› added 7 years ago

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TIL James Smithson, the founding donor of the Smithsonian Institute, was English and never actually stepped foot in the United States. His reasoning behind leaving such a vast inheritance to a foreign country is unknown.

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via reddit.com

eX76 TIL that Air Force One is not a single plane but is simply the name for whatever plane the president happens to be on.
eQok TIL An underage drunk girl at Chilliest 2015 got herself out of a ticket by winning a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. The 3 police officers let the girl go after she beat scissors with rock but they ended up getting in trouble when witnesses posted Vines and the videos went viral.
vPQDj TIL the Rohonc (or Rohonczi) Codex is a document in an unknown language and writing system that emerged in the 19th century, written on paper from the 1530s. Like the more-famous Voynich Manuscript, scholars are divided on the possible origin and meaning, and whether it is a hoax or authentic.
a8k4N TIL when a liquid is close to a surface significantly hotter than its boiling point, it produces an insulating vapor layer that keeps it hovering above the hot surface. This is called the Leidenfrost effect and visible when water drops hit a hot pan and skid around instead of boiling away instantly.
kOA91 TIL the most relaxing song in the world is Weightless by Marconi Union. In collaboration with the British Academy of Sound Therapy, the carefully arranged harmonies, rhythms and bass lines help to slow the heart rate, reduce blood pressure and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.