› added 7 years ago

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TIL a scientist at the University of Florida, USA, grew a “living ‘brain’” – “a network of 25,000 rat brain cells” – that when “connected to an array of 60 electrodes that can interact with a computer” learned to fly a simulated F-22 stealth fighter jet in a range of weather conditions.

VB6mQ TIL The Keaton parents on 'Family Ties' (actors Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross) share the same birthday (June, 21, 1947)
oRJYK TIL the first Mary Poppins book originally had a chapter where Mary and the children travel around the world and meet racially stereotypical people. This chapter was revised in 1967 to make the characters less offensive, and later revised in 1980 so that they were talking animals instead of humans.
BrMQd TIL that purple and violet aren't the same thing. While violet is the name for the colour at the end of the light spectrum, purple is just the name for the combination of red and blue.
nyQB TIL Senator William Spong of Virginia, to prevent his name from being mispronounced as “Sponge”, made his first act as senator introducing a bill called the Long Fong Spong Hong Kong Song Bill, which would protect the songwriters in Hong Kong. This was, of course, cosponsored by Sen. Long and Fong.
rNyMy TIL in 1892 Edward Doheny couldn't pay his rent when his daughter died followed by his wife committing suicide. He borrowed money and devised a drilling system using a tree and drilled the first oil wells in Los Angeles becoming an oil tycoon. The movie There Will Be Blood is loosely based on him.