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TIL the thorny devil collects moisture in the dry desert by the condensation of dew on its skin, which is channeled to its mouth by gravity and capillary action via the channels between its spines

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4Zeb TIL the smell given off by books can be used to tell the age of the books, and how close the books are to degradation.
neneb TIL John Snow, considered to be one of the fathers of the field of epidemiology, also pioneered the use of ether and chloroform as surgical anesthetics. Anesthesia was still considered an unethical practice, however, until Queen Victoria asked him to administer sedatives for one of her births.
k8g4 TIL that the Japanese translate “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” as “Monty Python and the Holy Sake Cup” and that the Knights Who Say Ni in the Japanese version wanted a bonsai tree instead of a shrubbery.
OoLpg TIL that Alessandro Volta not only invented battery, but also discovered and isolated methane and was a prime minister of short-lived Cisalpine Republic
nebmb TIL that Anson Burlingame, USA's ambassador to Qing Empire China in the 1860's, grew to be so trusted and respected for his efforts to negotiate a fair treaty, that China then appointed him to be THEIR envoy back to America and to European countries, negotiating on their behalf.