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TIL in 2013 'Scientific American' analyzed the characteristics of all emerging diseases, they found "all known diseases of the 20th century were linked to sudden human population growth, new human activity in the environment and high wildlife diversity in the area where the pathogen originated."

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via reddit.com

4knx5 TIL the hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backwards.
NJ4J TIL in 2009 the Vatican used a Tupac song on their MySpace playlist because it, “share[s] the aim to reach the heart of good minded people.”
VBnEZ TIL The songwriters wrote "What A Wonderful World" for Louis Armstrong because he brought people together. A record exec hated it, was kicked out after trying to stop the recording, and wouldn't promote it. A 1968 #1 hit in the UK, it was a US hit because of 1988's "Good Morning Vietnam!".
l7GQ7 TIL "A True Story", the earliest known work of fiction to include travel to outer space, alien lifeforms, and interplanetary warfare, begins with an explanation that the story is not at all "true" and ends with a lie that their future adventures will be described in the upcoming sequels.
X07rk TIL people who work at U.S. nuclear power plants are exposed to less radiation than what is given off by the granite walls inside the U.S. Capitol Building.