› added 1 year ago

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TIL NASA has an "Innovative Advanced Concepts" (NIAC) group that focuses on high risk/high reward technology projects where the general public can submit ideas to specific challenges for cash prizes (ie Deep Space Food Challenge for $1,000,000 total)

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wA5M TIL that it was common belief in Medieval Europe that a magnet would lose its strength when in the presence of- among other things - garlic, goats’ blood and diamonds. This was disproved by surrounding a lodestone with 75 diamonds, then picking it up with a lump of iron.
N6ZM TIL a Student bought his former Professor a Porsche because he believed in him 10 years ago.
x6B0B TIL the word "robot" comes from the Czech word "robota," meaning "forced labor," and was first used in a 1920 play where robots rebelled against humans.
4kRna TIL that sumo wrestlers, despite eating 10,000+ calories daily, have very little visceral fat thanks to their training which is so intense they can lose over 10 pounds of sweat in a single workout.
9YN4p TIL Google once hired a camel to do street-view photography.