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TIL the Hawthorne Effect is when an individual modifies their behavior because they are being observed. Somewhat like a placebo effect, the novelty of being a research subject and the increased attention could lead to behavior changes that result in false positive & inaccurate experiment conclusions

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nQEo TIL in Norse mythology, during the events of Ragnörak, there is a ship made entirely of the untrimmed nails of the dead that will carry hordes to do battle with the Gods. It’s important to keep those nails trimmed so you don’t contribute to building it.
wLkRP TIL a drunk Norwegian with an air gun hijacked a plane in 1985, with demands to speak to the prime minister. After consuming the plane's entire beer supply, he surrendered his weapon to authorities in exchange for more beer. There were no deaths or injuries.
6axW TIL the knobcone pine, (Pinus attenuata), requires fire to complete its reproduction cycle. Cones remain closed for many years until a fire opens them and allows reseeding. As a result, knobcone cones may even become embedded in the growing wood as the tree matures.
nebgb TIL that in 1867, an American businessman attended a reading of A Christmas Carol and was so moved by it, that he closed his factory on Christmas Day and sent every employee a turkey.
oRpKL TIL Sir Ben Kingsley was born Krishna Bhanji but changed his name and noticed an immediate uptick in job offers, from "We don't quite know how to place you" to "When can you start?"