› added 4 years ago

78

TIL I learned that the slang words crap or crapper did not come from Thomas Crapper, a toilet pioneer.

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0wPo1 TIL that in 1945 Myanmar, 900 Imperial Japanese soldiers crossed through 10 miles of mangrove swamps that contained saltwater crocodiles in an attempted retreat from the Royal Navy. Less than 500 Japanese soldiers are known to have reached the end of those swamps.
v1mVL TIL the Mary River turtle, native only to the Mary River in Australia, is known for the algae sprouts that often grow on its body and even on its head. Remarkably, the turtle can breathe out of gill-like glands in its cloaca, used for both mating and excretion, and stay under water for up to 3 days.
edaJ TIL that Jupiter’s moon Europa likely has more water on it than Earth.
nWXxW TIL Chauvet Cave, home to the world's oldest cave paintings, was exceptionally preserved for millennia due to a rock fall sealing its entrance. This natural time capsule kept the ancient artworks untouched for thousands of years.
YpPVx TIL that cashews grow out of the bottom of a fruit called a cashew apple. Even though the apple is edible, it's usually just the cashew itself that is eaten, while the apple is thrown out or eaten locally.