› added 11 years ago

136

TIL that in July 2011, Apple Inc. had more cash in the bank than the US government.

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KYN1J TIL baking soda is used to legally enhance performance. During intense exercise, the environment around the working muscles becomes acidic, leading to the unwanted "burning" sensation. Supplementing with baking soda helps buffer this acidity, allowing the muscles to sustain longer bouts of exercise.
8aMnZ TIL that MOH recipient and Navy SEAL Micheal Monsoor threw his body on a grenade to protect two squadmates. He was the only one that would have been able to escape the grenade. He died but the two SEALs survived
v1GJr TIL that Victor Hugo wrote the Hunchback of Norte-Dame to inform people of the value of Gothic architecture, which was being neglected and destroyed at the time. This explains the large descriptive sections of the book, which far exceed the requirements of the story.
dDRgE TIL that during his time as the narrator for the US version of the first four seasons of the children's TV show Thomas the Tank Engine, George Carlin spoke his lines to a teddy bear in the booth because he was nervous about performing without an audience.
dgjQ TIL diamonds are not actually rare and are only expensive because the De Beers group owns 90% of the diamond supply and keeps the supply in the market low to keep prices high. They invented the idea that diamonds are an old human tradition for marriage in the 1930s to sell to the American market.