› added 8 months ago

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Today I learned about Victorian 'Coffin Torpedoes', a system of triggers that detonated an explosion of lead balls if the coffin lid was opened after burial, to deter grave robbers.

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via reddit.com

Brw0y TIL there was once a flying reptile the size of a giraffe. Its weight is estimated to range from 70 to 250 kgs. Its wingspan was over 10 m.
ZxbQ TIL: In 2007 a scientist invented a method to remove the allergens from Peanuts.
RN8l TIL In 2007, according to a Harvard research group, 62% of all bankruptcies in the US were caused by medical problems (this number was closer to 8% in 1981). Of those bankruptcies, 60% had private insurance.
69OQ TIL that for Saving Private Ryan, Steven Spielberg requested that no one gain admittance to the movie once it had begun.
5YZn TIL that in a new study, “Americans who rely on The Daily Show and Colbert Report know much more about current events than those who watch Fox News.”