› added 12 years ago

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TIL that in Dr. Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick insisted on the table in the warroom to be covered in green felt, so it looked like the leaders were playing cards for the fate of the world. It makes little sense as the entire movie was shot in black and white.

8epaG TIL "Cute aggression" or the urge to squeeze cute animals or babies is the brain’s coping mechanism to temper the onslaught of positive feelings. Because if you find yourself incapacitated by how cute a baby is—so much so that you simply can't take care of it—that baby is going to starve.
kJBO5 TIL of Mitsutoki Shigeta, the son of a wealthy and powerful Japanese millionaire entrepreneur who ran a baby factory in Thailand; fathering dozens of babies in his personal quest to tilt elections in his favor and breed a family of voters.
XEZQr TIL that several states have ruled Breathalyzer machines inadmissible as evidence in prosecution due to them being unreliable, improperly calibrated, etc. This has been a multi year/decade problem and people knew. The manufacturers also are shady.
wLmL1 TIL that George Washington ordered a ceasefire during the Revolutionary War to return a lost dog to its owner, Sir William Howe, a British general. The dog was found wandering the battlefield and was fed and cleaned before being returned to Howe.
gMAVW TIL in 1924, a Russian scientist started blood transfusion experiments, hoping to achieve eternal youth. After 11 blood transfusions, he claimed he had improved his eyesight and stopped balding. He died after a transfusion with a student suffering from malaria and TB (The student fully recovered).