› added 11 years ago

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TIL that an ancient and mysterious ‘whistle language’ still survives on one of the Canary Islands, used to talk across their steep ravines.

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epd9g TIL in Netherlands they have a tradition called 'dropping' where they leave their children in the woods at night and they have to find their way back home
J5pB TIL of Harvard Observatory astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt; given the boring job of examining the luminosity of stars in thousands of photos, she discovered how to measure the distance between the Earth and faraway galaxies. At the time, she was not allowed to operate Harvard’s telescope.
4XZjJ TIL the original Routemaster double-decker buses in London could carry over 60 people with a single 115 hp engine
awPZ9 TIL Bicycles are the most efficient machine ever made (98% efficiency)
W7VOY TIL that Coronation Chicken isn't an ancient dish from the East but was developed for Elizabeth II's accession to the throne in 1953.