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TIL That the 16th century Swiss alchemist Paracelsus claimed to have created a homunculus (a tiny human) by placing a vial of semen in horse dung, burying the mixture for 40 days, then digging it up and feeding it his blood for another 40 days.

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6951w TIL of Triboulet: a Royal jester for King Francis of France who was sentenced to death for mocking the King and Queen. King Francis allowed him to choose his method of death, to which Triboulet responded “… I ask to die from old age.” He was spared and instead banished.
XDmX TIL an Israeli chemistry professor has invented an “anti-date rape straw” that detects date rape drugs present in a drink and alerts the victim by changing color
awx9Z TIL about 'Dead cat bounce', a Wall Street saying that "even a dead cat will bounce if it falls from a great height", referring to a small rebound during or after a stock market crash
V9x4 TIL that Alan Turing, the man who broke the enigma code during WWII, is estimated to have shortened the war by over two years, and to have saved over 14 million lives. He was later charged for his homosexuality and was forced to undergo chemical castration.
yrNw TIL the wrestler Mick Foley became a fan of Tori Amos in 1993. After meeting her in 2008, he got involved in a group she started to aid abused women. He has volunteered extensively, fielding calls from women in difficult circumstances, and logged over 550 hours on the phone over an 18-month period.