Today I learned !todayilearned@lemmy.ml

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TIL an ant mega-colony exists across 3 continents and is thought to contain billions of ants, all of which recognise each other to be from the same colony. The largest part of the colony is in Europe

TIL about the largest and most powerful lightning strike ever recorded

TIL: If a fly gets so deep in your ear you can’t even see it, pour some baby oil in. It encapsulates the fly and eventually it will slip out.

TIL that archeologists have found perfectly edible honey in ancient Egyptian tombs. In fact, honey never spoils thanks to its low moisture, its acidity and hydrogen peroxide in it.

TIL English industrialist stole iron technique from Black metallurgists

TIL that the word "poop" was used in WWII as "insider/up-to-date information".

TIL that the last sword duel in France took place in 1967, between the mayor of Marseilles and the presidential candidate of the Socialist Party.

TIL about Wu-Tang Clan's 'Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,' an album so exclusive, only one copy was ever produced.

TIL that New York State paid more for the land for Central Park ($ 7.4 million) than the US paid for the entire state of Alaska ($ 7.2 million).

TIL that in Senegal there is a pink lake with a salinity reaching up to 40%.

TIL My car tire rack has the same dimensions as a speaker stand

TIL upper atmospheric lightning is terrifying looking

TIL that for much of the 20th century many chickens were equipped with eyeglasses, in order to avoid pecking and cannibalism.

TIL that during WWII, British spies had plans lacing Hitler's food with estrogen, with the intention of making him less aggressive.

TIL that Mal Evans, The Beatles' road manager, was shot and killed by the police in 1976. None of The Beatles attended his funeral.

TIL that Ethiopia has its own calendar that lags 7-8 years behind the rest of the world. New Year occur on September 11 or 12. The current year is 2015.

TIL: The DO NOT EAT warnings on silica gel are about choking rather than poison

TIL there's a reinterpreted history of Lord of the Rings which reveals that Mordor actually has educated people (not Orcs) that are oppressed by magical creatures like the Elves and Gandalf

TIL that the Madagascar Sign Language is derived from the Norwegian Sign Language, since the education for deaf in the country was established by Norwegian missionaries.

TIL that no Canadian team has won the Stanley cup since 1993 when Montreal Canadiens won.