› added 12 years ago

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TIL there’s a experimental project in Stockholm, Sweden where you can sign up to recieve a SMS if there is a cardiac arrest nearby (500 m), so you can get there before the ambulance and perform CPR. 9500 people have signed up, and they reach the location faster in 54% of the cases.

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via reddit.com

epjp6 TIL rats passed plague to fleas, who unleashed death across history. The Yersinia pestis bacteria clogged the fleas guts, making them ravenous but unable to swallow. Desperate, they bit wildly, vomiting infection into each victim. This unstoppable cycle of horror wiped out millions over centuries!
nWMRG TIL that Columbus, Ohio is a testing ground for new fast food products and household goods. These products get tested to see how the products fare in the city before selling them elsewhere.
5YEWr TIL that Modica Market, the grocery store Jim Carey shops at in The Truman Show, is a real store in Seaside, FL. Store owner Charlie Modica, seen stocking shelves in the movie, said, “I’m 20 years older, 30 pounds heavier and my hair’s turned gray on me. Otherwise, not much has changed.”
b6mo7 TIL that ~10% of the population has an extra vertebra in their spinal column. It's adjacent to the tailbone and can be a cause of lower back pain and decrease in flexibility. Most people with it experience no symptoms, however.
pgP8 TIL that Theodore Roosevelt openly despised the nickname “Teddy”, and was quick to correct anyone who called him it. He preferred those working closely with him to refer to him as Colonel or Theodore.