› added 6 years ago

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TIL When famed troll and philosopher Diogenes the Cynic was being sold as a slave, he listed his speciality as "ruling men." He subsequently pointed to Xeniades, a wealthy Corinthian and said, “Sell me to this man; he needs a master.” He was sold on the spot and became a tutor to Xeniades's sons.

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R7QA6 TIL Legoland employees are referred to as “model citizens”
awjDo TIL that the TV show Baywatch, best known for swimsuit-clad stars like Pamela Anderson and Kelly Packard, had on average a viewing audience of over 65% women throughout its syndication run.
l6bB TIL around 762, the demand for books in Baghdad was so high that any traders who brought books were given the weight of the books in gold in return.
wLMrM TIL that in the US 2x4 timber isn't 2x4, it's nominally 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches due historical practices in the lumber industry. And hardwood is different again and sold in board feet.
P1ZgL TIL that photosynthesis doesn't recycle CO₂ into oxygen, the oxygen actually comes from water. Plants break down water (H₂O) to consume the hydrogen necessary to make sugar, and release the oxygen. The CO₂ is never broken down, plants just use it as a building block to make larger carbon compounds.