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398

TIL nothing rots at the bottom of the ocean

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DRNr TIL that the average life expectancy for those with Down syndrome has gone from 12 years in 1912, to 25 years in the 1980’s, to upwards of 60 years in the developed world today.
4k8la TIL: The first highly successful disposable product was the bottle cap in 1892, also known as a crown cork.
R7VG4 TIL that Christopher Hitchens once agreed to be waterboarded for an article in Vanity Fair. He was given two metal objects, to drop as a non-vocal signal to show that he wanted to stop, and a safe word- “red”. It only took a few seconds for him to throw the objects down and end the experiment.
6dlm TIL jailers used to have keys that doubled as single-fire guns as a last resort for self defense.
b60Ja TIL: The ubiquitous anti-piracy commercials used on DVDs used pirated music.