TIL about Kessler syndrome, the scenario where there are so many objects in low Earth orbit that they collide with each other and create even more debris. In response, the FCC requires all satellites to enter a "graveyard orbit" at the end of their operational lives.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kessler_syndrome

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15igy6h/til_about_kessler_syndrome_the_scenario_where/

TIL Jake Paul has a history of taking children from their parents, in exchange for money, and putting them through very traumatic situations all for the sake of content.

https://youtu.be/ywcY8TvES6c

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15igdop/til_jake_paul_has_a_history_of_taking_children/

TIL that a law student at The University Of Malaga in Spain attempted to cheat on his exams with 11 BIC pens that had the answers etched on them.

https://www.odditycentral.com/news/student-tries-to-cheat-on-law-school-exam-with-intricately-etched-bic-pens.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15ifx7j/til_that_a_law_student_at_the_university_of/

TIL hand washing wasn't invented until the 19th century

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02493-w?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=0efdd9fd31-briefing-dy-20230804&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9dfd39373-0efdd9fd31-46847554

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15if9e4/til_hand_washing_wasnt_invented_until_the_19th/

TIL Jason Schwartzman is also a musician and created this well known song

https://youtu.be/mTzEp4CeWT8

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15if2jd/til_jason_schwartzman_is_also_a_musician_and/

TIL about Emmanuel Nwude, the Nigerian man who sold a fake airport for 242 million dollars.

https://newswirengr.com/2023/02/03/meet-emmanuel-nwude-the-man-who-sold-a-fake-airport-to-an-international-bank-in-one-of-the-biggest-frauds-in-history/

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15iep8a/til_about_emmanuel_nwude_the_nigerian_man_who/

TIL that in highly intelligent children, their cortex develops LATER than less intelligent children

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/smart-kids-brains-may-mature-later/

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15id2f7/til_that_in_highly_intelligent_children_their/

TIL The first case of a DUI was a London Cabbie named George Smith who was swerving all over the place on September 10th, 1897 shortly after midnight. He was fined 20 schillings and told to be more careful next time.

https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2014/09/09/london-cabbie-george-smith-arrested-for-drunk-driving-in-1897/

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15ic342/til_the_first_case_of_a_dui_was_a_london_cabbie/

TIL: The US Navy once fired a torpedo at a ship carrying the president of the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM5CSMkTJI4

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15ic0sg/til_the_us_navy_once_fired_a_torpedo_at_a_ship/

TIL that the Australian government failed to act on HTLV-1, a retrovirus that affects over 40% of the population of some indigenous communities in Central Australia. Between 5% and 10% of those with the virus will develop a rapidly fatal form of leukaemia.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/apr/28/world-experts-call-for-australia-to-act-on-devastating-htlv-1-virus

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15ibv2t/til_that_the_australian_government_failed_to_act/

TIL that symbols to denote irony or sarcasm in print have been around since at least the 1500s

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_punctuation

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15iaux5/til_that_symbols_to_denote_irony_or_sarcasm_in/

TIL that the Asian tiger snake is the only snake species that is both venomous and poisonous. Not only does it produce toxin for its bite, but it also stores poison it obtains from its toad prey in its skin

https://www.onekindplanet.org/top-10/top-10-most-poisonous-animals/

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15iap6j/til_that_the_asian_tiger_snake_is_the_only_snake/

TIL: The hyphens over Chinese vowels, when written using the Latin alphabet, describes how to properly pronounce the vowels in Chinese. Eg. à goes from high tonality to low

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15ian9o/til_the_hyphens_over_chinese_vowels_when_written/

TIL about an Americanised version of the Finnish language spoken by Finnish Americans

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Finnish?wprov=sfti1

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15i9rn0/til_about_an_americanised_version_of_the_finnish/

TIL about corrupt Judge Amanda Williams, who resigned to doge ethics investigations brought about in part by an episode of This American Life.

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/extras/judge-williams-steps-down

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15i9fm0/til_about_corrupt_judge_amanda_williams_who/

TIL The proposed Helsinki-Tallinn Railway Tunnel, when completed, will be the largest underground tunnel in the world. It will help to reduce time to cross the current Gulf of Finland route from two hours to approximately 20 minutes.

https://www.railway-technology.com/projects/helsinki-tallinn-railway-tunnel-gulf-of-finland/

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15i9bys/til_the_proposed_helsinkitallinn_railway_tunnel/

TIL that in 2014 Steven Seagal released a Jamaican Dancehall song called "Strut" featuring the most x-rated local female artist of that time. He sings the song in a fake Jamaican accent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v4-zYghodc

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15i87cj/til_that_in_2014_steven_seagal_released_a/

TIL about Daniel Daly who was awarded the Medal of Honor twice and was nominated for a third for his actions in WW1. He was denied his third Medal of Honor but was instead awarded with Navy Cross, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the French Médaille Militaire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Daly

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15i875x/til_about_daniel_daly_who_was_awarded_the_medal/

TIL Tom's Diner by Suzanne Vega was used to test MP3's compression.

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/19727/how-toms-diner-tuned-mp3

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15i6rfv/til_toms_diner_by_suzanne_vega_was_used_to_test/

TIL the BBC lost the sole production of the Queen's Royal Christmas Message and had to pay closely to 2.5 million pounds in restitution and donations due to the famous Diana interview, which was obtained under "questionable means".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Interview_with_HRH_The_Princess_of_Wales

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15i6lho/til_the_bbc_lost_the_sole_production_of_the/