› added 8 years ago

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TIL for those who jumped from the WTC on 9/11/2001, the fall lasted 10 seconds. They struck the ground at just under 150 MPH – not fast enough to lose consciousness while falling, but fast enough to ensure instant death on impact. The deaths of those who jumped were ruled homicide, not suicide.

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rRn70 TIL There were 22 California condors left in 1987 (0 in the wild). Thanks to conservation efforts, there are ~500 now. Its 3.0 m (9.8 ft) wingspan is the widest of any North American bird!
awrk9 TIL the word helicopter doesn't come from heli+copter but helico+pter from the Greek helico meaning spiral and pteron meaning wing
m1k0y TIL there have been multiple "AI winters" which are periods of reduced funding and interest in the field following a period of hype in overstated AI capabilities.
P1PaO TIL that Steven Spielberg wanted to make an animated adaption of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats but was later canceled
W5Od TIL that during the Yule, one of the festivals which Christmas originated from, the Norse god Odin is believed to lead a ghostly procession called the Wild Hunt across the night sky, and undead draugar will rise and walk the earth.