› added 6 years ago

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TIL that Patrick Stewart hated having pet fish in Picard's ready room on TNG, considering it an affront to a show that valued the dignity of different species

0dwDp TIL that Potassium's main role in the body is to help maintain normal levels of fluid inside our cells. Sodium, its counterpart, maintains normal fluid levels outside of cells. Potassium also helps muscles to contract and supports normal blood pressure.
PYNre TIL that Archibald Roosevelt,son of President Teddy Roosevelt,was wounded during WW1. He rejoined the army during WW2 and was wounded in the same knee as he had been during WW1,making him only American to ever be classified as 100% disabled twice for the same wound incurred in two different wars.
8rZV TIL that NASA wanted to send Big Bird into space on the Challenger in 1986 to get children interested in space. The Big Bird suit was too big, however, so they sent teacher Christa McAuliffe instead. The Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff.
8aZPa TIL that Cocaine, Nicotine and Caffeine all belong to a group of chemicals known as alkaloids that also includes quinine(a malaria drug), HHT(a leukemia drug) and Atropine(the toxic component in deadly nightshade). These chemicals tend to be basic but can also be neutral or even weakly acidic.
VyP8 TIL that the Rosetta spacecraft, while studying comet 67P, discovered electrons cause the rapid breakup of water and carbon dioxide molecules erupting from the surface, not photons (light) as previously thought.