› added 5 years ago

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TIL that hiccups is the same phenomenon as hypnic jerk (the contraction that makes you wake up suddenly when you're falling asleep). It's called a myoclonic jerk of the diaphragm.

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neYZr TIL Paul Horn, a flautist, went on a 1968 trip to visit the Maharishi with The Beatles and during a visit to the Taj Mahal recorded an entire album there in one take. A nearby guard started chanting during recording and there was a natural 28 second echo. The album would usher in "New Age" music.
eRd6 TIL the Vatican’s archive is a whooping 40 million pages and digitizing it will take an estimated 9 years and 2.8 petabytes
4kg0o TIL US vehicle safety ratings (NCAP) don't factor in the survival of anyone else involved in the crash.
nW59o TIL the youngest world leader in history was King Alfonso XIII, who assumed the position in 1886 at: 0 days old
MQbm TIL that the deep and ominous hum that rises through the subway grate at 45th/Broadway in Times Square, which many would assume is owed to a generator or some other NYC Transit equipment, is in fact an art installation by sound artist Max Neuhaus. It has been in operation, on and off, since 1977.