› added 8 years ago

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TIL that there are roughly 46 million people enslaved in the world today, which is actually significantly higher than the total American population at the start of the Civil War (31 million)

Read more theguardian.com

via ift.tt

WDE8 TIL that Japanese Buddhists would self-sacrifice by sealing themselves inside a ship boarded-up like a coffin. At sea they either pulled a wooden plug from the hull and drowned or died of thirst or starvation.
kOL4g TIL Bears do NOT snarl/growl like they do in movies tv, commercials. They are depicted snarling, lips back, wide mouth. The bears doing this are not making sound, but simply opening their mouths as a trained behaviour. The sounds are added later, and are usually other animals such as wolves or lions
5Vgpr TIL Pope Adrian IV was the only English Pope. Adian IV may have given King Henry II of England the Laudabiliter bull which gave Henry the Papal right to invade/rule Ireland, though the existence/legitimacy of the Laudabiliter is debated.
loNr1 TIL The stereotype of the “dense US southerner” comes from Hookworm, a parasite that causes developmental delays in children. Absorbed through feet and common when around raw sewage, it’s common in impoverished areas. It was rampant in the early 20th century, and it’s back.
rDyy TIL about the Integral Fast Reactor, a nuclear reactor that is fully sealed and will not require refueling until the end of plant life. It is also meltdown-proof, and can reuse its fuel many times by reprocessing fuel using robotic arms sealed with the reactor. None exist today because of politics.