› added 10 years ago

259

TIL If Britain were a U.S. state, it would be the second-poorest, behind Alabama and before Mississippi

Read more washingtonpost.com

via reddit.com

4XZXw TIL In Ohio a shopping center was Built on a toxic landfill. The center opened in 2006 but by 2012 the majority of the tenants had abandoned the property. Tests show toxins continue to seep into the air and groundwater to this day.
ANDRd TIL: "Guerilla Ontology" is a term coined by Robert Anton Wilson. Its purpose is to expose a dogmatic individual to radically unique ideas, thoughts and words. As a consequence, that person will experience cognitive dissonance and have their beliefs about reality challenged.
PY6WG TIL the books in the show ‘Castle’ do actually exist. They were written by the screenwriter Tom Straw under the name ‘Richard Castle’. Nathan Fillion, who played Richard Castle in the show, attended the book signings as the face of the author.
rRNd4 To strain out the nasty stuff we breathe in. It’s like an air filter in your house, says Justin Turner, an otolaryngologist (short, sort of, for otorhinolaryngologist, Greek for ear (oto), nose (rhino), and throat (laryng)) at Stanford University. Nose hairs trap dirt, viruses, bacteria and toxins until we blow them out, sneeze, or swallow.
gMdVL TIL that in 1956 the USAF used interceptors armed only with unguided rockets to try and shoot down a runaway target drone. All 208 rockets missed, starting bush fires as well as hitting buildings and cars in a nearby town. In total over 1,000 acres of land was burnt but there were no fatalities.