› added 6 years ago

196

TIL On a planet with ten times the mass of the earth, to reach escape velocity it would be easier to destroy the planet than to build a rocket.

Read more arxiv.org

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eplPL TIL that despite gambling being illegal in Japan, Pachinko makes up 4% of their GDP.
EXrV TIL that the Dutch government once enforced a tax in new buildings based on their width, which led to the tall and narrow houses throughout the Netherlands.
R7oo9 TIL - It is well documented that for centuries, Koreans ate much more food than their Asian neighbors. A 19th century visitor wrote: "When it comes to serving fruits, for example with large peaches, even a person with the most restraint eats around ten; it is not uncommon to see a person eating 30".
KvMJ TIL that you DON’T have a right to a public defender unless you prove to the court that you are dirt poor. They will force you to sell your stuff to pay for a lawyer before they will appoint you one.
XP5X TIL Frank Zappa and his friends were confronted at home by a fan brandishing a gun. Frank took him to the pond outside and invented a ceremony where everyone had to throw something in it; the fan threw in his gun