› added 6 years ago

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TIL There are pencils which once they're too small to use can be planted and will grow into herbs, vegetables or flowers like basil or sunflowers.

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ADNWa The human brain looks like a big, pinkish-gray, wrinkly walnut. There are so many folds in it that, if it could be unfolded, it could be a small tablecloth. Pinkish-gray might not match your decor, but it would be about the right size! This "tablecloth" is made up of the cerebral cortex and is the wrinkly outside layer of your brain. All those folds are responsible for abstract thought, language, and memory. Scientists believe the wrinkles exist as a way to increase the surface area of the cortex, allowing for increased brainpower in a smaller space. In this week’s Today I Learned, neuroscientist and National Geographic Emerging Explorer Steve Ramirez shares some of his smarts on how your cortex is different from your pet hamster’s.
rb91 TIL A Dutch door is a door divided horizontally in such a fashion that the bottom half may remain shut while the top half opens. The initial purpose of this door was to keep animals out of farmhouses, or keep children inside, while allowing light and air to filter through the open top.
epdg TIL Bayer sold millions of $ of blood-clotting medicine for hemophiliacs with a high risk of transmitting AIDS to Asia & Latin America in the mid-80s, while selling safer product in the West.
kOQ9d TIL that Kanye considered dropping Nicki Minaj's verse from "Monster" because he felt it was too good and would overshadow the rest of the album
jNmeR TIL The Maya civilization used chocolate as money and the disruption of the cacao supply which fueled political power may have led to an economic breakdown, causing the collapse of the empire.