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TIL about the 6th basic taste that's been discovered, adding to salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami. The 6th is ammonium chloride. This is a taste that can signal toxicity, but it's also part of a popular Scandinavian treat: salty licorice.

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nWpvY TIL that in 1928, Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered penicillin when he noticed mold killing bacteria in his petri dish. This accidental finding marked the beginning of modern antibiotics, revolutionizing medicine and saving millions of lives.
Y5Ev TIL That during WWII, a research program tried to train pigeons to guide missiles. Pigeons would follow the image, pecking at it, which would move the screen on its pivots. The program was shutdown, with the lead researcher stating:“Our problem was no one would take us seriously.”
WkWDd TIL Anastasia, daughter of the last Tsar of Russia, supposedly escaped execution during the Russian Revolution. The story inspired books and imposters. Scientific analysis (incl. DNA analysis) now confirms she died in 1918. Remains included the imperial family and all four grand duchesses.
6Eg6l TIL that, as of today, the Berlin Wall has been gone for as long as it stood.
dDJJd TIL about the concept "Mise an abyme" which is is a term borrowed from heraldry and later adopted in literary, artistic, and media studies to describe a technique where a work contains a smaller version of itself, often recursively like a painting within a painting.