› added 7 months ago

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TIL in 499 century BC, king Histaiaeus (ancient Greece) sent secret military messages tattooed on bald heads of messengers. After the hair regrew, they sent the messengers. In the destination they were shaved again to reveal the message.

B7XW TIL that there is an entire industry to help students cheat to get their degrees by having papers written by unemployed professors. If my students are using it, they don’t get caught for plagiarism because the papers are new. The company blames “the academic system” for being corruptable.
DwOv TIL the original ending to ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ contained Charlie being covered in chocolate becoming a mould, going to Willy Wonka’s house and being given to his son as a present
p8Ngb TIL in 1987, the Burmese government demonetised the 25-, 35-, and 75-kyats notes without warning or compensation, rendering around 75% of the country's currency worthless and eliminating the savings of millions of Burmese. Dictator Ne Win did it bc the notes weren't divisible by his lucky number, 9.
xWjw TIL In 1962, Swedish national television broadcast a 5-minute special on how one could get color TV by placing a nylon stocking in front of the TV. A rather in-depth description on the physics behind the phenomenon was included. Thousands of people tried it.
1aXaD TIL that after bitter flavoring was required to be added to antifreeze to prevent children and animals from accidentally drinking it, the bittering had no effect and there was no reduction in poisonings.