› added 7 years ago

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TIL that fruit ripening with ethylene gas started after a leaky gas main caused plants to grow abnormally. Dimitry Neljubow a Russian scientist was able to identify the chemical in 1901.

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GYMO5 TIL that a group of Black-capped Chickadees is called a banditry of chickadees, referring to the mask-like appearance of the species.
VMoD0 TIL that at Hunter S. Thompson's funeral, his ashes were blown into the sky from a 153 foot tower, accompanied by red, white, blue, and green fireworks. The 'celebration' was attended by Bill Murray and Johnny Depp, who funded most of the event.
rRZ9w TIL about brothel candles, which burned for precisely 7 minutes and were heavily used during Victorian times. The individual would pay the fee, light the candle, and when the candle burned out, the session was over.
W7axL TIL about the Sturddlefish. In 2019, scientists accidentally inseminated a sturgeon with paddlefish sperm and created living hybrids, though the two species diverged over 180 million years ago, long before most mammal species split.
QQJe TIL that Dolly Parton started a programme where she would send a free book to any child every month up to their fifth birthday and that any child from the US, UK, Canada and Australia is eligible.