› added 6 years ago

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TIL that some people, after eye surgeries where the cornea is remover, are able to see ultraviolet light-a part of the spectrum not normally visible. Monet, for example, painted with more blues after his op (at the age of 82!) because he could now see uv light bouncing off his beloved flowers.

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ZplmQ TIL on Station Island in Ireland, St. Patrick was reputed to have found a cave that was a literal entrance into Purgatory. For hundreds of years, pilgrims travelled to the island and would spend the night in the cave, many of whom later emerged with fantastical tales of what they'd seen inside.
VMx4B TIL that the English phrase "Don't mention the war" has been officially entered in the Dutch dictionary, called the Van Dale, because it is a common saying in the Dutch language.
EOEp TIL Pangea, the supercontinent that broke apart 200 million years ago to create the continents we have today was at least the 5th supercontinent in Earth’s cyclical history of supercontinents forming and breaking up.
De0j TIL that when Judge Judy says, “You owe her $5,000,” the defendant doesn’t really owe $5,000. The producers pay any damages and the defendant even gets paid to be there.
BrDvK TIL that hippo sweat contains a chemical that has an SPF factor to prevent them from getting sunburned.