› added 10 years ago

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TIL that Vlad the Impaler would demonstrate his control through fear by placing a golden cup in a poverty stricken area because he knew no-one would dare steal it.

ADJZw TIL scientists attached stilts to the legs of ants to prove that they return to their nests by counting their steps. The regular ants walked right to the nest and went inside. The ants on stilts walked right past the nest and got lost. This was because of the change in length of the legs.
QNJod TIL there's a food preserving technology called High Pressure Processing that puts food under 6000 bars of pressure and kills the bacteria by crushing it under the huge pressure, even at cold temperatures. It is widely used for store bought Guacamole.
WNaB TIL that a woman and a man, hired by Dyncorp to crackdown on forced prostitution on behalf of the UN, discovered that the UN police were the main perpetrators of forced prostitution and was later fired.
P1kZn TIL that during the 1908 London Olympics, the United Kingdom ordered every country to dip its flag in honor of King Edward VII. All except the United States did so, with the American flag bearer stating, "This flag dips to no earthly king."
YpmAW TIL: When fingers and toes get pruny from prolonged exposure to water, it's not because they absorbed water directly and became mushy. The water triggers nerves under your skin to dilate blood vessels and skin tension relaxes. People with specific nerve injuries don't have this response.