› added 4 years ago

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TIL that the first aircraft autopilot was developed in 1912 and demonstrated in 1914 - and in 1947 a transatlantic flight, including takeoff and landing, was made completely under autopilot control

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krwg TIL that, in the 1908 Olympic flag parade in the UK, the American flag bearer refused to dip the American flag to King Edward VII.
BgMBk TIL that the red lights on top of tall buildings in cities are called “aviation obstruction lighting,” and are used to help pilots of low-flying aircraft avoid collisions with otherwise hard-to-see structures.
j6GPE TIL humans cannot actually feel wetness; we only perceive it through temperature and pressure.
D1PWv TIL Rainbows in the dark are in fact possible. They're called moonbows and occur when the moon is brighter than usual.
RPg6 TIL a creationist used the shape and appearance of the banana as proof of intelligent design. He later retracted his statements upon learning that bananas are a result of artificial selection by humans.