› added 7 minutes ago

TIL that ctenophores (comb jellies) have been determined in 2023 to likely be the earliest branch of Animalia (earlier than sponges), after a chromosome study found they share many chromosomal features with non-animals. Thus, it might mean the ancestor to all animals looked similar to a comb jelly!

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ZpD1v TIL that in the late 1800's and early 1900's, gambling on US elections was extremely widespread. In New York, the amount of money spent on betting on elections would often exceed the total trading in stocks and bonds. Since there weren't modern polls, betting odds were how newspaper predicted races.
XER0D TIL about the attempted hijacking of FedEx Flight 705 by a disgruntled employee who filled a guitar case filled with hammers and a spear gun. The captain (ex-Navy) performer extreme arial maneuvers while the first officer and engineer fended off the attacker. The plane landed safely and all survived
GYOvN TIL the Brookesia nana, a tiny chameleon found in Madagascar, was first described in 2021. Adult males and females measure 22 mm and 29 mm in total length, respectively. Unlike most other chameleons, they do not change colors or live in trees, but prefer to live on the forest floor.
rMJW TIL that there is an military grade version of Marijuana called dimethylheptylpyran, and it gets you high for 2 days.
WklpA TIL: Some swiss cheese lacks holes because the milk used to make it is too clean. A Swiss agricultural institute discovered that tiny pieces of hay dust are responsible for the holes.