› added 10 months ago

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TIL about Orchidelirium: when people in the 1800s went absolutely bananas over orchids, sparking crazy plant heists and ruined fortunes

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via reddit.com

EgkwX TIL that in 1833 Britain used 40% of its national budget to free all slaves in the Empire. The loan for the Slavery Abolition Act was so large that it was not paid off until 2015.
LkG50 TIL about the rather amusing story of the introduction of the ukulele to Hawaii in 1879.
lovxN TIL humans are driving mammals to shift their activity from day to night making many of them nocturnal.
yQG9w TIL UC Merced’s student population includes more than 73 percent who are the first in their family to attend college — double the national average and by far the highest of any UC campus. Nearly 55 percent of UC Merced’s students are Hispanic, and nine in 10 students receive financial aid
nQbW TIL that the exhaust from ships forms clouds that were discovered by looking at satellite data