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TIL The Oldest Currencies Still Used Today

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oBrN7 TIL Scientists put slime mold onto a model of a map of Tokyo, with food representing urban centers. After a day, it created a network almost identical to Tokyo’s actual rail network. Human designers created that network to be as efficient as possible; slime mold did the same, but without a brain
QJdwa TIL that the chemotherapy drug Paclitaxel, used to treat breast cancer (amongst other things) is a plant alkaloid derived from the "Happy Tree"
YpnNv TIL of the Cathars, a medieval Christian sect notable for its belief that the God of the Old Testament, the Creator, is evil, and perhaps Satan. Instead, they worship the New Testament God, who they believe created the spiritual world, and is truly omnibenevolent.
nWxbb TIL There's a type of tick in the U.S. called the 'lone star tick' (Amblyomma americanum) whose bite can make you permanently allergic to red meat and milk. The lone star tick is unique in that it can transmit a molecule that causes alpha-gal syndrome, a food allergy to red meat.
v8ML TIL There’s an area on Mt. Everest called “Rainbow Valley”, named for the multicolored down jackets and climbing gear attached to the numerous corpses littered along the hillside.