› added 1 month ago

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TIL that seagulls have a special gland that allows them to drink saltwater without getting dehydrated. This gland filters out the salt, which they then excrete through their nostrils. I found it fascinating because it shows how well-adapted these birds are to their coastal environments!

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via reddit.com

O4KL TIL The World’s Oceans Contain Over 20 Million Tonnes of Gold
R7nD8 TIL that the 17th century Ottoman Sultan Murad VI made the consumption of coffee a capital offense. In addition to closing Istanbul’s many coffeehouses, he would disguise himself as a commoner and stalk the streets of Istanbul with his executioner, beheading any coffee-drinkers that he caught.
nekd TIL that F1 drivers lose about 4kgs of weight after just one race due to prolonged exposure to high G forces and temperatures for little over an hour.
M7Oem TIL the elderly couple seen hugging on the bed in Titanic (1997) while water floods their room were the owners of Macy's department store, Rosalie Ida Straus and Isidor Straus. Ida refused a seat on a lifeboat, stating "Where you go, I go" which inspired Rose's line in the film.
GY857 TIL Winfield Scott developed the Anaconda Plan, capture the Mississippi River and blockade Southern ports, but it was derided by most Northern newspapers and Scott eventually left Lincoln's administration. Ultimately Grant used a strategy similar to Scott's Anaconda Plan to win the Civil War.