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TIL in the 2000 paralympics, the Spanish team in basketball-ID consisted of fully functional semi-pros. They won gold by a landslide but where discovered because one of the players was an undercover journalist investigating fraud comitted by the president of the Spanish Disabled Sports Federation.

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NXdR1 TIL some flies cope with having tiny stomachs by regurgitating food into vomit bubbles to dry it out a bit and reduce the volume, and then swallowing it again before eating more; other flies release digestive juices to liquefy food into a predigested slurry they can swallow without teeth
G0D1 TIL that when one fails the British/Dutch navies’ Submarine Command Course (“The Perisher”), he is not told yet, but his bag is packed for him. When a boat/helicopter is ready the sailor is told of his failure, given a bottle of whisky, and immediately goes. He can never serve in a submarine again.
pj4Z TIL that in the 1800’s linen condoms were discontinued in favour of more comfortable condoms made from animal intestines
b6j77 TIL In 1315 the republic of Florence abolished direct taxation, which was perceived as oppressive. The city was funded instead by indirect taxes, like tariffs and consumption taxes but also adopted a measure of forced loans: wealthier citizens were forced to buy low interest government bonds
8dP8 TIL that Alaska is not only the northernmost and westernmost state in the United States, but is also technically the easternmost as well because it crosses the 180° meridian of longitude