› added 12 years ago

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TIL of Blackstone’s Formulation: the theory that it is much worse to punish an innocent man than let a guilty man go free.

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X0AN8 TIL the population of vultures in South Asia has decreased by 99.95% since the 1990s. Researchers discovered the culprit to be an anti-inflammatory drug, Diclofenac, which was being commonly administered to livestock. This represents the sharpest rate of decline of any animal known to man.
6EJgl TIL Doo-wop is considered to be one of the precursors of Punk, with bands like The Ramones borrowing the 12-bar aab pattern, and some early bands adopting the call-and-response background vocals characteristic of Doo-wop.
n1GG TIL Maurice Ward invented a material called Starlite, which could withstand temperatures over 10,000 C. Ward was so protective of his formula that he took it to his grave in 2011 and scientists still do not know the composition of the material.
9YP96 TIL Candace Bergen’s ventriloquist father left $10,000 to his dummy, Charlie McCarthy, and $0 to her. Charlie also had his own bedroom, which was bigger than hers. She also recalls "A gentle squeeze on the back of my neck was my cue to open and shut my mouth so he could ventriloquize me.”
woPGY TIL in 2007, Malaysia sent its first astronaut to the ISS. The government and Islamic scholars also wrote that in order to pray, Muslims in space should face Mecca if possible; but if not, they could face the Earth generally, or just face “wherever.”