› added 7 years ago

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TIL on a trip to China, Prince Philip joked to students that “if you stay here much longer, you’ll go slit-eyed”. After initial concerns of offence, it was revealed that Chinese authorities were unconcerned. They explained that travelling Chinese students were likewise warned not to go “round-eyed”.

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N7NwE TIL about terminal lucidity, a phenomenon in which patients with degenerated brains from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's suddenly regain lucidity, personality and memory before death. There is no known medical explanation for this phenomenon.
dDaPr TIL that a 20th-cent scientist called Margarita Salas discovered the order in which messenger RNA is read, as well the existence of S Φ29 phage DNA polymerase. Through her work, she created a way to replicate trace amounts of DNA into quantities large enough for full genomic testing
6yRl TIL It is likely that male humans have thicker penises than other primates because women have a bigger vagina to fit our large developed heads out.
gj8 TIL that robotics researchers in Japan have built a robot avatar body that is controlled by thought alone
1axP7 TIL that in 2016 France blocked an attempt by Belgium to issue a 2-euro coin commemorating the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Using a loophole in Eurozone guidelines, Belgium simply minted a 2.50-euro commemorative coin and put it into circulation anyway