› added 13 years ago

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TIL that survivors of the Black Death may have passed on a gene mutation that produces resistance to HIV.

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oRPQR TIL that an extensive research of dropping wallets was done to study honesty. 279 top economists agreed that a wallet with more money would be less likely to be returned but the actual results turned out to be opposite across countries and culture.
ZXpv TIL If you marry your 3rd cousin, your kids are actually healthier than the general population
LkOAm TIL While attacking a series of machine gun nests during WW2, Daniel Inouye had most his right arm shot off while arming a grenade. He pried the grenade out of his severed hand and destroyed a bunker with it before finishing the last resistance in the bunker with a one-handed Tommy gun burst.
YpBgP TIL of Pyura Chilensis, a sea creature from Chile that resembles a rock. It is born male and becomes hermaphroditic at puberty, and it’s clear blood contains high levels of the rare element vanadium. It tastes like iodine, sea urchin and soap.
W79ao TIL that in 2009, after Steve Irwin's death, a new species of snail was named after him in honor of his memory: The Crikey Steveirwini. 🐌