› added 10 years ago

97

TIL that liquid helium has zero viscosity and can flow through microscopic holes and up walls against gravity

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mxrxO TIL Ducks can keep their eyes open underwater due to a transparent third, sideways eyelid called a Nictitating membrane or haw. All birds have it and even humans have a vestigial remnant called the plica semilunaris.
5VYjB TIL about the Diamond-Water Paradox in economics. Even though life cannot exist without water but can easily exist without diamonds, diamonds are, pound for pound, vastly more valuable than water
VBoyp TIL Johannes Hevelius had exceptionally keen eyesight and could see stars of the seventh magnitude. He compiled a "Celestial Atlas" using both instruments, naked eye observations, and observed sunspots to accurately determine the solar rotation
QJPBM TIL that the ancient Egyptian god Set tried to prove his dominance by having sex with Horus. However, Horus threw Set's semen into a river, and spread his own on some lettuce (Set's favourite food). After eating the lettuce, Horus used the fact that his semen was inside Set to become ruler of Egypt
PK7O TIL Landmines planted on the coasts during the Falklands War accidentally created penguin sanctuaries. The penguins are too light to detonate the mines, so they live and breed safely. The sanctuaries are so popular and profitable that there are efforts to prevent removal of the mines.