› added 4 years ago

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TIL that despite being a cliche, only one historical map actually uses the phrase "Here Be Dragons". The Hunt-Lenox Globe from 1504, one of the oldest globes in existence, uses the phrase on the east coast of Asia. It is believed to have been inspired by tales of Komodo Dragons from Indonesia.

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eaLg TIL that the word “idiot”, in Athenian democracy, referred to a person who was selfish and concerned only about their private affairs, while having no interest in public concerns at all.
GAJbE TIL Vitamin D deficiency makes sun exposure rewarding, as an evolutionary mechanism to encourage animals to get enough vitamin D. Once vitamin D levels are replete, sun exposure no longer produces euphoria
OGD8Y TIL the concept of Jamais Vu, which is the opposite of the more familiar term Deja Vu
epWgJ TIL While Apollo 15 astronaut Jim Irwin was lugging heavy objects on the Moon, flight surgeons noticed an irregularity in his heart rate and realized he had bigeminy. His heart condition eventually killed him 20 years later.
5Pep TIL Eastern Airlines closed so suddenly in 1991 that thousands of passengers and crew were left stranded across the country as their connecting flights, or return flights, were suddenly cancelled.