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TIL of spray paint on sidewalks called “utility graffiti,” which uses colors and symbols to identify pipes and wires underground. Marking the ground wasn’t standard until 1976, when a dig in Los Angeles punctured a gas line and created a “wall of fire” that killed 9 people and destroyed 7 buildings.

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bPJp TIL 17th century Dutch blacksmith Jan de Doot allegedly removed an egg-sized bladder stone from himself using a procedure called lithotomy in which one makes an incision between the scrotum and the anus and removes the offending stone. He then set it in gold.
9o1m TIL an entire town won a $950-Million lottery jackpot except for one man
Oo9ke TIL scientists reverse engineered a natural memory by mapping the brain circuits underlying its formation, then “trained” another animal by stimulating brain cells in the pattern of the natural memory, which created an artificial memory that was indistinguishable from the natural one.
wL9XE TIL the richest source of silver in the history of mankind was the Cerro Rico de Potosí in the Andes. Between the 16th and 18th century, 80% of the world's silver supply came out of this mine.
4W85 TIL The TV show, Monk, was originally written for Michael Richards. He turned down the role and Tony Shalhoub went on to win 3 Emmys with 8 nominations for the character.