› added 10 years ago

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TIL that Sponges (animal) can survive being squeezed through fine cloth and are able to reassemble themselves afterwards

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oPdL TIL that 17th century astronomer Johannes Kepler, who was unable to publish his dissertation as it contradicted the geocentric model held by the Catholic church, decided to rewrite it as a work of fiction about a man traveling to the moon. It is now considered the first modern science fiction novel.
GYjnN TIL that even though Edward Bannister won 1st prize for painting at the 1876 Philadelphia centennial international exhibition, after discovering Bannister's identity, the judge wanted to rescind his award because he was black. However this wasn't possible due to protests from the other competitors.
GYor7 TIL - the US Postal Inspection Service is the oldest branch of law enforcement in the US. Tracing its roots to 1772 when Benjamin Franklin appointed a surveyor to audit mail delivery, it predates the US itself.
0d4Zj TIL: Princess Diana is estimated to have been subjected to 70 g's during the crash that killed her and died from a torn pulmonary artery resulting from the extreme deceleration from 65 to 0 mph
xvdD TIL that silverfish have an unusually adorable three-step mating ritual that closely mirrors the structure of standard romantic comedies.