› added 4 years ago

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TIL sperm whale oil was used in cars until the 1970's

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woOeM TIL of the Society for Indecency to Naked Animals: an organization aimed at clothing “indecent” naked animals that lasted from 1959-1962 and had over 50,000 members. SINA ended when the founder was exposed as Alan Abel, notorious prankster, who wanted to parody the conservative moralist of the time
0w8gL TIL Female dragonflies fake their deaths to avoid male advances due to constant harassment for sex. Sometimes, even that doesn't work.
R5R61 TIL that in 2017, a U.S. Navy jet drew a "sky penis" with contrails over Seattle, resulting in media attention and a formal investigation.
oBAlA TIL the word 'assassin' comes from the order of Hashashins, a sect from the middle ages. Young boys were believed to be shown paradise by giving them cannabis (hashish). The leader would ask them to e.g. kill someone, 'so he could get them back to paradise' afterwards. They complied.
nA9P TIL that cocaine and alcohol have nearly identical rates of addiction