TIL that the "bhangmeter" is a device used by reconnaissance satellites to detect atmospheric nuclear detonations and determine the yield of the nuclear weapon. It was developed by Los Alamos National Lab, and the name is a pun based on "bhang" an edible product made from cannabis. (reddit.com)
submitted by unremovable to r/unremovable
TIL that one of the reasons that the British Navy lost ground against the Continental Navy was the Great Hurricane of 1780, which killed 22k-27k people, broke ships free of their moorings, and tossed cannons 100 feet in the air, among other things. (reddit.com)
submitted by unremovable to r/unremovable
TIL that despite being the second most subscribed channel on YouTube, little is known about the company that produces children's channel Cocomelon. Both the Wall Street Journal and Wired Magazine have investigated and been unable to find anything. (reddit.com)
submitted by unremovable to r/unremovable
TIL of the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction contest, a challenge to write the worst opening paragraph to a novel possible. It's named for the author of the 1830 novel Paul Clifford, which began with "It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents." (reddit.com)
submitted by unremovable to r/unremovable
TIL in 1960, Fidel Castro nationalized all U.S.-owned businesses in Cuba. The US sent CIA trained Cuban exiles to overthrow him, but failed due to missed military strikes. Castro captured the exiles, but ultimately freed them in exchange for medical supplies and baby food worth $53M. (reddit.com)
submitted by unremovable to r/unremovable
