› added 11 years ago

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TIL that the Greater Honeyguide, a bird from sub-Saharan Africa, leads humans to bee colonies and, after we take the honey, feeds on the larvae and beeswax. It seems to only use humans and likely evolved this behaviour with early men. Honeyguides may be mankind’s oldest buds, even before dogs.

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a8eQy TIL that when Radio Shack in 1977 planned its first personal computer, the $599 TRS-80, it built 3,500 units. The company had never sold that many of anything at that price, and planned to use the computer for inventory in its 3,500 stores if it failed. More than 200,000 were sold by 1980.
8ak7Z TIL the Mercedes-Benz G-Class was developed as a result of a suggestion to develop a military vehicle by the Shah of Iran, who at the time was a significant shareholder of the company.
Eg4XX TIL that after the Goliad Campaign in which Mexican forces defeated the Texian Army, an order came down to massacre the Texans. Mexican General José de Urrea who was responsible for defeating the Texans, was strongly opposed to the massacre but was ignored.
JYAy8 TIL Humans are still evolving. One fast-evolving gene is human accelerated region 1 (HAR1), which is needed during brain development. In Tibet, a rapid surge in frequency of a mutated gene that increases blood oxygen content gives locals a survival advantage in higher altitudes.
1aRDd TIL the Norse explorers of America described a native "warsling" that would fling sheep sized projectiles at enemies. Centuries later, linguists discovered the Algonkin people had an oral tradition of the same weapon their ancestors used to destroy ships.