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TIL about absorption cooling: freeze things by burning stuff (or using residual heat from other processes, such as water heating). Patented back in 1859-1860, with the first commercial application in 1925, this process is still used today in gas powered refrigerators, typically found in RVs.

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nedvd TIL about Lauri Törni, a veteran of three armies. Törni fought as a second lieutenant of the Finnish Army in the Winter War, as a captain of the Waffen-SS in the Eastern Front and as a captain of the U.S Special Forces in Vietnam. Mauno Koivisto, former president of Finland, was under his command.
0wLx1 TIL, Saint Edith Stein was a Jewish convert to Roman Catholicism. In 1942, she became a prisoner of the Nazis. A dutch official offered her escape from Auschwitz but she refused, preferring to "share in the fate of her brothers and sisters".
oBlKK TIL Joaquin Phoenix began calling himself "Leaf" as a child, having been inspired by spending time outdoors raking leaves and desiring to have a nature-related name like his siblings. This became the name he used as a child actor, until he changed it back to Joaquin at age 15.
v1bKL TIL that it can take up to two years for a banana peel to decompose naturally.
rlMw TIL Gervais aborted his series “Ricky Gervais Meets…” after being put off by the 3rd interviewee, Gary Shandling. The premise was for Gervais to do unscripted interviews with comedians who influenced him. Shandling, vocalising the fact he finds Gervais and his comedy offensive makes things awkward.