› added 7 years ago

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TIL that after being prohibited from wearing shorts during the hot summer months, bus drivers in Sweden wore skirts to work, citing that since their women coworkers could wear skirts, it would be discriminatory to prohibit them from wearing skirts too.

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g0b8 TIL that “Greek fire” was an effective incendiary weapon used by the Romans, which could not be put out by water. It was often used in naval battles, where it was fired via pressurised nozzles. The secrets of its production were closely guarded, and its composition remains unknown today.
KWQJ TIL that NASA observed that astronauts returning to Earth after spending 6 months in space experienced visual acuity changes. A condition they call “Globe Flattening,” believed to be due to a build-up of pressure that changes the shape of the eyeball which changes the optics.
Y7vAW TIL green coloured clothing was rare in Europe up until arsenic-based green dyes were invented in the late-1700s. Before that, to create green the fabric first had to be dyed yellow and then dyed again with an expensive blue dye. Results with this process were inconsistent & hard to control.
d8WV8 TIL that 70% isopropyl alcohol is more effective at killing bacteria than 91% alcohol. This is because the water in the solution helps it permeate more fully.
MeQ6V TIL A mosquito's bloodsucking apparatus consists of six needle-like structures. Two that saw through the skin, two hold the tissue apart, one seeks out and suck blood and one excrete a blood thinning substance.