› added 8 years ago

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TIL Jamie Hyneman designed Blendo, a combat robot that was deemed too hazardous for Robot Wars after repeatedly throwing pieces of its opponents over arena walls. It received co-championship status in exchange for withdrawing from the competition.

Kvj6 TIL of the death of PFC LaVena Johnson, who was found dead in 2005 at a base in Balad, Iraq. Initially ruled a suicide, an autopsy revealed she a broken nose, black eye, loose teeth, and burns from corrosive chemicals on her genitals. The Army has refused to reopen the case.
6Z6W TIL that a 47yo Frenchman agreed to pay 90yo Jeanne Calment a monthly fee until she died, then take over her apartment. She would become the oldest human in history, outliving him by 2 years.
YpMwx TIL that amateur mathematician Edward Goodwin had the Indiana General Assembly define π as 3.2 in a bill. The bill was defeated in the Indiana Senate due to the presence of Professor C.A. Waldo in the legislature on the day of the vote, who had previously "coached" the senators.
Nj9P TIL of blind sight, a type of blindness where the eyes are still functional. As a result, the individual is not physically aware of their surroundings, but their brain can subconsciously see and avoid obstacles.
xVlEk TIL Mosquitoes prefer O-type blood, people with high body heat, pregnant women and heavy breathers. Many of these reasons are because mosquitoes can sense carbon dioxide (CO2) from up to 100 feet away. Which is a reason why they circulate around our heads where we exhale CO2.