› added 7 years ago

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TIL that, in 1922, Nikola Tesla imagined that his favorite pigeon told him that she was dying. When she actually did shortly after, he said that "something went out of his life and he knew his life's work was finished".

vPlM7 TIL in 1863, Union General Joseph Hooker significantly boosted troop morale. He issued soft bread 4 times a week, fresh onions or potatoes twice a week, and dried vegetables once a week. He also improved sanitation, requiring bedding to be aired and soldiers to bathe twice a week.
dDejQ TIL that barnacles are actually crustaceans, closely related to crabs and lobsters- their larvae look very similar to crabs, and upon finding a suitable site to adhere to, they will activate their cement glands, grow a hard calcium shell, and metamorphosize into adults.
loBeV TIL that according to the Monsters Inc DVD commentary track, the sushi restaurant was originally blown up by the CDA. After the events of September 11, Pixar changed the scene to show the restaurant covered in a plasma dome. They managed to pull this off in time for the November 2 release date.
Y7Rjr TIL that some common oral contraceptives (birth-control pills) can be rendered ineffective if stored for an extended period of time above 30 degC (86 degF) - such as inside a hot car. They can also be degraded by storage in a cold place such as a home refrigerator or freezer.
kOab1 TIL about the Rhinoceros Party of Canada who, if elected, promised to "Promote higher education by building taller schools", "Repeal the law of gravity", and "Take Canada off the gold standard, opting instead to use a snow standard to boost the economy".