› added 5 months ago

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TIL that, in the years it was an active sporting arena, about half a million people (gladiators) and a million animals died fighting for spectacle at the Roman Colosseum.

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LQr8d TIL: An Wang was an immigrant who coinvented "write-after-read" which made magnetic core memory possible in computing while working at Harvard. However, Harvard cut computer research in 1951 so he started a business. He said, "Success is more a function of consistent common sense than of genius"
0dgkN TIL the term "cup" used to describe how much coffee your at-home coffee maker can brew is NOT a reference to the standard unit of measurement "cup" which is equal to 8 fluid ounces.
ADQ9B TIL Jack was a baboon purchased by a railway signalman who lost his legs in an accident. The Baboon began to operate the railway, and was eventually given a job and salary. In 9 years of employment, he never made a mistake.
8mkK TIL that the retinas of Robins contains Cryptochrome, a protein which allows them to see magnetic fields. The magnetic fields are visualised as patterns of light and shade and perhaps colour, onto the visual imagery.
Mex9K TIL the helicopter that crashed during the Bin Laden raid did so because in the training exercises, they used a chain fence, rather than a solid wall like what surrounded the real compound. The solid wall meant heat got trapped and rose up, causing the helicopter to have different flight properties.