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TIL that porgs were in The Last Jedi because it was easier to create a new species than to digitally remove the puffins that actually lived on the island

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01nL TIL that despite all the waste spewed into the Ganges, bacteriophages act as a “disinfectant,” devouring on organic materials and bacteria and killing them within 30 min of introduction to the river. This self-purifying quality leads to oxygen levels 25 times higher than any other river in the world
VM67G TIL The north pole of the planet is actually a magnetic south pole right now, but it is still referred to as “magnetic north” to correspond with our geographic measurements
pYAP8 TIL the first Scram button on a nuclear reactor had its origins in 1942 where an actual control rod tied to a rope with a man with an axe stood next to it; cutting the rope would mean the rods would fall by gravity into the reactor core, shutting the reactor down.
69rEZ TIL about the "Alexandra Limp" — a Victorian fashion trend where ladies wore mismatched footwear, one high heel and one low, to emulate Princess Alexandra, who developed a pronounced limp after a bout of rheumatic fever.
X0OXr TIL of the St Patrick's Battalion, a unit of the Mexican Army, was composed mainly of Irish Catholic immigrants who deserted the U.S. Army to fight for Mexico, due to sympathy for the Mexican cause based on similarities between the situations in Mexico and Ireland.