› added 10 years ago

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TIL Rubbing alcohol burns when applied to wounds because it increases the sensativity of VR1 nerves (the nerves that tell your brain if something is hot) and your own body heat becomes the burning sensation.

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8gmK TIL that the Infinite Monkey Theorem, stating that monkeys with typewriters and enough time could produce the entire works of Shakespeare, has been tried out in real life. They wrote five pages of S, slammed the keyboard with a stone and took a shit on it.
6EPW7 TIL of Salty and Roselle, two separate guide dogs who were in the World Trade Centre during 9/11. They were on the 71st and 78th floor of Tower 1 respectively. They each led their owners safely out of the burning tower amidst the chaos, and both owners and dogs survived.
N7rL1 TIL when slave/abolitionist Frederick Douglass was 16, he fought back against his brutal master. Edward Covey, a man who had a reputation as a "slave-breaker," whipped Douglas regularly and almost broke him until one day, Douglass fought and came out victorious. Covey never tried to beat him again.
5YNk TIL In 1988, a US warship shot down an Iranian airliner while in their waters. A total of 290 Iranians died, including 66 children. The U.S. paid $61.8m in reparations, but never apologized. VP Bush later stated, I’ll never apologize for the U.S. Ever. I don’t care what the facts are.
a88Vo TIL that octopuses often collect trinkets and will plunder coins from ancient shipwrecks to fill their homes with