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TIL that the cottage where Ulysses Grant finished his memoirs is now an historic monument and is kept how it was when he died. On his desk is a large bottle of liquid cocaine. Park rangers check it annually to make sure it is all there.

Read more blog.americanheritage1.com

via reddit.com

BjJK TIL of Cymothoa exigua, a parasite that consumes the tongue of a fish, attaches itself to the blood supply, and becomes a newly functioning tongue, gorging itself until the host slowly dies of starvation. It’s one of few known parasites that consume and replace a host’s organs.
eppkb TIL the DSV Alvin is a ship of Theseus, with every component having been replaced over the last 58 years of service. It has been used to explore hydrothermal vents, the Titanic, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. One time a swordfish attacked it. The fish was later cooked and eaten.
PYkeO TIL The inaugural winner of the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, William Grover-Williams, was a French secret agent responsible for organizing a resistance network who was executed by the Nazis.
ne1JG TIL there are robotic stuffed animals made specifically for senior citizens suffering from cognitive impairment and decline. Meant to reproduce many actions and sounds of real animals they provide comfort for those unable to care for real pets much less themselves.
RZO8 TIL that “nail houses” — properties, standing alone amid the ruins of other buildings, that belong to owners who have stood their ground and resisted demolition — are a thing in China