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TIL about Rabbi Isaac Ben Samuel of Acre who lived in 14th century Spain and proposed the universe was 15.3 billion years old, not too far off from modern science that says the universe is 13.8 billion years old.

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8expX TIL the global population of humanity's ancestors once fell from 100k to only 1,000 individuals
p8LMb TIL of Flossie Wong-Staal, a pioneering HIV/AIDS researcher who performed nucleotide sequencing on HIV to map its entire genetic makeup and to elucidate its many variations. Such research helped improve the medical outlook for millions of HIV/AIDS patients around the world.
wLvm8 TIL that Anna May Wong, who is widely regarded as the first mainstream Chinese-American actress in Hollywood, auditioned for the role of O-Lan in “The Good Earth,” but did not get the part because the producer tasked with casting did not find her “beautiful enough” for the role.
p8LZ8 TIL screenwriter Carl Foreman (High Noon) was blacklisted for communist activity. In the face of intense industry all Foreman's colleagues abandoned him expect for Gary Cooper. In gratitude, Foreman gave Cooper first refusal on his future scripts including, The Bridge on the River Kwai.
wPY1 TIL an MIT developed a wristband that can regulate your “thermal comfort,” possibly eliminating the need for central heating and cooling.