› added 1 year ago

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TIL that a sitting individual generates roughly one million dust particles per minute

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XEapR TIL the word "robot" was coined 100 years ago and comes from the Czech word "robota," which means "drudgery" or "servitude"
Wk1ro TIL "eye of newt", an ingredient in the Macbeth witches' brew, is not a literal newt's eye. It's actually another name for mustard seed
KO1Na TIL that Charles Babbage, once literally baked himself in an oven at 265°F (130°C) for four minutes "without any great discomfort" to "see what would happen."
e0PXD TIL that natural gas, propane, etc don't really have a smell of their own. A chemical called methanethiol is added as a safety measure because it is detectable by the human nose at incredibly small concentrations. It is also partially responsible for the smell of bad breath and flatulence.
jNPda TIL Mozart's "Jupiter Symphony" was the longest and last symphony that he composed. It is regarded by many as among the greatest symphonies in classical music. Mozart sent tickets to his friend but it is unknown whether it was ever performed in his lifetime or was cancelled for lack of interest