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77

TIL that the plural of hovercraft is hovercraft

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Lk99Z TIL that in mid-18th century France, eating potatoes was considered cruel and unusual punishment: potatoes were thought of as feed for livestock, and they were believed to cause leprosy in humans. The fear was so widespread that the French passed a law banning them in 1748.
VMdym TIL Native Americans would herd Bison and run them off a cliff in mass slaughters called "Pushkin"
KOxOG TIL that a tie traces roots to the traditional Croat military kit (1630's) which was distinctively knotted at the Croats' necks. The word "cravat" derives from the French "cravate," a French pronunciation of "Croat"
J1Ql8 TIL Schrodinger constructed his famous "cat experiment" to show that misinterpretations of quantum theory can lead to absurd results that do NOT match the real world - today many popularizers of science have embraced the absurdity of Schrodinger's Cat and claim that this is how the real world works
j6PPa TIL For their California Adventure expansion, Disneyland planned a ride themed as a thrilling limo drive evading paparazzi. The experience had to be completely redesigned in the wake of Princess Diana's death, and the final product was closed after less than a year.