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TIL that the “sailing stones” in Death Valley move in very short 15 minute bursts due to a very specific combination of rain, freezing temperatures and wind.

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D11ov TIL there is a theory that homosexuality might be caused by the mother's immune system---which may mistake male-specific proteins on the Y chromosome as pathogens and "attack" them, leading to developmental quirks
e0drJ TIL Hercules, Roman god and son of Zeus, killed his wife Megara and children. In repentance, Hercules had to complete the Twelve Labours of Heracles in order to become immortal. It took him 12 years to complete the journey.
VM4J4 TIL that one part of Operation Anadyr, the Soviet Deception plan preceding the Cuban Missile Crisis, involved giving Cuban exiles in the USA correct information on the shipment of nukes and missiles, guessing (correctly) that the CIA would perceive them as lies to encourage an invasion.
lr77 TIL that Judge Douglas Ginsburg was nominated for the Supreme Court in 1988. He had to withdraw his nomination because it was revealed that he smoked pot when he was in college 18 years earlier.
eeVJ TIL that from 1787 through 1912, the US never went more than 15 years without adding a state. Then 47 years passed before Alaska joined the union and we are now in the longest period in US history without a state being added (54 years).