› added 12 years ago

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TIL That if you were were exposed to outer space without a suit, after about 15 seconds, you would be blue, bloated, and in an unresponsive stupor, but not dead. If they got you back inside and gave you oxygen within about 90 seconds, you’d likely make a complete recovery with only minor injuries.

X0MP6 TIL that Gillette assisted the U.S. Army in military intelligence by producing copies of German razor blades for secret agents venturing behind German lines, also manufactured razors that concealed money and escape maps in their handles, and magnetic double-edge blades that can be used as a compass.
0dRo1 TIL of The Beast of Gévaudan a creature with "formidable teeth and immense tail", believed to have attacked 610 people, resulting in 500 deaths between 1764 and 1767 in the Margeride Mountains of south-central France.
WkRV8 TIL in 2012 a lifeguard named Tommy Lopez was fired for saving a drowning man who was outside the protected area
b97mp TIL that the Roman Emperor Nero did not play the fiddle as he watched the Great Fire burn Rome. When the fire broke out he was at his villa in Antium, 35 miles away. When he received news of the fire he immediately rushed back to Rome to begin relief efforts.
R7W57 TIL that on passenger trains in many parts of the world, including many developed countries, the use of a "drop chute" or "hopper" toilet is still common, in which the waste is dropped directly onto or near the track. Signs warn: "DO NOT USE the toilet while the train is stopped at the station".