› added 5 months ago

17

TIL that the total mass of the asteroid belt is significantly less than Pluto's

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via reddit.com

4kVRb TIL that the British call crosswalks "zebra crossings"
b9vO9 TIL that "The Saga Begins," Weird Al Yankovic's parody of the song "American Pie" where he lays out the plot of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, was written almost entirely based on internet spoilers.
vPdvj TIL in the 1880s, the director of Harvard Observatory was dissatisfied with his team and remarked, "My Scottish maid could do better!" He hired Williamina Fleming, his Scottish maid. For decades, Fleming led a team that made significant discoveries, including white dwarfs and the Horsehead Nebula.
grLnL TIL that in the late 80s, Phillip Morris international (a large tobacco company) developed cigarettes with nicotine artificially extracted from them in an attempt to market “healthier” cigarettes, which backfired as they were widely criticized by public health groups and did not sell well.
BgxkD TIL in 2007, North Korea accused Finland of human rights violations after tear gas was used on North Korean diplomats who refused to cooperate with Finnish customs officials on a train from Moscow to Helsinki.