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203

TIL surgeons hold scissors with their thumb and ring fingers.

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m1rOx TIL that bees survived the heat and noxious gases of a volcanic explosion by sealing the entrance to their hive and living on stored honey while living under the ash from the explosion.
9Yv46 TIL Teeth blackening, a custom of dyeing one's teeth black, is usually done during puberty. It was primarily done to preserve the teeth into old age, as it prevents tooth decay similar to the mechanism of modern dental sealants. It was seen as a sign of maturity, beauty, and of civilization.
rdnx TIL that you would not die instantly if you were exposed in space. Scientists estimate that a human being can survive 15-30 seconds in open space (X-post r/TheBestLists)
b6jQ0 TIL that between 1230 and 1561, many English towns had a street called “Gropecunt Lane,” named after prostitution centered on those areas. Many of these streets have since been renamed to “Grape Lane.”
rNy0x TIL an orangutan in Indonesia was seen using a plant paste to heal a large wound on his cheek - this is the first time a creature in the wild has been recorded treating an injury with a medicinal plant