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TIL the gene that builds the mammalian placenta came from a virus. A retrovirus infected our ancestors over 100 million years ago, integrated into their DNA, and the gene encoding its cell-fusion protein got repurposed to bond mother and fetus.

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x6Zmg TIL that Shoggoths, creatures created by H.P. Lovecraft, were used by A.I. researchers to describe the mysterious nature of big language models like ChatGPT and how we see only the result of this nature's work, creating the catchphrase: "Shoggoth with Smiley Face"
5REB TIL that L. Frank Baum wrote not one, but thirteen sequels to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Because of letter sent by fans for more books, Baum wrote a new Oz book almost every year until his death.
nWDdb TIL that graphene is more conductive than copper and stronger than steel!
GYDnN TIL that Godzilla fought the Avengers. From 1977 to 1979, Marvel ran a 24-issue comic book series featuring Godzilla, which saw him square off against both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four.
0dbMv TIL that on October 9, 2022, there was an explosion in space, called a gamma-ray burst, that was at least 549 QUINTILLION times brighter than our Sun! The explosion was so bright that it blinded telescopes, preventing a true measurement of its actual brightness!