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TIL pollution from PCBs is causing weakened penis bones in polar bears, although no evidence that this is causing broken polar bear penises has been found as of this date

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dy0Z TIL that Stephen King wrote Carrie on an old typewriter while living in a trailer. He threw away the first 3 pages thinking he had written “the world’s all time loser.” His wife fished the pages out and pushed him to finish it. It turned out to be his first published novel.
wLexo TIL that in 36 BCE, Roman statesman Marcus Varro wrote about germs, describing "minute creatures which cannot be seen by the eyes, which...enter the body through the mouth and nose and there cause serious diseases." The germ theory of disease would not be accepted widely for another 1,900 years.
R7DbQ TIL that the historically vague measurements "dash, pinch, smidgen" are mostly real cooking measurements that have generally agreed-upon amounts
6EPW7 TIL of Salty and Roselle, two separate guide dogs who were in the World Trade Centre during 9/11. They were on the 71st and 78th floor of Tower 1 respectively. They each led their owners safely out of the burning tower amidst the chaos, and both owners and dogs survived.
LQ6E9 TIL rhesus macaque monkeys from Asia were released in Florida's Silver Springs park 100 years ago. Today there are thriving colonies across Florida, many carrying Herpes B (which is harmless to monkeys but deadly to humans). 50 people have been infected with Herpes B and 21 have died since 1932.