› added 9 years ago

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TIL that into the 1950s the most reliable and fastest pregnancy test was to expose female toads to the woman’s urine. If the woman was pregnant, elevated levels of the hormone hCG would cause the toad to develop eggs within 24 hours.

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44bR TIL:October 5, 1582 doesn’t exist.
9YVwr TIL that Action Park, a New Jersey theme park which opened in 1978, was infamous for being poorly constructed, with at least six guests killed by the rides. It featured a water slide which was closed after only a month, and which supposedly decapitated a crash test dummy during safety testing.
ObQe TIL from 2006 - 2010, excessive alcohol use led to approximately 88,000 deaths and 2.5 million years of potential life lost each year in the United States, shortening the lives of those who died by an average of 30 years.
b6XJ7 TIL that there's a species of fungi, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, commonly known as the "zombie ant fungus," which infects ants and manipulates their behavio
nWeDP TIL: The "Chinese" take-out box originated from a need for an inexpensive, watertight package that can safely carry oysters home.