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TIL we basically drink the same wine as ancient Romans. Researchers found grape growers managed to keep modern grape DNA extremely consistent and similar to ancient varieties. While this kept flavors consistent, researchers worry grapes are genetically at-risk to environmental changes.

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via reddit.com

R7vr7 TIL about Almon Brown Strowger. Strowger's undertaking business was losing clients to a competitor whose telephone-operator wife was redirecting everyone who called for Strowger. Motivated to remove the intermediary operator, he invented the first automatic telephone exchange in 1889.
VM5xG TIL that when a fire broke out in a Brooklyn theater in 1876 there was only one stairwell accessible by the top floor guests which led to a stampede and jammed the exit. 278 of the 1,000 guests died which led to an overhaul of NYC's fire codes and theater regulations.
9wVvQ TIL Mimolette is a cheese who got invented during the France-Holland war after France banned Dutch cheese imports. Its nutty flavor comes from mite-made holes in its rind. US customs detained in 2013 imports, citing FDA concerns about it being filthy, putrid, or unfit for human consumption.
8evBG TIL that HP still sells the HP12C, a 40 year old financial calculator which had a chip named R2-D2 and was designed to have a battery longevity of over 12 years
jY6N TIL a cotton shopping bag must be used at least 131 times to have less impact on the environment than single-use bags.