› added 7 years ago

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TIL An American researcher on Chinese history was able to uncover sensitive information on the Cultural Revolution through “garbology” or by digging through archival materials at flea markets and vendors because access to the official archives is strictly controlled by the Chinese government

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LQdb0 TIL When threatened, a female quokka may drop her joey from her pouch to divert the predator's attention while she escapes.
G5LG TIL That the tree where Isaac Newton discovered gravity is still alive and well, outside of his childhood home.
E1rAW TIL Titanic actually had more lifeboats than was required of her. Its 20 lifeboats could only carry 38% of its passengers at full capacity, but safety regulations were so outdated at the time that it legally required only 16 lifeboats.
gMa6L TIL that HG Wells was basically a huge nerd. He invented a tabletop wargame, like Warhammer, and once complained that a game was ruined by the "chattering of lady visitors."
VJgD TIL that a person using homemade equipment recorded the Apollo astronauts speaking from the moon during the first landings. He had hoped to catch NASA out but was disappointed to find that the live TV coverage matched his own recordings.