› added 12 years ago

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TIL: Students use the Conakry Intl Airport parking lot lights to study as it is one of the few illuminated public places in a country that only 5% has access to electricity

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nee1b Just getting to the centre of the Earth and surviving is impossible. The Earth's core is about 9,000°F—as hot as the sun's surface—and would instantly roast anyone who found himself there. Then there's the pressure, which can reach roughly three million times that on the Earth's surface and would crush you. But let's not sweat the details. Once you arrive at the centre of the Earth, the physics gets really interesting.
0wKMj TIL that in April 1831, in northern England, the combined and synchronised footsteps of a British Army unit induced mechanical resonance in a suspension bridge, which caused its collapse and many injuries. British Army practice is now that all troops must break step as they cross bridges.
1YYV TIL That the tested animal with the best memory, Chaser the border collie knows 1022 toys by name and can gather them all by name or category. She can also understand common nouns and can infer the meaning of new ones based on words she already knows
6EZDY TIL that in 1985, 45 legendary musicians dropped what they were doing, flew to Los Angeles, and pulled an all-nighter to record: “We Are The World”. The song was only written the day before it was recorded, but it sold 20 million copies and won three Grammys.
a8GQ9 TIL that in 1933, a man named A.L. Kahn caught a massive 20-foot, 5,000-pound manta ray off the coast of New Jersey. It took hours, the help of his crew, and even several dozen gunshots from the U.S. Coast Guard to finally reel in what was called a "devil fish."