› added 7 years ago

90

TIL in the '70s the Israeli government considered the color TVs a luxury that would increase social gaps. A "Color Killer" module had to be installed in imported TVs to prevent the appearance of color. Soon after, an Anti-"Color Killer" device was offered and purchased by 90% of color TV customers.

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6EO7l TIL that people who are susceptible to Hay Fever can experience a short term burning or itchy sensation when eating Fruit, due to "Oral Allergy Syndrome", in which your body reacts to something it mistakenly believes is pollen.
DmBp TIL that the 19th century Catholic Church declared “Americanism” a heresy, which included the beliefs in separation of church and state, secularism, etc. This played into American fears at the time that Catholics were too loyal to the Pope and were thus undemocratic, illiberal, and unassimilatable.
aw179 TIL that one of the pioneers of the pneumatic tyre,John Dunlop,came across his idea when his son kept having headaches when cycling. He inflated some tubes of rubber and attached them to his son's tricycle - it was a hit and he went on to found one of the largest companies in the early 20th century.
KOKlQ TIL about Carbon Chauvinism, a term coined by Carl Sagan which assumes that all extraterrestrial life must be made of carbon because carbon-based humans are unable to imagine life made of radically different biochemistries.
4kAmN TIL Robert Shaw; "Quint", died only three years after he appeared in Jaws at the age of 51