› added 4 years ago

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TIL: In 1982, Daniel Shechtman discovered a new type of crystal called a quasicrystal. The scientific community mocked him. A colleague told him to read a textbook on crystallography and he was later fired for continuing his research. In 2011, Shechtman won the Nobel prize for this discovery.

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9YeRp TIL that the Latin name of a ferret is Mustelidae putorius furo, which translates to “stinky mouse thief”
6rA7 TIL The Little Mermaid statue has been decapitated twice, had her arm sawn off, has been blown up with explosives and had a dildo stuck to her.
6E7bQ TIL About the legend of “Bob”, a newfoundland terrier from the nineteenth century who was found shipwrecked off the coast of England. He became known in London for saving people from drowning; 23 rescues in 14 years. In thanks, he became an honorary member of the Royal Humane Society.
v1jy7 TIL India’s “Go Air” airline only hires female flight attendants since they are lighter by weight, so they save up to $500,000 USD per year in fuel
yQJxe TIL: Many dentists acknowledge that for adults with good oral hygiene practices, seeing the dentist twice a year is probably more often than is really necessary. Once every 12-16 months is perfectly sufficient for many people.