› added 3 years ago

86

TIL there’s a species of parasitic nematode that induces “fruit-mimicry” in tropical ants. Infected ants develop bright red abdomens, tend to be more sluggish, and walk with their abdomens in a conspicuous elevated position. This causes frugivorous birds to confuse them for berries.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

w49M TIL The sun goes through cooling periods which result in Ice Ages both large and mini. In fact, a lot of Mini-Ice Ages coincided with tragic historical events.
JYaRl TIL the largest tumor successfully removed from a human patient was a multicystic mass of the right ovary weighing 303 lbs (137.6 kg). The 6-hour operation took place in 1991 at Stanford University Hospital where the patient lay on her side, so as not to be crushed by the 3-ft diameter growth.
rNaLW TIL that the loudest animal in the world is the 2cm long Pistol Shrimp. It can create bubbles that pop at a volume louder than a gun shot and produce temperatures of over 4,000 degrees Celsius. It shoots these bubbles at it’s prey.
vP8RR TIL: That the final of the 100m at the 1924 Paris Olympics took place at 7pm on the 7th July 1924. Every year thereafter, at 7pm on the 7th July, winner Harold Abrahams and bronze medalist Arthur Porritt would dine together, until Abrahams's death in 1978.
v1ZoK TIL the war game "The Campaign for North Africa" is infamous for absurd it's depth and complexity, where campaigns take and estimated 1500 hours to complete and Italian troops require more water per turn that other troops in order to boil their rationed pasta.