› added 11 years ago

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TIL people believed that sufferers of Williams Syndrome, who have charming & extraordinarily kind personalities, had extraordinary, even magical powers. The word ‘elfin’ was used to describe their facial features. This is believed to be the origin of elves, fairies & 'wee folk’ in English folklore.

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via reddit.com

j8Zv TIL that 29% of San Francisco’s air pollution comes from China
8ekw4 TIL that newborns can sleep up to 16-17 hours a day, but in short bursts.
BrZBd TIL of a serious plan to disassemble the Giza pyramids to use it as pre-cut building material in 1830s, proposed by ruler Muhammad Ali Pasha, but cleverly the plan was canceled due to false cost reports presented by his French chief engineer, who thought it would be the only way to save the pyramids
vPXox TIL of Ye's Optical Lattice Clock. It loses one second every 15 billion years, making it the world's most accurate clock.
xoB TIL Koko the Gorilla named a kitten All Ball. All Ball died in an accident and Koko signed she was sad and cried alone when no one was around, but there is an audio recording.