› added 11 years ago

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TIL in 1967 a magazine published a fake story about extracting hallucinogenic chemicals from bananas to raise moral questions about banning drugs. People didn’t realize it was a hoax and began smoking banana peels to try to get high.

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DQp4p TIL seafood mislabelling occurs in 25-70%+ of retail products for popular species (red snapper, wild salmon, Atlantic cod). One study found snapper and tuna had the highest mislabeling rates (87% of snapper, 59% of tuna).
4XOp6 TIL that an 800 sq. mile region on the border of Egypt and Sudan, Bir Tawil, has a terra nullius status, meaning no country claims the land and has no laws.
oBGvY TIL the first cut of Planes Trains and Automobiles was 4.5hrs
a9k9 TIL that Hugh Hefner doesn’t own the Playboy Mansion. Playboy owns the house and Hefner must pay an annual fee to cover rent and other expenses like food and parties. Including the room and board for Hefner’s many live in girlfriends.
neGMb TIL honey doesn't spoil even after thousands of years, like pots of it found still preserved in Egyptian tombs. It is highly acidic and low in moisture making it inhospitable for anything that tries to grow and bees have an enzyme that leaves hydrogen peroxide as a byproduct of breaking nectar down.