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TIL that coffee fueled the Enlightenment by providing a safe alternative to contaminated water and alcohol

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MemgV TIL that in 1940, the Nazis sent 12 spies to Britain to pave the way for an invasion. However, the plan failed due to the ineptitude of the agents. None of them were that fluent in English and they lacked basic knowledge of British customs.
8ad7a TIL North Korea, "world's worst Internet black hole," restricts Internet access to high-level Party officials and then only "to browse fan pages of the leading Kim dynasty"; in response, "North Koreans [are] buying properties close to foreign embassies in a bid to access their wifi."
oRy9r TIL that if you whisper to Amazon's Alexa, she will reply with a whispered answer.
kOjZ1 TIL that some guys in the Czech Republic figured out how to broadcast data in beams of light capable of streaming DVD-quality video over neighbourhoods.( 10 Mbit/s full duplex Ethernet point-to-point link.)
Bg0Lb TIL that the only man Al Capone ever feared was Chicago gangster Earl J. 'Hymie' Weiss. He made several attempts on the kingpin's life, including a ten car driveway. Despite his derogatory nickname, he was also a devout Catholic who despised prostitution. Earl was gunned down at 28 in 1926.