› added 2 months ago

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TIL: The scent of freshly cut grass is actually a plant's distress signal. When damaged, grass releases "green leaf volatiles" (GLVs), which act as a cry for help. These chemicals attract insects that protect the plant by eating herbivores, making the familiar smell a signal of defense.

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1aa5V TIL the name Vanessa was invented by Anglo-Irish writer Jonathan Swift for Esther Vanhomrigh, whom he tutored. The name was created by taking "Van" from Vanhomrigh and "Essa" from a pet form of Esther.
vPX14 TIL that during the Vietnam war there were 7 discharges, 17 AWOL cases, 2 disciplinary charges, 12 complains to congress and 18 non-judicial punishments in every 100 groups of soldiers, whilst one third report some form of consistent drug abuse
QGZ9 TIL that eating animals high up the food chain ie carnivores, is bad for us due to the bioaccumulation of toxins.
bBPQ TIL in 1986 the Red Hot Chili Peppers were budgeted $5000 by EMI Music to make a demo tape and set aside $2000 to spend on Heroine and Cocaine
neaaG TIL that before the adoption of artificial light in the 18th and 19th centuries, there's historical evidence for "first sleep" and "second sleep"—that is, an interrupted pattern of sleep in two shifts of slumber roughly four hours each, with a period of wakefulness in between.