› added 8 years ago

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TIL Scientists in the Netherlands are developing an ocean cleaning system which uses the ocean’s currents and a barrier to remove plastic waste. A 100 km long system will be deployed in 2020 to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Read more theguardian.com

via reddit.com

PYRmV TIL of the Panjandrum, a weapon consisting of large wheels propelled by rockets and holding explosives. During final testing the rockets broke free in all directions, the wheels began chasing military observers, and admirals/generals were forced to dive into barbed wire. It was never used in battle.
wLVD1 TIL Gwen Stacy was killed off in the Spider-Man comics because Stan Lee was in a rush to get to a meeting in Europe; Wanting to get his writers out of his office, he told them, "If that's what you wanna do, okay," without realizing what he'd just agreed to. He came back to find Gwen dead.
7ryoZ TIL boxer Chris Eubank purchased the title 'Lord of the Manor' for Brighton at auction. He then used his power to appoint a town crier. She eventually lost her position for being too 'old fashioned' for Brighton.
jNVEX TIL that Leonardo DiCaprio is named after the artist Leonardo da Vinci, as his pregnant mother was standing in front of a da Vinci painting the first time she felt him kick.
VMdAm TIL that "ACHOO", the phonetic word for a sneeze, is actually an acronym for "Autosomal Cholinergic Helio-Ophtalmologic Outburst syndrome". This strange sensation is also known as a Photic Sneeze Reflex, which is the feeling you have to sneeze while looking at a bright light.