› added 9 years ago

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TIL that the Bermuda Triangle’s rate of confirmed mysterious disappearances (per area) is no higher than anywhere else in the world. The whole concept is bogus.

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YpkEG TIL a 67-year-old neurosurgeon was "stereoblind" (unable to see depth) his entire life, but it was cured after he saw the movie "Hugo" in 3D at a movie theater. Afterwards he was permanently able to perceive depth.
MeDyA TIL about the trials for Rocket Mail. Since 1810 inventors have tried to deliver mail via artillery, and later rockets. In 1959 the US navy fired a cruise missile filled with mail from a submarine to a Naval base in Florida. Despite enthousiasm by the Postmaster General it was a one time thing.
awaXJ TIL there is an enduring mystery about who wrote Black Betty (bam-a-lam), and what "Black Betty" stood for. It was first recorded in 1933, using black Texas prisoners.
9wMj7 TIL The Dominican Republic launched a genocide of Haitians living on the two country's frontiers. They identified Haitians from their own populace by making suspects pronounce "parsley," or "perejil" in Spanish. If they could not do this, they were deemed Haitian and murdered.
Lkaop TIL that falling bullets can reach a terminal velocity 3x faster than the speed needed to penetrate the skull AND falling bullets are > 5x as lethal as non-falling bullets.