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TIL that in 2013 a novel bat coronavirus was found in a Yunnan cave bat which, unusually, could affect humans; it was extremely similar to the current COVID-19.

Read more nature.com

via reddit.com

LQBpr TIL one of the ways to make Okinawan snake wine involves putting the snake on ice until it passes out, at which point it is gutted, bled and sewn up. When the viper is thawed and awakens, it will quickly die in an aggressive striking manner, which is what most producers look for.
v1vP8 TIL Amsterdam Schiphol airport has a sniffing dog on staff who can return lost items to their owners before they even know they’re gone.
YpkkZ TIL that India once arrested a pigeon on suspicion of spying for Pakistan and held it under armed guard.
8aJOL TIL The 'Space Window' at Washington National Cathedral features a moon rock returned to Earth by Neil Armstrong and his Apollo 11 crew. The cathedral hosted a memorial service for Armstrong in 2012 to mark the passing of the first moonwalker
j6EYX TIL the term “gaslighting” actually comes from a 1938 play, “Gas Light”, where a husband manipulates his wife to make her think she’s actually losing her sense of reality so he can commit her to a mental institution and steal her inheritance.