› added 12 years ago

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TIL that Ingo Potrykus, the co-inventor of golden rice (a genetically engineered, vitamin-A-rich strain of rice that could save millions of lives in developing countries), has called for his product to be distributed for free to poor farmers.

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via reddit.com

5Y9ek TIL Lizzie Borden, who is famous for killing her Father and Stepmother with an axe, was actually acquitted of all charges.
gpk9 TIL Blue Raspberry was created for use in snow cones due to concerns over FD&C Red No. 2 dye; the research that deemed it safe had been sponsored by the companies producing the dye. The artificial flavor we know as raspberry was primarily created from banana, cherry, and pineapple esters (essences).
D1xbV TIL there’s an orangutan at the San Diego Zoo that likes to sneak out of his cage at night and wander the park, then sneak back in the morning
6Eo1l TIL about Matthew (Mack) Robinson who broke the world record in the 200m at the Olympic games 1936 in Berlin just to lose against Jesse Owens who ran 0.4 seconds faster. Besides that Macks little brother made a career for himself. His name - Jackie Robinson.
KOOgG TIL that despite being the 23rd most populated country, the UK's rail network is the 5th most used in the world. Also, unlike comparable countries, its rail use continues to grow and 'improve'.