› added 4 years ago

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TIL that scratching an itch feels so good because the brain sees scratching as mild pain, so it releases serotonin to provide relief from that "pain"

Read more bbc.com

via reddit.com

b9XW4 TIL During the Revolutionary War the Americans received aid not just from the French, but also from the Spanish. The Prime Minister of Spain wrote "the fate of the colonies interests us very much, and we shall do for them everything that circumstances permit"
8elmL TIL Australia’s Aboriginal inhabitants, once thought isolated from the rest of the world for 45,000 years, have genetic markers showing mass migration from India 4,000 years ago, which also coincides with the first appearance of dingos on the island-continent
wL15J TIL the famous Kink.com building was built in 1912 as a stronghold/armory for the National Guard. During their ownership, it was also used as a sports venue. When the NG left, it was unused for 30 years but was used for internal spaceship scenes in "The Empire Strikes Back"
RQ74 TIL that most cats are lactose intolerant
VBBVZ TIL there's an asteroid (technically, a minor planet having a diameter of ≈250 km) named '10199 Chariklo' that has its own ring system. It is the smallest known celestial body to have a ring system.