› added 7 years ago

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TIL that despite elephants massive size compared to humans, they are 5 times less likely to die of cancer due to them having at least 40 copies of TP53, a gene that destroys cancer cells before they become a problem, versus 2 in humans.

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via ift.tt

EgG1p TIL that Callitxe Nzamwita, a man from Rwanda, has lived in complete isolation for 55 years due to his extreme fear of women. Since the age of 16, he has barricaded himself inside his house, avoiding any contact with women.
EwG7 TIL that Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Shogun of Japan, only ruled formally for two years before abdicating the position to his son, likely to avoid succession conflicts after his death.
b9mj9 TIL pillow fights are banned at West Point after one pillow fight left 30 freshmen cadets injured, including 24 diagnosed with concussions.
YpXdW TIL while filming ‘The Princess Bride,’ André the Giant said his favorite thing about being on set was that “nobody looked at him strangely or singled him out because of his immense size.”
R7N84 TIL Leonard Cohen originally wrote 80 draft verses for his song "Hallelujah." He chose several of the most relevant and interchanged some of them depending on where he was playing.