/f/todayilearned
TIL After the Aral Sea dried up significantly, Kazakhstan revived the northern part of the lake while the South Aral Sea in Uzbekistan is almost completely desiccated. Kazakhstan’s 12km-long dyke saved part of the northern sea by connecting it with the southern section
bbc.comSubmitted by Ok_Copy5217 t3_11pynzl
TIL Charles Dickens had a talking pet raven named Grip, who terrorized his dog, buried valuables in the yard, and died eating "a pound or two" of lead paint. As a character in one of his novels, Grip is believed to have inspired Poe's famous poem, and is on display in a Philadelphia public library
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by jableshables t3_11uqn42
TIL Ohio has license plates reading "Birthplace of Aviation" and North Carolina reads "First in Flight" because the two states both claim the Wright Brothers as their own. The Wrights performed the first controlled, powered flight in Kitty Hawk, N.C. but built their plane in Ohio
bbc.comSubmitted by Specialist_Check t3_11v25g0
TIL: In 1903 Daniel Barringer gambled his entire fortune on a mineshaft believing geologists had misclassified a meteor creator as a volcano and a $1 billion iron ore deposit was to be found. He was correct that the site was a meteor creator, but didn't realize the iron ore had vaporized on impact.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by Fifth_Down t3_11uu31v
Submitted by johnmyster t3_11so17s
Submitted by shelovesbackshots t3_11t22hk
TIL that in 1950, scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, synthesized a highly radioactive element by bombarding curium-242 with alpha particles. They named this new element "Californium" and its discovery was initially kept classified due to its potential military uses.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by theID10T t3_11u107i
Submitted by Viazon t3_11tt12v
TIL about Saint-Malo, Brittany. This city on the French coast has some of the highest tides in Europe, rising as high as 40 feet during parts of the year, and the water withdrawing hundreds of yards. A sea wall, built in the 17th century, protects the city from the tides.
france.frSubmitted by marmorset t3_11stv48
Submitted by flightofthenochords t3_11suxqv
TIL the ending of "The Bourne Supremacy" was reshot just two weeks before its release. Director Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon came up with a new idea that would cost $200,000 and involve pulling Damon from the set of Ocean's 12. The movie tested 10 points higher with the new ending and made $176m.
theguardian.comSubmitted by shor t3_11tiw31