› added 12 years ago

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TIL The oldest animal ever found was a quahog clam named ‘Ming’ – 405 years old when they found it

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0wK8N TIL sperm whales got their name from late 18th century commercial whalers who discovered the enormous white fluid-filled organ in the whale's head and misinterpret it for sperm fluid. This organ which is now called the spermaceti organ is actually used as a powerful echolocation equipment.
7rkgb TIL of a man that protects the world's rarest colors, some being poisonous, and some very beautiful. One of the colors is a yellow pigment originating from dried cow urine where they were only fed mango leaves.
9Yb6X TIL that the reason purple was so highly valued in the ancient world for centuries, is because the only known dye was extracted from a very rare type of sea snail. In fact, there was only one place in the world it was harvested; the Phoenician city of Tyre.
ogyE TIL Nazi Germany had the most powerful anti-smoking campaign in the world. Smoking was banned on public transportation, restricted in public spaces, and was openly criticized by Hitler himself.
jnZQ Today I learned that the Retiarius, a type of gladiator who fought with a net and trident while wearing little armour, was considered effeminate for his use of evasion and entrapment. They were the lowest class of gladiator as a result, despite having the advantage in fights.