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TIL that when washing their hands, most people miss washing their thumbs and their fingertips

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rRkyw TIL The warty comb jelly or sea walnut has a 'transient anus'. It forms a new anus (that immediately closes) every time it defecates. This has never been seen before and was observed only recently with this creature
0we4R TIL in 1999 Professor Bill Ditto made a simple calculator using the neurons taken out of leeches; word's first biological computer. It was aptly named the "leech-ulator".
0ZA5 TIL after Fidel Castro’s health was reported to be “almost recovered”, President Bush said, “One day the Lord will take Castro away.” In response, Castro: “Now I understand why I survived Bush’s plans and the plans of other presidents who ordered my assassination: the Lord protected me.”
8egeb TIL that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was inspired by the rivalry between candymakers Cadbury and Rowntree's during Roald Dahl's childhood. Both sent spies to each other to steal trade secrets and eventually became highly protective of their respective chocolate-making processes.
kOEee TIL that waving arms and screaming are not signs of drowning, but of aquatic distress. Actual drowning is often “quieter”; no call for help, no waving arms, just an upright body and head tilted back. Thus many people fail to recognize when a person is actually drowning.