine was nothing more than a "party trick" for the ancient greeks
4XkAR TIL that fingers don't wrinkle because of water absorption, but because of an autonomic reflex action controlled by nerves
gMYR7 TIL that the European colonial powers used indentured workers from India as cheap labor after the end of slavery