› added 8 years ago

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TIL a new word, “Velleit”. When you really want something but your desire is just below the threshold for you to get off your ass and actually do something about it. Like, getting up and getting a beer from the fridge…aint gonna happen

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yKV8 TIL “She Bop” by Cyndi Lauper was a song about masturbation. Initially she wanted children to hear and be inspired to dance, but get the meaning when they were much older. In 1984 the album had a parental advisory label for content.
gMaNL TIL Einstein named Spinoza as the thinker most influential on his world view. When asked by a Rabbi if he believed in God, he replied "I believe in Spinoza's God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fates and actions of human beings."
wmmY TIL that in Moscow, stray dogs have learned to commute from the suburbs to the city, scavenge for food, then catch the train home in the evening.
neNbG TIL an 18-month-old German Shepherd named Luna fell off a boat in the Pacific Ocean, swam 2 miles to a nearby island, and survived for 5 weeks by eating mice before she was rescued by a team of Navy staffers. She was found to be slightly under-nourished, but in perfect condition otherwise.
XYME TIL scientists have been able to genetically modify mosquitoes so their sperm can only produce male offspring, decimating test populations in six generations. This inexpensive innovation could prevent the spread of malaria, save millions of lives and won’t have a significant impact on the ecosystem.