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TIL that the mountain K2 (the 2nd highest in the world) was named such as a placeholder, literally "the 2nd peak in the Karakoram mountain range". it stuck because the mountain is so remote that no one else had given it a name.

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5JQ8 TIL that creative professions, particularly creative writing, have a strong correlation with mental illnesses: authors are 50% more likely to commit suicide than the general population.
Bgdpd TIL when Marco Polo visited Tibet in the 1270s, he would sometimes be courted by 20 or 30 unmarried women who sought to do pleasure with as many men as possible and receive at least 20 tokens as proof of being desirable for marriage. He wrote “what a fine country that is for young fellows to go to!”
J17O8 TIL Alan Kay envisioned the concept of the DynaBook in 1968. Originally called "KiddiComp", he described it as a personal computer for children of all ages and would offer similar functionality as what is now known as a laptop or tablet.
5YGMB TIL that melanin forms a protective cap over the nucleus to protect against DNA damage.
rR1x0 TIL Robert Patrick was in a boating accident on Lake Erie in 1984. He nearly drowned after swimming for nearly 3 hours helping to rescue the other people stranded at the accident site.