› added 7 years ago

834

TIL that the classification of “First World” initially had nothing to do with standard of living or GDP. The terms 1st, 2nd, and 3rd world were devised at the onset of the Cold War to describe nations that were either aligned to NATO (1st), aligned to the USSR (2nd), or non-aligned to either (3rd).

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oRmWK TIL that while Crown is not a commonly recognized Toyota model nowadays, many of the long-standing model names of Toyota mean “crown” in different languages (Corolla, Camry (カムリ), Corona).
YpRV7 TIL the Public Broadcast System started producing the kid's game show "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" in 1991 after a National Geographic survey showed 1/4 of Americans couldn't find the USSR or the Pacific Ocean on a world map
QmG6 TIL North Korea appears pitch black at night based on NASA satellite images. Entire streets shut down, and people go to bed early with nothing else to do in the darkness. South Korea use 10,162 kilowatt hours per person a year compared to North Korea who only use 739.
Lkxlr TIL about the Federation of American Scientists, a nonprofit group of scientists whose mission is to slow/reduce the spread of misinformation and offer transparency/resources for the general public and policy-makers.
Z8r4a TIL of the "singing" Colossi of Memnon, two large statues of Pharoah Amenhotep III, which have been described throughout history as making low moaning, whistling, or blowing noises due to vaporizing dew escaping from cracks within the statues.